National Engineers’ Week is celebrated during the third week of February (this year from Feb. 20 to 26), and I would consider it to be the best week of the year.

Some may think this particular week is just another dreary, busy week for students caught in the long haul between winter break and spring break. Some might argue that their favorite weeks are in a different season — perhaps in the summertime or in the fall.

However, Engineers’ Week is the best week of the year for many reasons beyond just the timing.

National Engineers’ Week is about celebrating the positive contributions engineers have made to society and encouraging youth to think about pursuing an engineering career of their own. At Iowa State, Engineers’ Week is at the forefront of this celebration: acknowledging and honoring the largest college on Iowa State’s campus and hosting a variety of events to bring engineering students, faculty, staff and our overall community together.

This year, Iowa State’s Engineers’ Week is themed around Next Generation Innovation, and it’s all about the next generation of engineers and the new technologies and innovations they are creating.

Many historic traditions of ISU Engineers’ Week are continuing this year, from the Golden Calculator ScavENGer hunt to the $5 button lunches that bring 500+ attendees together in the Howe Hall atrium each day of the week. From professional development events to fun social events, there is something for everyone during the week.

Engineers’ Week is also bringing in former NASA astronaut Col. Eileen Collins as a keynote speaker, where she will present her lecture “Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars.” Col. Collins will not only be speaking about her journey as the first female to pilot a U.S. spacecraft, but also about the future of space exploration and aerospace technologies.

Her lecture is completely free and open to the public and will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the Memorial Union Sun Room.

Whether you are an engineer or not, I hope you will join in on celebrating all of the incredible engineers in our community for National Engineers’ Week from Feb. 20 to 26!

Rachel Junck is a graduate student in chemical engineering and business administration.