President’s Profile – Looking Ahead

By Pierre Home-Douglas
Photograph By Wyatt McSpadden

A lot has changed since Ronald Barr, 58, graduated with his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1969. “Back then,” ASEE’s new president recalls, “if I would have worked real hard at it, I could have probably had 10 job offers at, for the most part, large corporations.” Not only that, Barr says he could have expected to work for the rest of his life for the company he chose, rising up through the ranks to a senior position and then retiring. “That just doesn’t happen anymore,” he says flatly. The world of engineering is a far more competitive world, largely the result of global outsourcing—one of the eight fundamental questions, or challenges, facing engineers that Barr plans to focus on during his one-year tenure.

“We obviously can’t solve these problems in a year,” Barr explains from his office at the University of Texas, Austin (UT), where he has taught in the mechanical engineering department since 1978. “But if we have a long-term perspective and take not leaps but steady steps, we can begin to address them.” He adds, “In ASEE, we have a society with thousands of members and links to different government agencies and corporations. Together we can work to influence where we head nationally.” He admits that the eight questions are somewhat arbitrary but says they have emerged after plenty of discussion with engineers and engineering professors across America. “If we don’t have the answers, at least we have the questions.”

But Barr already has some answers of his own. Take global outsourcing. The problem is, as Barr puts it simply, why hire an American engineer for $50,000 a year when an engineer from India or China can often do comparable work for one-fifth the cost? Barr’s answer: “We have to produce American engineers who are not only obviously technically well-grounded but more talented at things like creativity, leadership, communication and professionalism so that when a company hires an American engineer it expects him or her to lead that company or an international group of engineers. We cannot simply produce commodity engineers who will design a circuit board and that’s it. Every engineer we produce should be someone special.” He claims that North America and Europe do have one key advantage as far as engineering education goes. “China is probably stuck where we were 40 years ago, when you had to take two courses in thermo, three courses in heat transfer—you know, the old school of engineering. We’ve learned that you have to educate engineers to be more independent and adaptive.”

Of course, you have to attract engineers to study the field in the first place. Barr claims this is actually No. 1 on his list of eight challenges. He applauds the efforts made by ASEE in the K-12 arena and also points to a vast array of projects around the country designed to get children interested in engineering. Take, for example, the Infinity Project at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, which has provided 30,000 high school students with engineering study kits that help them learn about everything from what makes an MP3 work to how to design a high-tech running shoe. Still, Barr thinks that what’s required is a more coordinated national effort. “Everyone is doing their own thing.”

Part of the problem is the perception that engineers are people who can’t write and speak in front of people, nerds who sit in cubicles. “It’s not true now, and it’s never been true,” Barr says. “It’s the Dilbert image we’ve never thought critical enough to attack.” Barr admits with a chuckle that may be because “we always thought we were superior to others so we didn’t worry about it.”

One solution to getting high schoolers to consider a degree in engineering is to increase its visibility. “You name a major—physics, chemistry, math, English—and it’s got a high school counterpart. Engineering doesn’t. We need to change that.” He also says that the time may have come to promote engineering as the liberal college degree of the 21st century. The more complex society becomes, Barr argues, the more there is a need for people with the knowledge and thinking ability—the analytical skills of an engineer. “Should a learned person in the 21st century still be able to quote Shakespeare and know nothing about the science behind global warming, the Internet and the digital age, or should they know about these areas and maybe have read Shakespeare?” Barr asks. “You take your pick which leader you want.”

He also says that engineering schools have to work a lot harder to make themselves more attractive places for women and minorities—another of his eight challenges. He points to the number of female students in engineering, about 20 percent, and then adds, “If you think that’s bad, look at the number of women faculty. It’s far lower.” Strides have been made over the years—Barr recalls his freshman class in the 1960s where there were only three female students out of 220—and there are various organizations such as the Society of Women Engineers that are working to correct the imbalance. Still, the numbers of female students seem to have stalled. Solution? “Get every dean in this country to agree to give priority to hiring women and minorities when a faculty position opens in their department. It may not be a popular idea, but if you want to solve the problem, that’s the type of thing you’re going to have to do. If you get the women faculty up to 30 or 40 percent, the students will follow.”

A Leader in a Changing Landscape

Barr’s ability to assess problems and work systematically toward solutions are qualities that have attracted attention from other ASEE members. “Ron is one of the most dedicated and methodical people I know,” says Wallace Fowler, former president of ASEE and an aerospace engineer who works two buildings away from Barr at UT-Austin. “He’s a planner and then he goes forward with the plan. If something’s going wrong, he’s like any good engineer: if it isn’t working, he’ll change things.” Barr credits Fowler with encouraging him to attend his first annual ASEE meeting in Baton Rouge in 1979, and the two have remained friends and colleagues ever since.

A native Texan, Barr earned both his B.S. in electrical engineering and his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Marquette University. His second degree was interrupted by two years of military service in the Army Corps of Engineers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. “Not too many graduate students got drafted back then during the Vietnam War, but I was one of them,” Barr recalls. He credits his military service with giving him a different perspective on the world than he had going to college. “Living in barracks, going through boot camp, getting shot at, breathing nerve gas—all those things that prepare you to be a soldier—give you a different view of the world than you get mixing with just college students and professors.” The GI Bill then helped pay for his remaining graduate work.

He taught for three years at Texas A&M before joining UT-Austin. Even though UT-Austin is well-known for its research—Barr himself has a lab that focuses on such biomechanical areas as using real or artificial neural signals to control an artificial limb—he has always placed a priority on classroom work. “Teaching is really what we’re here for. If all we wanted to do was research, we could be at a lab that doesn’t have an academic program.” Barr has served as the adviser to more than 50 master’s and doctoral students. Some, like Roger Gonzalez, have remained friends long after they graduated. In the spring of 2005, Barr was invited to teach a seminar at LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas, where Gonzalez has pioneered the creation of low-cost artificial legs for people in Africa. Barr stayed at Gonzalez’s house and says, “I’m just glad to call him a former student.” Gonzalez credits Barr with helping him realize his dream of becoming a professor. “He knew that’s what I wanted to do, and he helped steer me in the right direction. He was a great mentor.”

Barr says that after 30 years in the business, teaching hasn’t gotten any easier or harder. “It just keeps evolving. Five years ago I would have told you that every course by now would be taught on the Internet. How many of the 20-plus required courses in mechanical engineering at UT-Austin are taught on the Internet today? One. Prediction No. 2: I thought a few years back that every course would be taught by Powerpoint slide show. Seems like a great teaching tool, right? Half the students don’t like it because the professors end up going too fast.”

Despite his admitted failure as a soothsayer, Barr says there is one thing he’ll bet on: Engineers and engineering students will have to be prepared for a lifetime of learning. He points to himself and the fact that he teaches courses in computer graphics and biomechanics—both subjects he never studied in college but has mastered since his student days. “That might tell you something about the evolution of engineering knowledge. We can’t teach everything; there is just too much to learn. The most important thing we can do is to teach students to learn by themselves.”

Pierre Home-Douglas is a freelance writer based in Montreal.

2006 Nominations for ASEE Officers

PRESIDENT-ELECT

Frank M. Croft
Frank M. Croft is an associate professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering and geodetic science at the Ohio State University (OSU). He has served on the faculty since 1984 and has been section head for the Engineering Graphics Section since 1999. He completed his undergraduate degree at Indiana Institute of Technology, his master’s degree at West Virginia College of Graduate Studies and his doctorate at Clemson University. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Kentucky and has taught at the University of Louisville and West Virginia Institute of Technology.

As a member of ASEE for over 30 years, Croft is an ASEE fellow and has had leadership experience at the national, zone, section and division levels. He has served as first vice president, vice president of Professional Interest Councils, chair of Professional Interest Council III and Zone II chair on the ASEE Board of Directors. He has also served as vice chair and chair of the North Central Section, vice chair and chair of the Engineering Design Graphics Division (EDGD), as well as awards chair and chair of the nominating committee of the EDGD. He is currently director of programs for the EDGD. Croft is the 1997 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award given by the EDGD and the 2000 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award given by the North Central Section.

Being a student-centered faculty member, Croft has served as the lead professor and administrator for the OSU Engineering Summer Academy Program since 1985. This program allows highly motivated students who have completed their junior year in high school to enroll for college credit in an accelerated freshman engineering course. In addition, he is the faculty adviser to OSU’s Engineers’ Council and Tau Beta Pi. In 1994, he was chosen by the students of the College of Engineering to receive the Charles E. MacQuigg Outstanding Teacher Award. He was inducted into Tau Beta Pi in January 2000 as an eminent engineer by the Ohio Gamma Chapter.

Croft, along with his colleagues, has authored books entitled “Engineering Graphics,” “Problems for Engineering Graphics” and “Technical Graphics.” He has written several articles in refereed publications concerning CADD and has made several presentations at ASEE conferences. In addition, he has served as a Ph.D. dissertation adviser as well as a master’s degree thesis adviser. He has been a member of several master’s and Ph.D. general examination committees.

Candidate’s Statement
As ASEE navigates its path into the future, I propose that the society must be the flagship of engineering and engineering technology education by supporting innovative pedagogies, by stimulating K-12 participation and by expanding its membership through the promotion of the society.

• ASEE needs to support innovative engineering and engineering technology pedagogies. As a forward-looking society, ASEE must encourage universities to establish programs as well as provide a forum through which the scholarship of engineering and engineering technology may realize its full potential. For example, Purdue University has recently established an innovative program in engineering education by creating the department of engineering education. This department is the first in the country to offer graduate programs (master’s and Ph.D.) in engineering education, and it was formed as a proactive effort toward engineering education reform. Furthermore, Virginia Tech has established a department of engineering education in which their freshman programs are currently administered with plans to establish graduate courses as well. ASEE must continue to be the leader in reforming and improving engineering and engineering technology pedagogies.
• ASEE needs to continue and expand its support of K-12 initiatives in order to meet the challenges of the future and produce capable engineers and technologists in order to solve the complex problems facing our nation. During the last five years, ASEE has increased its involvement with K-12 initiatives by establishing an innovative publication about engineering and engineering technology aimed at K-12 educators. It has also formed a K-12 Constituent Committee, which has become the newest ASEE division with over 400 members. ASEE needs to find new avenues to support K-12 programs thus establishing itself as a leader among K-12 educators.
• Since the lifeblood of ASEE is its membership, it needs to develop additional programs similar to the Dean’s Program. The Dean’s Program has helped to increase membership over the last decade by offering new engineering and engineering technology faculty a complimentary membership for two years. During the complimentary period, ASEE needs to develop new programs such as mentoring to ensure that faculty members continue their participation in ASEE. In addition, the current campus representative program needs additional support from the society and the board of directors to bolster the drive to increase membership.If elected, I will look forward to working with the ASEE membership and staff to enhance engineering and engineering technology education, increase K-12 participation and expand membership in ASEE.

PRESIDENT-ELECT

James L. Melsa
James L. Melsa is currently dean emeritus of the College of Engineering at Iowa State University, having served as dean from 1995 to 2004. Before joining Iowa State, he spent 11 years at Tellabs Inc., a telecommunication equipment provider. He held various positions there, including vice president of strategic planning and advanced technology, vice president of research and development and vice president of strategic quality and process management.

Melsa was on the faculty at the University of Notre Dame for 11 years, serving as professor and chair of the electrical engineering department. He has also held faculty positions at Southern Methodist University and the University of Arizona. During his years as an academic, Melsa conducted significant research on control and estimation theory, speech encoding and digital signal processing. He also directed 20 master’s theses and 16 Ph.D. dissertations and earned recognition as one of the nation’s outstanding electrical engineering professors. He has authored or co-authored 116 publications and 12 books.

He was named a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers in 1978 and received that group’s Third Millennium Medal in 2000. He has previously served as president of the IEEE Control Systems Society and president of Eta Kappa Nu. He has an extensive record of service and leadership to national and international groups, including the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Association, the National Technological University and the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award. Melsa has also served as the chair of the Educational Advisory Group of the National Society of Professional Engineers.

He has just completed a two-year term as vice president for public affairs and chair of the Projects Board of the American Society for Engineering Education. During this term, he revitalized the Projects Board, which monitors activities that have significant positive financial impact on the society. He currently serves as chair of the ASEE International Advisory Committee and co-chair of the 2005 ASEE/AaeE 4th Global Colloquium on Engineering Education in Sydney. He also served as leader of the ASEE deans’ visit to Australia in 2003.

Melsa received his B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Iowa State University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Arizona. His more than 40 years of distinguished leadership as a researcher, scholar and industry leader was recognized by the University of Arizona in 2001, when the university honored him with its Alumni Professional Achievement Award. He received a similar award from Iowa State University in 1988.

Candidate’s Statement
I am honored and pleased to have been nominated for this position. If elected, I look forward to serving the society in this important role. My unique combination of academic and industrial experience makes me well qualified to serve the society as president-elect. Through 11 years as a department chair and nine years as dean of one of the nation’s largest engineering programs, I have developed the skills needed to be a successful education leader. My experiences as a vice president at Tellabs, Inc., a rapidly growing, high-technology, international public company, provided me an opportunity to significantly expand my leadership skills, learn about strategic planning and obtain global experience.

I believe that ASEE has three major tasks facing it, and, if elected, these will be focal points for me…

• The society must take the leadership role in defining action plans for the reform of engineering education. For many years, ASEE and others have been studying what the engineer and, as a result, engineering education in the 21st century must be. It is now time to stop talking and begin acting. ASEE must be the organization to lead this effort through a wide variety of vehicles.
• It is clear that the practice of engineering is becoming increasingly global. ASEE has begun to take important steps to strengthen its connection to the worldwide engineering education community. It is critical that these first steps be nurtured and that ASEE truly becomes a leader in this arena. I have had a wide range of global experiences and believe that I can help carry out this mission.
• The engineering profession is critical to the economic development, quality of life and security of this country. The society must work with other engineering organizations to advance the image of engineering and draw more people into the profession. The rapidly growing K-12 Division is a valuable tool in this process. As a member of the steering committee for the IEEE-sponsored Summits of Engineering Deans and Education Deans, I have obtained valuable insight into ways to build technological literacy and partnerships between these two important groups.The breadth of my experiences on other senior management-level boards will be very valuable to the advancement of the society. I will actively participate in all activities of the society with the goal of improving services to its members, developing action plans for the reform of engineering education, expanding ASEE’s global reach and advancing the engineering profession.

VICE PRESIDENT, MEMBER AFFAIRS

J. P. Mohsen
J. P. Mohsen is professor and chair of the civil and environmental engineering department at the University of Louisville where he has taught since 1981. He also taught engineering technology courses at Purdue Statewide Technology Program (1996-99). He holds a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Cincinnati. He began his affiliation with ASEE in 1986 when he attended his first ASEE annual conference in Cincinnati. Since then, he has attended every ASEE Southeast Section meeting, as well as many other ASEE and Frontiers in Education national meetings, while serving in various capacities at both the national and section levels.

He is currently serving a two-year term on the board of directors as PIC I chair (2004-06) and vice president of PICs (2005-06). Previously, he served as Zone II chair (2002-04) and as the ASEE national campus representative (1994-2000). He has been active in ASEE’s Civil Engineering Division and served as chair (2002), program chair for the 2000 national meeting and Civil Engineering Division director (1996-99). He also served as the ASEE liaison with the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Educational Activities Committee (EdAC).

Mohsen is currently the ASEE campus representative (CR) for the University of Louisville, and he served as the Southeast section coordinator for campus representatives (1998–2001). He received the Outstanding Section Campus Representative Award (1996) and was recognized as the campus representative who recruited the most new ASEE members in the Southeast Section (2000).

Mohsen served the ASEE Southeast Section as president (1993-94) and as editor of the conference proceedings (1992–97). He also served as vice president and instructional unit chair (1990-91), Civil Engineering Division chair (1989-90) and Technical Program chair of the annual meeting (1991). He was the first recipient of the prestigious Tony Tilmans Service Award for outstanding service to the section (2002). In addition to his contributions at the national and the Southeast Section meetings, he has published and presented papers at other ASEE section meetings.

In his role as the national campus representative, he instituted technical paper and panel sessions at national meetings for campus representatives, served as the CR program chair (1995-98) and hosted and moderated the CR awards presentations at the national meetings (1994-2000). Mohsen was named Engineer of the Year in Education by the Kentucky Section of ASCE (1999) and was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award (1999) and Distinguished Teaching Professor Award (2003).

Candidate’s Statement
I was a young assistant professor when I attended my first ASEE national meeting 20 years ago. I was so impressed with the organization that I began an active involvement with ASEE that has shaped my career in engineering education. Along the way, I benefited from the New Engineering Educators’ activities, becoming a better classroom teacher. I participated in the Civil Engineering Division and met some of the top civil engineering educators. I began an active role in the Southeast Section, serving in various capacities leading to section president. I volunteered to be a campus representative at my university, eventually serving as the national campus representatives’ coordinator for six years. I created a forum at ASEE national meetings for campus representatives to exchange ideas and present papers. Since then, I have served on the ASEE board of directors both as zone chair, representing the sections, and as PIC chair, representing the divisions. It is with such extended and varied experience in ASEE that I ask for your vote of confidence to serve as your vice president, member affairs. If I am elected, I will specifically do the following: 1) I will work hard to create open communication channels between section and national leaders to ensure they have a voice in establishing the vision and direction of the society; 2) I will appoint a national campus representative to serve as the liaison between ASEE headquarters and the campus representatives; 3) I will reinstate the CR technical paper and panel sessions at national meetings addressing issues related to campus representatives; 4) I will work with section leaders and zone chairs to identify ways to further improve services provided to the general membership; 5) I will insure that in addition to the needs of engineering educators, the needs of engineering technology educators and those of our industry partners and corporate members will be regarded in the decision-making process at the section and national levels.

I am honored by this nomination, and it is with humbled gratitude that I seek your support to serve as vice president, member affairs. In this capacity, I hope to ensure that the same opportunities afforded me by ASEE when I began my career in engineering education will continue to be available for those who are just beginning theirs.

VICE PRESIDENT, MEMBER AFFAIRS

Tom C. Roberts
Tom C. Roberts is assistant dean of engineering at Kansas State University (KSU) and has more than 30 years experience in engineering and engineering technology education. A certified management consultant, he previously taught for the University of Kansas’ architectural management master’s degree program. He served as a director of human resources development for Black & Veatch Engineers-Architects. Roberts is the author of several papers and has presented seminars to several thousand business and education professionals throughout the United States. He has a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from KSU and is a licensed professional engineer. In addition to his dean’s office responsibilities in recruitment & leadership development, Roberts teaches classes in engineering concepts, personal and professional development and continuous quality improvement. He also serves as KSU’s ASEE campus representative.

Roberts is a past member of the ASEE board of directors and has served as first vice president and vice president, member affairs. He is past Zone III and Midwest Section chair and former chair of two ASEE special interest groups: Leadership Training and Development and University Continuing Education Directors. He is a former board member of the ASEE Continuing Professional Development Division. Since 1983, he has served as a panelist, presenter and program chair at various section, CIEC and ASEE annual meetings. In 1993, Roberts received the ASEE Centennial Certificate. In 1996, he received both the College Industry Partnership Division Certificate of Merit and the College Industry Partnership Division CIEC Best Moderator Award.

Candidate’s Statement
The vice president of member affairs serves and represents ASEE membership on the board of directors. Duties include working closely with zone and section chairs to ensure that member concerns are heard and addressed. The vice president of member affairs also works closely with ASEE headquarters staff to sustain, develop and expand society membership. The vice president of member affairs is a position of responsibility, and it will be my honor and privilege to serve if elected.

My 20-plus years of service to ASEE have been from several perspectives. While in industry, I listened to and participated in curriculum change, continuing education and research/funding issues affecting K-12 through higher education. Now, as a member of the university community, I continue to focus on the improvement of our educational system and work to enhance university/industry/government relationships. Whether active in local, regional or national perspectives, I have seen the good works of our ASEE members. However, I know that member involvement can be increased and more can be accomplished through our sponsored programs.

Compared with just a few years ago, our society membership and financial standing is much improved. The hard work of our society leadership and headquarters staff is to be commended. Yet, my continued communication with ASEE members reveals several opportunities for improving engineering and engineering technology education.

Issues of greatest interest to members as expressed to me are effective teaching, outcomes assessment and student recruitment & retention. Members are involved because ASEE provides an opportunity to meet and talk to other engineering educators. Member peers are reluctant to join ASEE because participation is not valued in the tenure/research process. ASEE needs to encourage administrators to recognize faculty participation for promotion and tenure. Members also recommend that ASEE do more to aid educators in learning about the mechanics of effective teaching. These and other “grass-roots” issues need to be discussed and acted upon by our members and leaders. Campus representatives and increased participation in section activities are essential components in these ASEE member development activities.

In summary, a primary role of a leader is to create opportunities for members to learn about and discuss the issues. Through positive interaction, ASEE can become an even stronger voice in its role as a technical society. As a candidate for vice president of member affairs I am committed to listening to the members and serving our profession.

CHAIR, PROFESSIONAL INTEREST COUNCIL I

John Lamancusa
John Lamancusa is a professor of mechanical engineering and the director of the Learning Factory at Penn State University. Prior to coming to Penn State in 1984, he designed business telephones at AT&T Bell Laboratories and was an adjunct faculty member at the Stevens Institute of Technology. Lamancusa earned his B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Dayton in 1978 and received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering with a minor in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1982. He teaches courses in design, vibrations, noise control and mechatronics and supervises senior design projects. His areas of academic research and industrial consulting include mechanical design, design for manufacture, noise and vibration control, mechatronics and musical acoustics.

Lamancusa directs the Learning Factory, a university-industry partnership to integrate design, manufacturing and business realities into the engineering curriculum. In the last 10 years, the Learning Factory has facilitated over 500 industry-sponsored projects from more than 110 companies for capstone design classes in ME, IE, EE, aerospace engineering and computer science and engineering. He has been active in numerous curriculum development efforts at Penn State and is a vocal advocate for active learning and industry participation in engineering education. Recent awards include the ASEE Fred Merryfield Design Award, Boeing Outstanding Educator Award, ASME Curriculum Innovation Award and the Penn State Engineering Society Premier Teaching Award. He is a research fellow of the Humboldt Foundation, a member of ASME since 1984 and a member of the Violin Society of America. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Wisconsin and was elected a fellow of ASEE in 2005.

He has been an active member of ASEE since 1994 and has served as vice president for Professional Interest Councils (2003-04), chair of PIC I (2002-04), chair of the Mechanical Engineering Division (2001-02). He is a regular reviewer for the Journal of Engineering Education and is currently a member of the ASEE Long Range Planning Committee, which is constantly seeking to improve the quality, affordability and accessibility of the annual conference.

CHAIR, PROFESSIONAL INTEREST COUNCIL I

Jerome P. Lavelle
Jerome P. Lavelle is assistant dean of academic affairs and associate professor of industrial engineering in the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University (NCSU). He earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in industrial and systems engineering at Ohio University and a Ph.D. in industrial engineering from NCSU. Prior to receiving his doctorate, Lavelle was a member of technical staff with AT&T Bell Laboratories in Columbus, Ohio. His teaching and research interests are in engineering management, economic analysis, project management, leadership and engineering education. His current research, sponsored through a Hewlett-Packard Teaching and Technology Grant, studies the effects of technology on retaining underrepresented populations in engineering and computer science.

Lavelle has been an active member of ASEE since his initial academic appointment at Kansas State University in 1993. He has served as newsletter editor, secretary, program chair and chair for both the Engineering Management and Engineering Economy divisions of ASEE. In 2003, he was recognized by the Engineering Management Division with the Bernard R. Sarchet Award for contributions to engineering management education. Since returning to NCSU in 2000, Lavelle has served as the ASEE campus representative, and in 2004, NCSU was awarded both the national and Southeast region awards for the highest number of new ASEE members.

Lavelle has authored or co-authored 15 conference papers at ASEE annual and/or regional conferences. He was awarded the NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship three times, working with the industrial engineering/project management office at NASA Kennedy Space Center. Lavelle is an ABET EAC program evaluator through the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE). He is a senior member of IIE and has served as program chair for the Engineering Economy Division of IIE at the IERC annual conference. In addition, Lavelle has received awards and recognitions for teaching, advising and service while at Kansas State University and NCSU. He is co-author of “Engineering Economic Analysis,” Oxford University Press, one of the leading undergraduate texts in engineering economy (with Newnan and Eschenbach).

CHAIR, PROFESSIONAL INTEREST COUNCIL IV

Mary R. Anderson-Rowland
Mary R. Anderson-Rowland, an ASEE fellow, is a recognized leader in engineering education from the department of industrial engineering at Arizona State University (ASU). She received her Ph.D. degree in mathematical statistics from the University of Iowa and has served nearly 40 years as a university professor. She served for 11 years as the associate dean for student affairs in the Fulton School of Engineering at ASU.

Anderson-Rowland has published over 140 papers in journals and conference proceedings. She has served on several national boards, including GEM, EMERGE and SWE, and she is also the current vice president of the international organization Gender and Science and Technology (GASAT). She is currently chair of ASEE’s Women in Engineering Division (WIED), where she also served on the board as a member-at-large, program chair for the 2004 ASEE Conference and has reviewed papers on many occasions. She has also been affiliated with the ASEE Minorities in Engineering Division and the Educational Research & Methods Division, serving on its board (1986-89), including serving as chair of the ASEE-ERM Apprentice Faculty Grant committee (1987-89). She has presented more than 35 papers within the PIC IV divisions. Major paper topics have included graduate school, K-12 outreach, minorities and women in engineering and new engineering educators. She was co-author of the ASEE PIC IV Best Paper (2003), author of the ASEE Pacific Southwest Section Best Paper (2002) and the ASEE Zone IV Best Paper (2002).

Anderson-Rowland has been recognized nationally for her contributions to engineering education, including the use of her statistical expertise in research. In 2005, she received the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) National Educator of the Year Star Award. In 2004, she received the Center for Diversity and Retention Engineering (CEDAR) Outstanding Contributions for Diversity Award, the SHPE-ASU Outstanding Contribution Award and the Commission on the Status of Women Outstanding Achievement and Contribution Award, ASU. She received the National Engineering Award in 2003, the highest award given by the American Association of Engineering Societies. In 2002, she received the SWE Distinguished Engineering Educator Award, as well as the Commission on the Status of Women Outstanding Achievement and Contribution Award, Women in Applied Science and Engineering, Founder, and the Outstanding Engineering Educator of the Year, Arizona National Engineering Week. In 2001, she received the YWCA Tribute to Women for Research and Science.

CHAIR, PROFESSIONAL INTEREST COUNCIL IV

Eugene F. Brown
Eugene F. Brown is a tenured full professor in mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech, where he teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses. He has served both students and faculty in a number of capacities including associate provost for research and graduate studies, a member of the faculty senate and a member of the university council.

Brown has been an ASEE member for more than 25 years. He is currently a member of the ASEE Awards Policy Committee and serves on the board of directors of the Graduate Studies Division. He is a past member of ASEE’s Projects Board and a past chair of the Graduate Studies Division, serving over the years as the division’s session chair, vice chair and program chair. Brown has been responsible for several initiatives focused on increasing the participation of graduate students in the society. He established the Graduate Student Paper Award and played a major role in founding an ASEE student chapter at Virginia Tech and at other institutions across the country.

He has a strong interest in the outreach activities of ASEE’s K-12 and Pre-College Engineering Division as a result of his current responsibility of managing a pre-engineering educational outreach program for the Office of Naval Research (ONR). He has sought advice from the leadership of both the K-12 and the Women in Engineering Division in connection with this activity. In addition, his recently completed proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) on the teaching of ethics to science and engineering graduate students and his activities as a consultant in the area of leadership and ethics to ONR’s NSF/Navy Civilian Service Program closely parallel the interests of the Engineering Ethics Division. Finally, his efforts in securing former NSF Deputy Director Joseph Bordogna as ASEE’s plenary speaker at a recent annual conference brought visibility and recognition to PIC IV leadership.

Brown has worked closely with ASEE’s current president, Ron Barr, and two former ASEE presidents, Jerry Jakubowski and Duane Abata, in a number of capacities related to PIC IV and other society activities. He looks forward to working with the leadership and members of PIC IV divisions and using his interest in and knowledge of PIC IV-related issues to advance the council’s important and varied missions. Brown is a contributor and enjoys helping others to achieve in ASEE and in the engineering profession.

CHAIR, PROFESSIONAL INTEREST COUNCIL V

Daniel Marcek
Daniel Marcek is deputy director of Hewlett-Packard (HP) University Relations and is responsible for development of HP strategy for and engagement with select university partners worldwide. He has been involved in managing HP’s university relationships since 1997 and is responsible for a wide range of institutions—from small, Ivy-league campuses to some of the nation’s largest public universities. He is also focused on exploring international opportunities for partnership among government, industry, academia and NGOs to develop higher education systems based on quality assurance mechanisms that foster systemic improvements to create new business opportunities for HP.

Marcek joined HP in 1990 as a member of R&D management and has since worked in technical customer relations, managed HP user groups and designed quality standards for HP. He is a computer science graduate of the University of New Hampshire and has spent nearly 20 years in a variety of software and systems development roles.

CHAIR, PROFESSIONAL INTEREST COUNCIL V

David H. Quick
David H. Quick is manager of R&D Customer Requirements for Allison Advanced Development Company (AADC) within Rolls-Royce Corporation. He is an experienced and knowledgeable professional dedicated to the engineering profession. His extensive leadership experience includes a strong commitment to advancing engineering education, research and development and government and industry partnerships.

Quick has supported many professional organizations, including the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). His roles have included deputy general chair of the Executive Planning Committee hosting the AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference in Indianapolis in CY2002, Rolls-Royce corporate member representative to AIAA, member of the AIAA Emerging Technologies Committee, member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), chairman for the Local Liaison Committee during a recent ASME TurboExpo Conference sponsored by ASME’s International Gas Turbine Institute, charter member of the Industry-Government-University Roundtable for Enhancing Engineering Education (IUGREEE) and member of the policy & steering team as well as the industry-university research alliance team.

Within ASEE, he served on the board of directors as chair of the Corporate Member Council (CMC) (2002-03), as chair of the ASEE College Industry Partnerships (CIP) Division, as part of the executive board of directors for CMC, as past CIP program chair for the Conference for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC) (2002) and as current CMC program chair for Industry Day sessions at the 2005 ASEE annual conference.

Quick’s professional service also includes the industry advisory committees for the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s aerospace engineering department and the U.S. Air Force Academy’s department of aeronautics. He has served as vice chair of the Rolls-Royce Corporation Engineering Education Committee, chairman of the Engineering and Patent Awards Committee and corporation representative on the Rolls-Royce Papers and Conferences Committee.

Quick is a highly respected and devoted professional serving the engineering community.

CHAIR-ELECT, ZONE I

Harold N. Knickle
Harold N. Knickle is a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Rhode Island (URI). His major goal would be to encourage programming and activities at section and zone meetings that would increase faculty participation.

Knickle received a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in nuclear engineering. He has been teaching in the department of chemical engineering at URI since 1969. He has recently taught the chemical engineering courses Reactor Engineering, Transfer Operations and Data Acquisition and Control. He worked with the freshman faculty team and has taught the Foundations of Engineering courses at URI. He led the faculty team in preparation for the EC ABET 2000 visit and presented sessions on assessment at the New England and national ASEE meetings as well as the Canadian Conference on Engineering Education.

He has been active in the New England Section of ASEE, serving as secretary-treasurer twice and as a member of the planning committee numerous times. He has served as section chair and secretary-treasurer. Currently, he serves as campus representative for URI and has been a member of the Engineering Research Council. He was named Outstanding Campus Representative for the New England Section in 1998. At the national level, he served in the Computers in Education Division and was chair for two years. He also recently served as Zone I chair.

Knickle’s experience includes four years at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory designing nuclear reactors, four summers at Pittsburgh Technology Center designing bubble column coal liquefaction reactors and one summer at Dupont working on the design of chlorination and oxidation reactors. Currently, his research involves aluminum air batteries for electric vehicles and hydrogen storage. He served in all of the officer positions of the Rhode Island Section of AIChE, including serving two years as chair. He was an elected member of the Warwick, R.I., School Committee for 16 years, serving as chair for five years. He was active in the Engineering Academy of New England, serving as diversity chair and helping to lead the effort to reform the freshman year at the member institutions. He is chair of the Radiation Safety Committee at URI and chair of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Committee of the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center. He is also active in the Rhode Island Clean Cities Coalition.

CHAIR-ELECT, ZONE I

John A. Stratton
John A. Stratton is professor and program chair for electrical/mechanical engineering technology at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, N.Y. He has served in several administrative positions at RIT since he joined the faculty in 1971. He holds a B.S. degree (1964) from RIT and an M.S. degree (1966) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Stratton’s industry experience includes being a system planning engineer with the New York State Electric and Gas Corporation and working on several special projects with the Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation. He was an assistant professor at Alfred State College in Alfred, NY, and is a professional engineer in the state of New York.

Stratton is the immediate past chair of the ASEE St. Lawrence Section. He has been active in the Engineering Technology Division since 1982 and was an at-large member (Mini-Grants Coordinator) of the executive committee for two years. He was the RIT representative to the Engineering Technology Council from 1995 to 1999. He was the chair of the Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technology Department Heads Association from 1988-1990.

Stratton’s proudest accomplishment was working with ASEE to form the Tau Alpha Pi (TAP) of ASEE when TAP was turned over to ASEE. He was elected to serve on the corporation’s board and served as its first president. TAP is the national honorary society for engineering technology.

In 2005, Stratton was honored with the ASEE Frederick J. Berger Award. He has been a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers since its founding in 1963, having served in many capacities in the Rochester section. He has served as a program evaluator for TAC of ABET several times. He served for three years as president of the Council for Engineering Technology in New York.

Stratton was on the institutional organizing committee for the 1983 ASEE annual conference, which was held on the campus of RIT. He helped to organize two St. Lawrence Section meetings at RIT. He chaired three meetings of the New York State Engineering Technology Association as well as the 2005 Engineering Technology Leadership Institute, which were all held at RIT. Stratton has authored several papers for ASEE and IEEE and has moderated at several ASEE meetings.

CHAIR-ELECT, ZONE III

Ralph E. Flori
Ralph E. Flori, a faculty member at the University of Missouri-Rolla (UMR) since 1990, is a highly regarded teacher and an emerging leader in education. He is an assistant dean of engineering, an associate professor of interdisciplinary engineering and the affiliate head of promotional efforts for UMR’s Project Lead the Way in Missouri. He served for 10 years as the director of UMR’s Introduction to Engineering program, a popular summer camp attended by over 400 high school students in three sessions per summer. Within ASEE, he served as chair of the Mechanics Division and the New Engineering Educators Division and also as program chair of the highly successful 2003 ASEE Midwest Section meeting held at UMR. He has received over 18 outstanding teaching awards, including the ASEE Midwest Section Outstanding Teaching Award (2004) and the ASEE National Outstanding Teaching Award (2005). Flori earned B.S. (1979), M.S. (1981) and Ph.D. (1987) degrees all in petroleum engineering from UMR. He has worked for Amoco Production Company, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and MO-SCI Corporation, developing high-tech glass, ceramic, superconducting and bio-implant materials. Flori teaches engineering mechanics and engineering design courses, including a section of the UMR freshman design course at a local high school.

CHAIR-ELECT, ZONE III

Charles McIntyre
Charles McIntyre is an associate professor and currently chair of the department of construction management and engineering at North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo, N.D. He received a B.S. degree from Springfield College in 1975, a B.S. degree from the University of Massachusetts in 1989, an M.Eng. degree from Penn State in 1991 and a Ph.D. degree from Penn State in 1996.

As an active member of the North Midwest Section of ASEE, he is currently section chair and has served as secretary-treasurer. As an ASEE campus representative for NDSU, he won a number of awards for recruiting and retaining faculty for membership in ASEE. He has several ASEE publications in the areas of active and cooperative learning. He is currently chair of the Teaching Academy and Peer Review of Teaching programs at NDSU.

McIntyre’s industry experience includes nine years as a department supervisor and manager in the area of water and wastewater systems. He also headed his own consulting firm from 1985-90. He has a number of publications in journals of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and has served on the ASCE Land Development and Standards Committee. He has also been involved in the ASCE Construction Congress conferences and served on the ASCE Engineering Education Task Committee for Construction Congress VI. He is also a member of Chi Epsilon and Sigma Lamda Chi.

McIntyre has been involved with the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) for many years. He presented several workshops at the International Builders’ Show in the areas of computer technology, risk management and scheduling. He is also the advisor to the NAHB student chapter at NDSU. He currently serves on the philanthropic Home Builder Care Committee and the Education Committee for the Fargo-Moorhead Homebuilders’ Association.

Prior to entering the construction and engineering industry, he was involved in the educational profession as an elementary and high school teacher. He taught in a variety of areas, including physical education, mathematics and science. He has taught at every level from K-12 and has work experience in both the United States and Canada.

McIntyre is the recipient of the prestigious Robert Odney Excellence in Teaching Award and the Peltier Award for Innovative Teaching, both sponsored by NDSU Development. He has won numerous awards and citations for teaching from the College of Engineering and Architecture at NDSU.

Call for Award Nominations

ASEE is now accepting nominations for awards to be presented at the 2006 ASEE Awards Ceremony, which will be held at the annual conference in Chicago, June 18-21. Awards offered, nomination requirements and online award nomination forms are available on the Web at www.asee.org/members/awards/index.cfm. Consider nominating one or more deserving colleagues for an award. The deadline for submitting award nominations is Jan.15, 2006. For questions regarding awards, please contact Awards & Administrative Services at (202) 331-3550 or s.wingatebey@asee.org.

2005 Awards

Zone Outstanding Campus Representative Award

Zone I
Kanti Prasad
University of Massachusetts, Lowell

Zone II
Sandra A. Yost
University of Detroit, Mercy

Zone III
Troy F. Henson
University of Texas, Tyler

Section Outstanding Teaching Award

Illinois – Indiana Section
Douglas Tougaw
Valparaiso University

Middle Atlantic Section
Michael J. Prince
Bucknell University

New England Section
Katherine S. Ziemer
Northeastern University

North Central Section
Margaret Pinnell
University of Dayton

North Midwest Section
Ralph Flori
University of Missouri, Rolla

Rocky Mountain Section
Jerry Hamann
University of Wyoming

Section Outstanding Campus Representative Award

Gulf Southwest Section
Troy F. Henson
University of Texas, Tyler

Middle Atlantic Section
Harry Hess
College of New Jersey

North Central Section
Sandra A. Yost
University of Detroit, Mercy

Southeast Section
John W. Brocato
Mississippi State University

ASEE Council Awards

Engineering Deans Council
Engineering Deans Council Award for Promoting Engineering Education and Careers
Betsy F. Willis
Southern Methodist University

Professional and Technical Division Awards

Aerospace Engineering Division
John Leland Atwood Award
Allen Plotkin
San Diego State University

Electrical Engineering Division
Frederick Emmons Terman Award
Ali H. Sayed
University of California, Los Angeles

Mechanical Engineering Division
Ralph Coats Roe Award
Gary Kinzel
Ohio State University

Nuclear Engineering Division
Glenn Murphy Award
Sheldon Landsberger
University of Texas, Austin

Professional and Technical Division Awards

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Division
Award for Excellence in Teaching Materials & Methods in Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Andy Ward
Ohio State University

Biomedical Engineering Division
Theo C. Pilkington Outstanding Educator Award
Ajit Yoganathan
Georgia Institute of Technology

Chemical Engineering Division
CACHE Award
David Himmelblau
University of Texas, Austin

William H. Corcoran Award
James A. Newell, Kevin D. Dahm, Roberta Harvey and Heidi L. Newell
Rowan University

Dow Lectureship Award
Bruce A. Finlayson
University of Washington

Ray W. Fahien Award
Kevin D. Dahm
Rowan University

Joseph J. Martin Award
Katherine S. Ziemer
Northeastern University

Award for Lifetime Achievement in Chemical Engineering Pedagogical Scholarship
H. Scott Fogler
University of Michigan

Civil Engineering Division
Gerald R. Seeley Fellowship
Scott R. Hamilton
U. S. Military Academy

George K. Wadlin Distinguished Service Award
Alan Prasuhn
Lawrence Technological University

Glen L. Martin Best Paper Award
Paper: “Undergraduate Research: The Lafayette Experience”
Authors: Kristen L. Sanford Bernhardt and Mary J. S. Roth
Lafayette College

Computers in Education Division
John A. Curtis Lecture Award
J. W. Bruce
Mississippi State University

Woody Everett Award
Nicholas Krouglicof
Union College

Merl K. Miller Award
Richard Layton
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Harden-Simons Prize
Tariqul Haque
Southeastern Community College

Cooperative Education Division
Alvah K. Borman Award
Patricia Bazrod
St. Joseph’s University

CIEC-Best Speaker Award
Paul Blotkowski
Grand Valley State University
“Integrated Co-op as the Catalyst for an Engineering-Partnered Engineering School”

CIEC Best Moderator Award
Walter Odom
University of Tennessee
“Diversity Scholarship Programs”

CIEC Best Session Award

Moderator and Presenter: Joseph Stahley, Stevens Institute of Technology
“Solutions for Persistent Problems”

Educational Research & Methods Division
Distinguished Service Award
Larry G. Richards
University of Virginia

Helen Plants Award
Session: “Service Learning in Engineering and Computer Science Courses”
Presenter: William C. Oakes
Purdue University

ERM/IEEE
Benjamin J. Dasher Best Paper Award
Paper: “New Pedagogical Approaches in
Engineering Mechanics Yield Increased
Student Understanding, Confidence and
Commitment”
Authors: Carla M. Cooke, Glen W. Ellis, Gail E. Scordilis
Smith College

Ronald J. Schmitz Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Frontiers in Education Conference
James A. Roberts
University of Kansas, Lawrence

Engineering Design Graphics Division Distinguished Service Award
John M. Duff
Arizona State University

Engineering Libraries Division
Homer I. Bernhardt Distinguished Service Award
Karen L. Andrews
University of California, Davis

Best Publication Award
“Communication Patterns of Engineers”
Carol Tenopir, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Donald W. King, University of Pittsburgh

Best Reference Work Award
“Encyclopedia of Nanoscience and
Nanotechnology”
Edited by Hari Singh Nalwa – Published by American Scientific Publishers, 2004

Industrial Engineering Division
Best Paper Award
Paper: “A Conceptual Model for Integrating and Synthesizing the Industrial Engineering Curriculum”
Author: Bryan A. Norman
University of Pittsburgh

International Division
Global Engineering & Engineering Technology Educator Award
Doug Lauffer, Community College of Beaver County
Peter Idowu, Pennsylvania State University-Harrisburg
Frank Duda, Grove City College

Best Paper Award
Nick Safai, Salt Lake City Community College
Lawrence Reaveley, University of Utah

Service Award
Russell C. Jones
World Expertise LLC

Liberal Education Division
The Sterling Olmstead Award
Bruce E. Seeley
Michigan Technological University

Mathematics Division
Distinguished Educator and Service Award
Shirley Pomerantz
University of Tulsa

Mechanics Division
Archie Higdon Distinguished Educator Award
K. R. Rajagopal
Texas A&M University

Ferdinand P. Beer and E. Russell Johnston, Jr. Outstanding New Mechanics Educator Award
Peter J. Joyce, U.S. Naval Academy
Steve Tung, University of Arkansas

Annual Conference Best Paper Awards

PIC I
“Web-Based Problem Solving Environment for Line Balancing Automated Manufacturing Systems”
Sheng-Jen Hsieh and Hyejeong Kim
Texas A&M University
Session 3663

PIC II
“Creation of a Cost Effective Intercollegiate Design Contest: The Human Powered Paper Vehicle Contest”
Donald Richter and William Loendorf
Eastern Washington University
Keith Turpin
The Boeing Company
Session 3147

PIC III
“Survey of First Year Programs”
Kenneth P. Brannan
The Citadel
Phillip C. Wankat
Purdue University
Session 1353

PIC IV
“Leaving Engineering: Gender Differences”
Harriet Hartman
Rowan University
Moshe Hartman
Ben-Gurion University
Session 2592

PIC V
“K-12 Summer Engineering Outreach Program—Curriculum Comparisons Between Ages, Minorities and Genders”
Andrew L. Gerhart
Lawrence Technological University
Session 1793

Best Conference Paper
“Survey of First Year Programs”
Kenneth P. Brannan
The Citadel
Phillip C. Wankat
Purdue University
Session 1353

Best Zone Paper
“The Use of Clickers in Engineering Classrooms”
Janet deGrazia
John L. Falconer
Al Weimer
University of Colorado
Session 1603

Fourth Global Colloquium a Success

ASEE, in conjunction with the Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AaeE), recently held the fourth series of the Global Colloquium on Engineering Education (GCEE). Held in Sydney, Australia, on Sept. 26-29, the colloquium had approximately 300 attendees from more than 30 countries. The main topics of the colloquium were Globalization of Engineering Education, K-12 Pipeline and Transformation of Disciplines. Information on the papers of the colloquium may be found at www.gcee2005.com.

The fifth GCEE will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Oct. 9-12, 2006. As information is available, it will be posted on:
www.asee.org/about/events/conferences/international/2006/index.cfm.

About People

Barry Farbrother, former dean of the Smull College of Engineering at Ohio Northern University, accepted a position as dean of the Tagliatela School of Engineering at the University of New Haven in Connecticut.

Formerly the chairwoman of the materials science and engineering program at Alfred University in western New York state, Linda E. Jones has assumed the position of director of Smith College’s Picker Engineering Program, which is the nation’s first engineering program at a women’s college.

Zulma Toro-Ramos, formerly the dean of the Tagliatela School of Engineering at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, has been named dean of the College of Engineering at Wichita State University. Toro-Ramos becomes not only the first woman to head the college but also the first Hispanic.

International Journal Seeks Submissions and Reviewers

Call for Submissions
The International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering (IJSLE) is a faculty-reviewed semiannual electronic journal offered free over the World Wide Web. The journal welcomes manuscripts based on original work of students, faculty or researchers with specific focus on:

• Research into appropriate technologies used in service
• Design solutions focused on service
• Engineering entrepreneurship in service
• Service learning pedagogy

Visit http://www.engr.psu.edu/IJSLE/ for complete manuscript requirements and a style guide for authors. The deadline for article submission is Dec. 30, 2005.

For more information, contact the editor in chief: Thomas H. Colledge, PE, Penn State University, thc100@psu.edu.
Note: The journal is meant to provide an outlet for the work of undergraduate and graduate students as well as practicing engineers engaged in service engineering. Faculty members are encouraged to publish in the journal but are asked to limit their submissions to articles related to service-learning pedagogy.

Call for Reviewers
The journal is also seeking faculty members to serve as reviewers of articles. Submissions will be related to a host of engineering disciplines and will focus on the same topics listed above.

Visit http://www.engr.psu.edu/IJSLE/ for a listing of reviewer requirements, submission deadlines and review periods. For more information, contact the editor in chief: Thomas H. Colledge, PE, Penn State University, thc100@psu.edu.

For Two Indian Engineers, All Roads Lead to Rome

In the mid-1970s, Shambhu Upadhyaya (pictured below, left) and Kaliappa Ravindran (below, right) became friends while attending the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India. After each earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, they became colleagues at the Indian Space Research Organization, also in Bangalore. But when they both then decided to pursue Ph.D. degrees, they went their separate—and far-flung—ways: Ravindran to the University of British Columbia in Canada and Upadhyaya to the University of Newcastle in Australia. After earning Ph.D.s, they both ended up in New York. Upadhyaya joined the faculty of the University at Buffalo, and Ravindran became a faculty member of the City College of the City University of New York in New York City. They occasionally learned of the other’s research activity through publications but remained out of touch for nearly 20 years.

When Kevin Kwiat of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Information Directorate (AFRL/IF) presented papers at two different symposia, he met Upadhyaya at one and Ravindran at the other. After discovering that he shared research interests with both professors, Kwiat invited them to apply to the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Summer Faculty Fellowship Program (SFFP). The AFOSR/SFFP accepted them with Kwiat as their mentor. In the summer of 2001, Upadhyaya and Ravindran, after not having seen or heard from each other in almost two decades, reunited at AFRL/IF in Rome, N.Y.

During their multi-summer NRC fellowships, Upadhyaya and Ravindran explored ways to transform concepts from the fault-tolerant computing domain to address critical needs within the information assurance community. With their fellowships behind them, they have left a substantial research track record of this period as exhibited by numerous publications. Their work with the laboratory continues to influence students today who in turn are contributing to AFRL/IF’s mission. One of Upadhyaya’s students used the initial research started in Rome as a basis for his Ph.D. in computer science, later taking a position as senior software engineer with Cisco. Ravindran’s most recent computer science Ph.D. graduate is continuing his professor’s legacy of direct research contributions to AFRL/IF while on a one-year assignment as a postdoc there.

For two professors whose friendship had its beginnings in India, the program provided an unusual intersection of the two roads these individuals took, which in the end, both led to Rome.

For more information on the AFOSR/SFFP, visit www.asee.org/sffp.

Kevin Kwiat is a senior computer engineer with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Information Directorate at the Rome Research Site in Rome, N.Y.

Nominations for Mechanics Division Awards

The Mechanics Division of ASEE is seeking nominations for the following three awards to be presented at the Mechanics Division banquet at the 2006 ASEE annual conference in Chicago.

Archie Higdon Distinguished Educator Award
The Archie Higdon Distinguished Educator Award is awarded annually by the Mechanics Division for distinguished and outstanding contributions to engineering mechanics education. The award consists of an engraved plaque and paid registration for the ASEE annual conference and the Mechanics Division banquet.

Ferdinand P. Beer and E. Russell Johnston, Jr. Outstanding New Mechanics Educator Award
Established in 1992, this award is given annually to up to three individuals who have shown a strong commitment to mechanics education. The winners are selected on the basis of their exceptional contributions to mechanics education. Individuals who have no more than five years of academic experience past their first regular academic appointment are eligible. The award consists of a $200 cash prize, a plaque to be awarded at the Mechanics Division banquet, registration for the ASEE annual conference and registration to the Mechanics Division banquet and business meeting luncheon.

James L. Meriam Service Award
The James L. Meriam Service Award recognizes significant service to the Mechanics Division as characterized by notable leadership, significant contributions and prolonged and dedicated service. Candidates for the award must be members of the Mechanics Division and must have served the division for a minimum of 10 years. The award, sponsored by John Wiley & Sons, consists of an engraved plaque and paid registration to the ASEE annual conference.

For qualification, eligibility and complete nomination procedures, visit http://me.eng.usf.edu/aseeawards or contact the awards chairman, Autar Kaw, at (813) 974-5626 or kaw@eng.usf.edu.