News coverage continues of the case of the BC engineer who had his licence revoked after designing a high rise that failed to meet building code standards. New requirements for Qualified Professionals in BC. An award for the geologist who discovered the oldest water on Earth. And an op-ed on how to prepare students for the rise of artificial intelligence in the workforce. These were some of the top news stories from the Daily Media Report over the past few weeks.
John Bryson: In a disciplinary decision from Engineers and Geoscientistics British Columbia, John Bryson was banned from working in BC after an investigation found his designs for a highrise condo tower in Surrey failed to meet building code standards. Bryson’s engineering firm has pulled its portfolio from its website. Meanwhile, the City of Surrey has said that it will not reveal which highrise was the subject of the investigation into Bryson’s work, citing confidentiality concerns.
New BC requirements for Qualified Professionals: The BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy has implemented a new policy to increase the transparency and accountability of Qualified Professionals in the natural resource sector.
Geologist recognized: The Gerhard Herzberg Gold Medal for Science and Engienering went to geologist Dr. Barbara Sherwood Lollar, who found the oldest water on Earth.
Preparing students for the rise of AI: In a widely published op-ed, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Greg Naterer, writes that as AI technologies become more powerful and capable, it will become ever more important to today’s students to be equipped wit the right skills that add value beyond what AI can achieve.
Bonus read: In a Scientific American blog, Ralph Nader writes that today’s engineers are working in an improved environment for balancing professional ethics with occupational survival, but that more work needs to be done to safeguard engineers’ ability to speak truth to power.
