Beer, David

Biography:

David F. Beer was asked by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1985 to transfer from the English Department to set up a technical communication program for its students. Since then he has organized and taught the junior-level required course, EE 333T (Technical Communication), and has instituted the writing component of EE 464K/H, the senior projects lab course. He also teaches EE 360W, an independent study course involving engineering writing. In 1989, he was awarded the General Dynamics Departmental Teaching Award for Excellence in Engineering Teaching.

Dr. Beer has served on several departmental committees, and has chaired the College of Engineering's technical writing committee. He is chair of the ECE Department's Technical Communication Committee. As a senior member of the IEEE, he actively participates in the IEEE's Professional Communication Society.

He has frequently given presentations at the International Professional Communications Conference and is an active book reviewer for three publishers. He has published papers in IEEE and ASEE journals, and is the editor of Writing and Speaking in the Technology Professions, IEEE Press, New York, NY, 1992 (the best-selling IEEE Press book for 1992). His book, ?A Guide to Writing as an Engineer?, co-authored with David McMurrey of IBM, was published by John Wiley in August, 1996.

He is often asked to consult with high-tech industries on writing and editing matters, and gives workshops on technical communication on a regular basis in some of these companies. One of his key areas of interest and research is in making highly technical subjects accessible to non-technical audiences.

Research Interests:

• technical communication