Michael K. J. Milligan, PhD, P.E., CAE, currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of ABET, an ISO 9001 certified, global, nonprofit quality assurance organization of 34 technical and professional societies. Through the accreditation of academic programs, recognition of professional credentials and assessment of student learning, ABET supports excellence in higher education worldwide. Prior to joining ABET in 2009, Milligan was a systems director at the Aerospace Corporation, leading a team at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center developing the next generation environmental satellites for NOAA. Milligan served over 24 years as a career U.S. Air Force officer working in operations, engineering education, international research & development, technology acquisition.

Milligan earned his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin, his M.S.E. from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and his B.S. from Michigan State University all in electrical engineering. He also earned an M.B.A. in Business Administration from Western New England College, is a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in Colorado and Maryland, and a Certified Association Executive (CAE). He is also a certified Master Naturalist for the state of Maryland.

Recently, Global Engineer enjoyed a thoughtful, catalytic conversation with Dr. Michael K.J. Milligan, Chief Executive of IFEES GEDC Quality Partner ABET. The complete text of the conversation follows below. A summary of the conversation and excerpts are included in the March 2026 issue of Global Engineer.

GE: Please share something of your personal background – for example, what first inspired you
to “think engineering” and who supported/mentored you along your journey to pursue and
achieve in the world of engineering and engineering education?

• From an early age, I was always curious about how things worked especially  anything electrical. I came from a large family, and we didn’t really have the means to hire help if we needed to fix something around the house. So we had to  be very self-reliant. I learned a lot from my grandfather who was a plumber and  my father who was talented at fixing pretty much anything. I don’t think he ever faced a challenge fixing something around the house, or with the family car, that he avoided.
•  As I got older, I really enjoyed my time in the science courses I took in school, and my parents encouraged me to think about engineering when I was in high  school. Interestedly in those days, engineering was sort of mysterious. There  was no pre-engineering in high school or first year courses in college that  provided students exposure to the engineering profession. I had to wait until I  was deep into my sophomore year that I had any idea about what engineers  really did. Today, that is much different as we have programs like Project Lead  the Way, EngineerGirl and many summer camps run by engineering schools which provides high school students exposure to what engineers can do.

GE: In your opinion, what are some of the significant issues that ought to be addressed by the
global engineering education community – academic institutions, education thought leaders and business/industry?

• We do a great job teaching students the fundamentals of science and  engineering – better than ever. But what I think we really need to help students with is how their educational experience fits into the larger goals of improving the human condition and saving our planet for future generations. To do this, professionals of all types and backgrounds need to work together to solve the  world’s most complex problems. So anything we can do to help engineering students work comfortably and effectively with professionals of all types in all areas – especially those in the social sciences – is critically important. The greatest, complex problems facing our world will not be solved unless we can bring together engineers, social scientists, economists, business professionals, international organization and government representatives for example. We don’t have just “engineering problems;” we have problems that require solutions involving professionals from all disciplines. In most cases, we must change human behaviors to solve big problems. That is a real challenge

GE: How does ABET address these topics, and associated challenges?

• Our core purpose as an organization is the make the world a better place. We accomplish this by ensuring students have the best educational experience possible while preparing them for career success – not just in terms of job opportunities but also their potential impact on the world
• As a quality assurance organization, we have a few ways to influence higher education. Accreditation of individual academic programs is a primarily one, and our criteria – our standards – include requirements to ensure students are exposed to various topics outside optional STEM subjects and we expect that they have an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding. Topics include public health and safety, ability to communicate effectively and work effectively on teams, leadership, understand the importance of ethics, global, social, economic, and environmental factors on engineering design, and adopt an appreciation the need for lifelong learning
• We also have the opportunity to directly influence higher education worldwide through a number of partnerships with other global organizations focused on quality assurance as well as global engineering and computing education
• Finally, we recently started a quality assurance service focused on lifelong learning – the Recognition of Credentials (minor-credentials, certificate programs, badges, and similar short, focused learning offerings). We found that the recent growth of offerings in this area could really benefit from a third party quality assurance review to ensure learners are receiving the knowledge, skills and experiences they expect when enrolling

GE: What challenges and opportunities does ABET consider as critical and pivotal to sustaining and expanding interest and diversity in pursuing study and careers in engineering education – in terms of both inspiration, motivation and preparation?

• Engineering is an exciting field of study and practice. The opportunity to make a real impact on the work has never been greater. So I think one of our responsibilities is to educate young people about these opportunities. This next generation graduates will be the great problems solvers of tomorrow. The ones I’ve spoken with are excited about the opportunities
• We also believe ensuring students have a solid foundation in their engineering education experience is critical to their success. They will be lifelong learners, and will be constantly learning about new technologies and approaches to solving problems. If they have a solid foundation in their academic disciplines, they will be in a much better place to be successful learners during their entire lives

GE: How do you share with education leaders and institutions – your partners and fellow members of IFEES GEDC and others – the rapidly advancing technology knowledge, skills &; experiences ABET envisions as “must haves” in engineering for the future?

• We are actively engaged globally in many ways – accrediting programs, membership in organizations like IFEES & GEDC, partnerships with other accreditors – like the Washington Accord. We also have opportunities to engage our industry partners in various ways. Through these engagements, we better understand and help develop the knowledge, skills and experiences that we feel are critical for students to be successful upon graduation
• ABET accreditation works with academic programs to ensure they are providing students with the best educational experience possible. One that ensures they have the knowledge, skills and experiences to enter the workforce

GE: What do you feel is the greatest value and most unique contribution you and ABET can bring to the attention of the global IFEES GEDC community and encourage active membership and collaboration that will benefit all?

• One thing that I know to be true is that we can only be successful if we work worker together collaboratively. I think both IFEES and the GEDC provide that opportunity. Leaders from academe, industry, professional societies, and quality assurance organizations like ABET working together to help shape the future of engineering education
• Also, the focus on what we do is all about the big picture – making the world a better place through excellence in higher dedication. That is our goal

GE: You have been deeply engaged with IFEES & GEDC for years, and your organization is a trusted, respected and valued quality partner of the community – how have you sustained your own engagement and convinced your organization of the impact and value it brings?

• We see our participation and partnership with IFEES &; GEDC provides us the opportunity to engage thousands of faculty, administrators and industry representatives all over the world. It’s the only place where we’ve been able to meet so many people with a similar focus – shaping the future of engineering and computing education globally

ABOUT ABET:

Originally founded in 1932 as the Engineers’ Council for Professional Development (ECPD), in 1980, the organization became the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology to more accurately describe the emphasis on accreditation. In 2005, to reflect expanded scope in computing and the natural and applied sciences, it began using the acronym ABET. A non-governmental, non-profit quality assurance, ISO 9001 certified organization, ABET provides accreditation of academic programs, recognition of credentials and assessment of student learning. ABET supports excellence in education worldwide. It currently accredits 4,863 programs at 950 colleges and universities in 42 countries. Each year, 2,200 experts from 34 member societies contribute to ABET’s goal of assuring confidence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.