Eugene E. Covert’s scientific contributions

Beginning with the assumption that aerospace engineering is a dynamic profession, that its practice in industry is still an 'art,' and that its main focus is on vehicles, this article suggests that students of the profession must 'learn how to learn' and must be conversant with nearly all aspects of vehicle engineering. The initial and possibly most important goal of an aerospace engineering program should be to prepare four-year graduates to cope successfully with their first few entry-level technical assignments. Students should be provided with the conceptual background and intellectual tools that will enable them to formulate problems properly. It is the employer's responsibility to provide opportunities for increasing technical sophistication and intellectual growth. Specifically, however, since the goal of an engineer is to define and to solve problems that will support the design and manufacture of products intended to improve people's lives, an engineer-in-training must develop solid technical understanding, problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and highly ethical behavior. Since engineering is not practiced in a vacuum, an engineer's education should also provide an appreciation of the world in which he or she will live. This requires imparting a sense of the cultural, political, and esthetic forces affecting the world. Providing this background is the goal of the humanities requirement. It is recommended that students enroll in three semesters of classes in one subject area remote from science or technology (literature, history, philosophy) in addition to ecology. Necessary fundamental courses include mathematics, physics and chemistry. The overall effort here is to provide a broad balance of varied and sometimes conflicting views. A controversial omission in these recommendations is computer programming. Beyond the mastery of word processing, computer graphics, and elementary programming, it is suggested that students should simply learn their company's particular system once they are on the job.