ABOUT US

The goal of Start Engineering is to inspire and engage children from elementary school through high school about engineering. Our books and learning resources aim to create an environment where children can learn about the crucial role engineering plays in their lives.

We work to engage the larger community of people from academic institutions, companies, foundations, and non-profits working to get kids excited about engineering. Through collaborations with engineering outreach organizations, targeted learning projects, and social media outlets, Start Engineering seeks to serve the needs of engineering outreach programs and leaders. We want to provide a rich variety of information and resources that can help present a full picture of engineering as a course of study and a career.

In our kids’ book, "Dream, Invent, Create," we use poetry and whimsical, fun illustrations to help children learn about the crucial role engineering plays in their lives. "Start Engineering," our career guide book (coming out by Jan. 2015) for advanced middle-school and high-school students, will introduce exciting career options, with information on innovations and trends in space exploration, energy, robotics, computer science, prosthetics, environmental issues, sports technology, cyber security and more. 

We hope to encourage children to dream, invent, and create a better world for themselves and others through engineering. Our efforts are also aimed at getting more women and minorities into the field of engineering.

Universities, corporations, foundations and schools as well as extracurricular programs will find our materials easy to use and a great way to introduce children to the world of engineering.  For end-users who buy in large quantities, the back cover of our publications can carry your personalized ad, brand or message (See Get Started).  

Robert F. Black, CEO and Founder

For over a decade, Mr. Black served as the Deputy Executive Director of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). In his capacity as Deputy Director, Mr. Black supervised all of ASEE’s domestic and international activities.  In addition, he directly managed all of ASEE’S publications, marketing, and advertising endeavors.  Under Black’s leadership as the long-term editor-in-chief of PRISM magazine, a leading publication on science, technology, and engineering education issues, the magazine received over 150 awards. He was also the creator and founder of Engineering Go For It, a magazine aimed at exciting middle and high school students about engineering. The publication currently has over 2 million copies in circulation. 

For many years, he was Deputy Business Editor at US News & World Report magazine, and has published and edited numerous articles in the national media on business, economics, finance, and technology. Prior to joining US News, Mr. Black was one of the original members of the Congressional Budget Office, and a senior economist at the Urban Institute.

Mr. Black received an honors degree from the University of Wisconsin, has done postgraduate work in political science at Columbia University, and received a Master’s of Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley. 

Stacie Harrison, Creative Director 

For many years Ms. Harrison was the Art Director/Creative Director at the American Society for Engineering Education, and co-director of ASEE’s K-12 outreach program, eGFI, Engineering, Go For It.  She was instrumental in art-directing the eGFI magazine, website, flash cards and kids’ book. She has spoken to K-12 teachers across the country about introducing students to engineering. Before joining ASEE, she worked for the Washington Post as Art Director of the Washington Post Magazine and the Health section; and for Saveur and Garden Design magazines, Time and Entertainment Weekly. Stacie has won over 50 awards from such organizations as the Society of Publication Designers, the Society of Newspaper Designers, the Association of Educational Publishers, APEX and Communicator. She has communications and economics degrees from the University of Virginia.

Eric Iversen, Ph.D., Vice President, Learning and Communications

Eric Iversen has worked in learning for over 25 years. At the American Society for Engineering Education, he started the ASEE Engineering K-12 Center, an effort to catalyze engineering learning in K-12 classrooms. Featuring a website, a guidebook for high school students, annual workshops for K-12 teachers, and partnerships with diverse organizations, the Center earned over $1 million in the five years he ran it. He also worked with engineering and education deans to launch K-16 engineering education initiatives, and for the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program, Mr. Iversen helped lead program operations and ran the training and outreach activities.

Mr. Iversen was also Director of External Relations at the Universal Service Administrative Company. He initiated online learning programs for organizations eligible for telecommunications and Internet subsidies from the $8.5 billion universal service fund, increasing individual learning contacts by over 400%.

Mr. Iversen received a Ph. D. in comparative literature from the University of North Carolina and a B.A. in English with high honors from the University of Virginia. After receiving his Ph.D., he taught English at the University of Texas, El Paso. 

Corinna Wu, Editor and Writer

Corinna Wu has nearly two decades of experience as a science journalist, working on the staffs of news magazines and as an independent writer, editor, and producer specializing in coverage of physical sciences, engineering, and STEM education. She was a frequent contributor to ASEE’s Prism magazine, and the editor ASEE’s Engineering, Go For It magazine. She currently works from Oakland, Calif., as an online news editor for Chemical & Engineering News. Her work has been published in Nature, Science, Discover, Technology Review, Prism, and Science News. She has also created radio and podcast stories for Marketplace Morning Report, Science Update, Nature Podcasts, and Scientific American. During the 2005-06 school year, she held a mid-career Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT where she studied neuroscience and engineering design. Corinna holds a B.A. in chemistry from Swarthmore College, an M.S. in materials science & engineering from Stanford University, and a certification in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Laura London, Vice President, Strategic Development

Laura London has spent over thirty years as a marketing and business development executive in both corporate and not-for-profit organizations, in fields aligned with education, architecture, engineering, design, and technology.  Over a span of twenty years, Ms. London worked with Autodesk, Inc., a $2+ billion global leader in software technology, where she held a variety of management positions in corporate marketing, communications, and public relations; education product development; and education business development, partnerships and technology initiatives. In the latter role, London developed market relationships, products and high-profile projects involving the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Getty Museum, ITEA (International Technology Association), the LEGO Company, NSTA (National Science Teachers Association), and the White House. Ms. London also  served as Director of Marketing, and then Sr. Director of Business Development for FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science & Technology), a non-profit organization founded by entrepreneurial inventor Dean Kamen.  London graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a B.A., double majors:  Design (Art & Architecture) and Political Science.

Senior Editor, Catherine P. Lincoln

Cathy's diverse experience in editing and writing ranges from international travel guides to policy analysis.  The mother of two daughters and a lawyer, her favorite projects are educational materials for children that convey information with humor and appeal! Cathy is a graduate of Smith College and Washington University School of Law.

Alison Buki, Writer

Alison Buki is a writer and web communications specialist based in Washington, DC. At ASEE, she wrote for Prism magazine and for the Engineering, Go for It magazine and blog. She was instrumental in developing the eGFI social media network. Her interests include science, technology, art/design, and education. Outside of work she enjoys swimming, running, and discovering all kinds of awesome stuff on Tumblr. She has a B.A. degree from Stanford University.

Huan Tran, Illustrator

Huan Tran is a Toronto-based illustrator who has been creating images for more then 10 years. His clients range from Coca-Cola, GM, AT&T to The Harvard Business Review magazine, MacWorld, and Scholastic.  Huan likes art, ideas, hates onions and currently runs Leaking Faucet Studio.