Pittsburgh Section

Directions to Westinghouse Energy Center

 

   From Pittsburgh take Interstate 376 East (Parkway East).  Take Exit 14A to Monroeville.  Cross Business Rt 22 at the traffic light and proceed on Rt 48 South (Moss Side Blvd) approx ½ mile (two traffic lights).  The 2^nd traffic light is at a 4-way intersection with an Exxon station on the right.  Turn left onto Northern Pike.  Proceed approx 0.2 miles and turn right at the 1^st traffic light onto Westinghouse Dr.  Travel 0.7 miles (past the guard stand) to the 3 flags where the building’s main entrance is located.  Parking in the evening will be plentiful.  Use the main entrance and check with the security guards inside.  You will be directed to the proper room for your meeting.

   From the PA Turnpike, take Exit 57 (Monroeville).  After the toll plaza, get in the left lane to get on Business Rt 22 West.  At the first light, turn left onto Rt 48 South (Moss Side Blvd) and follow the above directions.

 

The Importance of Obtaining a PE License

 

Speaker: Joseph M. DeSalvo, P.E.

Date: Thursday, April 8, 2010

Time: Social 6:30 PM, Program 7:00 PM

Place: Westinghouse Energy Center

RSVP: Dr. Kal Sen, P.E., senkk@ieee.org or 724-696-1611 by April 1, 2010

Organizers: Power & Energy Society/Industrial Applications Society and GOLD

This talk is for Professional Engineers who want to be licensed Professional Engineers and for those who are concerned about the current job market and want to improve their employment security. The speaker will cover

1 recent changes in the formats/specifications for the FE and P&P exams

2 the numerous benefits of registration (being a PE)

3 the process for registration and the qualifications required

4 the questions in the FE & P&P exams and how to prepare for them

5 the status of the new registration law, Act 170, whereby continuing education is now a requirement for biennial license renewal.

We have invested a lot of time and money and have made sacrifices to obtain our education and work experience. Common sense would tell us that it would be wise to purchase some insurance that would help protect the investment. Becoming a licensed Professional Engineer is that insurance policy.

The majority of the reasons for being a PE fall in the overall categories: (1) it is a legal necessity, (2) it improves our employment security, (3) it provides opportunities for advancement, and (4) it is for personal satisfaction.

The speaker will discuss recent revisions being made to state registration laws to remove many of the job exemptions that presently exist. Thus, in the future there will be fewer jobs that will be exempt from the registration laws and the importance of being a PE will continue to increase.

As stipulated in legislation signed by Governor Rendell on November 2006 (Senate Bill 655, Act 170), Professional Engineers are required to obtain continual professional development (CPD) credits to renew their licenses. However the details of what is acceptable CPD was left up to the state licensing board to develop and the more detailed regulations have yet to be finalized. In the interim time SB 1264 which has different requirements than SB 655 has been introduced in the Senate. SB 1264 is more in line with those of neighboring states and is more liberal in the allowance of what may be counted as CPD. The current status of the registration laws will be discussed.

We have limited control over our work environment and our employer's goals. However we do have some control over our education, our life experiences, and whether or not to be a PE. Being a Professional Engineer, adhering to the Code of Ethics and Rules of Professional Conduct, and making Continuing Professional Competency a part of our lifestyle will be the ingredients needed to protect our job and engineering career.

Joe DeSalvo is a Professional Engineer with degrees in electrical engineering (Pitt) and industrial management (Carnegie Mellon). He is a Senior Life Member of the IEEE and is presently on the adjunct faculty of Pennsylvania State University where he teaches FE (EIT) and P&P (PE) review courses and several engineering and economics courses in the Advanced Power Engineering Program. Mr. DeSalvo is retired from Allegheny Power where as Manager of Substation and Methods Standards, he had responsibility for substation designs and industrial engineering studies for three operating companies serving five states.

He has served on the Board of Directors of IEEE and over 60 positions at all levels during the last 45 years. He was Chairman of Pittsburgh PES Chapter when it received an “Outstanding PES Chapter award.” He is a past Chairman of Pittsburgh Section and a past Director of Region 2. He received the IEEE Centennial Medal of Honor in 1984. In addition to IEEE activities, Mr. DeSalvo is a senior member of the Institute of Industrial Engineers and a member of Eta Kappa Nu and Sigma Tau honorary societies.