EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Feb. 20, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- As part of Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) celebration of National Engineers Week, Feb. 17-23, students from Los Angeles area universities will experience first hand a day in the life of an engineer in the company's Shadow an Engineer Day. The event is part of a series of company-sponsored activities that will include employees visiting area schools, and engineering contests.
Originated in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers, National Engineers Week helps ensure a diverse, well-educated engineering workforce by increasing the understanding of, and interest in, engineering and technology careers among young students. It also raises public understanding and appreciation of engineers' contributions to society.
The week-long celebration will be dedicated to recognizing and raising awareness of engineering contributions that benefit the company, the nation, and the world of engineering.
"Engineers Week is a time when we can celebrate the profession of engineering and encourage an atmosphere of sharing and recognition," said Scott Sommer, Operations and Administration manager for Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector. "We also hope to inspire others through our community and school involvement programs," he said.
Activities include employee "ambassadors" visiting area schools, and company leadership hosting student tours to inspire youth to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. A new educational event this year, "Shadow an Engineer Day" brings students from area universities to El Segundo to join engineers for an inside look at their work, and tours of labs, modeling and simulation facilities, and the F/A-18 aircraft production line.
On-site competitions at the El Segundo facility include:
* Egg Drop Contest -- teams will be challenged to build the lightest, most secure egg-carrying device to withstand breaking when dropped from a height of four stories. * Cangineering Contest -- teams will build creative sculptures using cans of food, sometimes thousands of them, to depict Northrop Grumman products. All food is donated to area food banks following the competition. * Leaning Tower of Pasta Contest -- teams will be challenged to design and build, in the shortest amount of time, the tallest structure composed entirely of uncooked pasta.
"I look forward to companywide participation in this great celebration of our profession," said Frank Flores, vice president of the western region for engineering. "Engineering has always proven to me to be a very challenging and rewarding career. I have been motivated by the innovative talent we have at Northrop Grumman, and I know they share my passion for this challenging profession."
In another Engineers Week event, Northrop Grumman will recognize the value of turning ideas into reality with ceremonies to recognize authors of technical papers, patent award recipients, and Engineers Council award recipients.
Engineers Week is a formal coalition of more than 75 engineering, professional and technical societies and more than 50 corporations and government agencies.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $32 billion global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.