“I’ve worked here for twenty-two years, and taught about it for nineteen years…I kind of know what this is all about,” says freshman U.S. Senator Ted Kaufman.

This engineer by training-turned-politico tells SCOOP44 he is determined to reverse the dwindling number of young engineers before leaving the U.S. Senate.

He has said repeatedly in interviews that he intends only to serve out the remaining two years of his appointment.

“Education is not working today for a lot of reasons. In terms of engineering, it’s about using the bully pulpit and creating incentives at all levels. The big thing is the President and Vice President are involved.”

Kaufman cited the Kennedy national service legislation as a prime example.

A senior counselor and chief of staff to then-Senator Joe Biden before being appointed to his ex-boss’s post, Kaufman also sits on the Foreign Relations and Judiciary Committees, where the Vice President interrogated testifiers for decades.

He boasts an unusual–and increasingly rare–education in engineering, which he is working to impart to the next generation of American students.

After studying mechanical engineering at Duke University, Kaufman relocated to Delaware where he entered the DuPont Company. There he criss-crossed into local government and quickly evolved into a political titan on Capitol Hill, Biden’s go-to-advisor on issues from Middle East policy to Supreme Court nominees.

He is using his newfound electoral clout — now as a representative of the people — to revitalize educational opportunities for young people. Last month he introduced the STEM Education Coordination Act of 2009, with a “renewed emphasis on science and innovation to meet the increasing challenges of a competitive global economy.” The legislation expands and streamlines resources for public educators and curricula in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

“I’m interested in producing more engineers, and encouraging more young people, particularly women, to pursue this field.”

“My main message to the university deans I’ve spoken with is that we’ve been selling ‘engineering’ the wrong way,” adding that the stereotypical portrait of a shelter techie’s life is unhealthy and untrue.

“It’s an incredibly interesting thing to do, plus it’s essential,” Kaufman says.

“Most young people surveyed in college say they most want ‘to make a difference,’ and if you look around you at where the 21st century is going…these are the jobs that will ensure we have clean water and air, biomedics, and a safe planet.”

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