Preservation Engineering

How can we provide sustainable Historic Preservation without properly trained professionals to accomplish it? Of 100 structural/civil engineers there are probably less than 5 that truly both understand and can design for the preservation needs of a structure. This is an ability that currently is "learned" not in school but in the field. While there are numerous architectural schools that deal with the subject there is no engineering school that currently offers this discipline. APTI (The Association Preservation Technology International) has for many years tried to get a program established at the graduate level of an engineering school somewhere in the US. It is my hope that within the next year both a course then a curriculum can be established at Manhattan College to accomplish this. A committee is currently looking to offfer and hopfully provide direction to Manhattan to establish this. I look forward to any thoughts on the matter.