As an electrical engineer, I think IEEE or EE majors might be a good support (is there an EKN chapter). You will find the electronic guys more receptive than those in electrical generation, distribution, and machinery.
Years ago, the lead pitches for leaded components, dual-inline IC packages etc were all inch based, even if all electrical units are metric. That meant PC board layout was inch based. That began to change 25-30 years ago with chip mounting, and was complete for major (high volume) manufacturers probably 15 years ago. Most PC board layout is in metric dimensions because the devices and their pads are. I would also look at other engineering disciplines where the professional society recommends metric but individual companies which hire those engineers are either inch or metric (most companies dislike working in both). One goal for your chapter might be to influence those professors who use both systems to teach in metric, and minimize emphasis on conversion. Engineers should learn to work in one system (I recommend metric), not two, but they need to learn enough conversion that they can convert, solve, and convert back when faced with problems in the other systems. ________________________________ From: Pierre Abbat <p...@phma.optus.nu> To: U.S. Metric Association <usma@colostate.edu> Sent: Fri, May 14, 2010 4:37:49 PM Subject: [USMA:47366] How to find people interested in metrication? I'd like to start a chapter of the USMA here. A few months ago I sent an email to several people in the church, all immigrants, asking if they knew anyone who'd be interested. I got no response. I asked a friend of mine and he suggested the chess club (huh?) and the IEEE (I'm sure everyone there is in favor of henries and farads, but what about kilometers and milliliters?). Any other ideas? Pierre -- li ze te'a ci vu'u ci bi'e te'a mu du li ci su'i ze te'a mu bi'e vu'u ci
