The Committee on Engineering Education, aided by thought leaders in academe and industry, proposed the creation of a center to be located within the NAE structure to lead in the advancement of improving scholarly research in the field of engineering education and to assist in moving research findings into teaching practice. In 2002, with the creation of the Center for the Advancement of Scholarship on Engineering Education (CASEE) as a mechanism to foster a climate of continuous improvement in engineering education so as to increase the utility of an engineering education from the perspective of employers, academic institutions, current and former engineering students, and society-at-large.
By virtue of its pre-eminent role as a membership society of the Nation’s premier engineers, its commitment to the highest standards of quality as judged by peer review, and the resources it brings to bear in fulfillment of its mandate to "promote the technological welfare of the nation...", the NAE can contribute to the significant improvement of engineering education by a) expanding the capacity for the conduct of high quality research on engineering education, b) integrating engineering education research and practice, and c) leveraging the efforts and interests of relevant stakeholders.