David E. Shapiro

Phone, and this is a Home telephone: 301-699-8833, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., Eastern time

Faxes: I receive them only by pre-arrangement.

I have two businesses and two primary volunteer involvements--plus a labor of love for which I developed a web site in late 2010. After giving you links to information about all of those, I will talk briefly about former professions and provide a link to other personal data.

email

Electrician: I have been in business for close to 40 years as Safety First Electrical. I now have information about that business on its own web page. Please note that in late-February, 2012, I decided to stop serving as a Third Party Inspector for Washington, D.C.'s Department of Community and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), primarily in response to their requirement that all third party inspectors, whatever their qualifications, work under the direct supervision of professional engineers. (PEs).

Writer/Editor: I have been in business as a writer and editor since the mid-1980s, trading until recently under the hefty business name Accurate and Intriguing Writing and Editing. Now I identify the venture more simply as David E. Shapiro, Writing and Editing. You can find an immense amount of information here, at the separate web page devoted to that business. It includes my focuses, my values as a writer, my publication history, several writing samples, rate information, book reviews, references, and more.

In mid-2010, a several-year-long effort culminated in the publication of W. Creighton Schwan's final project, which I co-authored with him. Behind the Code both explains how many modern electrical rules came to be and traces their development. A historian and a P.E. offered early responses showing the interest that the stories convey. Electrical inspectors and consultants have added that the detailed histories help them make decisions about whether installations they run across deserve to be grandfathered. You can order it here.

Former Careers

I earned an M.S. in Experimental Psychology and an M.Ed. in Community Counseling. I have not performed psychological research since 1978, nor been employed as a counselor since 1979. Both my heart and my intellect have found other outlets. I did maintain membership in the American Psychlogical Association until 2018, and follow current research. I continue to put this education to use in a number of ways.

Here are three examples of ways this has fed into recent activities:
In 2008 and again in 2016, I provided guidance to my friend and former colleague John Heil, DA, as he prepared reports on the lessons learned in his field.
I explained reelvant applications of current social science research in my column for electricians in Electrical Contractor magazine through 2018.
Finally, I served as guest editor for the Fall 2009 issue of a peer-reviewed scholarly quarterly, the Mensa Research Journal. The issue was devoted to studies of autism.

More generally, my now-dusty training in statistics, in research design and analysis, and of course specifically in social science allow me to write knowledgeably about these areas-and to evaluate the scientific bases of claims.
Then there are the special benefits that came out of earning my first Master's degree from a specialized program Lehigh University offered. It was an unusual science graduate program, focused on not only training researchers but on preparing us to become skilled college instructors. This means I had more education and practice in the theory and practice of teaching than most people receive, even people who have many years of schooling. I was educated to teach through writing as well as by standing in front of students. The training benefits my teaching whether I'm consulting one-on-one or presenting a seminar to a full room. The program was well designed, with good instructors.

Link here to Personal Description and early work and social history

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IAEI

I have served since the mid-1990s as Secretary-Treasurer for the International Association of Electrical Inspectors, George Washington Chapter (The chapter encompasses Washington, D.C. and much of Maryland). I also represent the chapter on the Executive Committee for the Eastern Section, IAEI.

Our purpose is to further electrical safety, and in particular to foster electrical education and the uniform application of electrical standards. About a third of us are electrical inspectors, mostly working for local governments; the other two-thirds are contractors, consultants, and representatives of organizations that support IAEI.

Please press this button to reach the web page of the local chapter , with meeting notices and reports, plus additional contact information.

Here's a button to reach the main web site maintained by IAEI's international headquarters.

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