Mechanical Engineers Find Purpose in Public Service

Engineers are trained to have an intuitive understanding of—and appreciation for—complex systems.

This makes them “incredibly effective policy makers and public servants,” said Gabriel D. Taylor, P.E., a senior engineer working in decarbonization and load flexibility at the California Energy Commission. “In addition to the obvious technical understanding [they] bring to public projects, engineers also tend to approach projects in a logical way that is highly compatible with the laws and regulations that authorize public agencies to act.”

Government needs engineers

Of the more than 280,000 mechanical engineers employed in the United States, about 14,000 work in government positions at the federal, state, and local levels.

Taylor pointed out that from water and energy supply to transportation planning to environmental management, few public policy projects exist without the perspective of an experienced engineer.