Spears Receives InterRegs Standards & Regulations Award

Business Wire, May 14, 2008

DETROIT -- Matthew Spears, a mechanical engineer with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Ann Arbor, Mich., has been selected to receive the Society of Automotive Engineers' (SAE) 2008 InterRegs Standards and Regulations Award for Young Engineers.

Spears is being recognized for his work on improving emission-testing procedures that have been instrumental in finalizing some of the agency's most groundbreaking regulations, according to Rebecca Rubio, president and CEO of InterRegs. The company is the auto industry's primary independent source for regulatory information in more than 40 markets around the world.

Established in 2001, the InterRegs' award honors young engineers for noteworthy achievements in the field of automotive standards and regulations.

"This annual award spotlights the work of engineers under the age of 40 and is designed to encourage work and further participation in the development of future automotive standards and regulations," Rubio said.

Spears will be presented with an engraved trophy and a check for $1,000 from Dave Houston, InterRegs' business development manager, and Thomas W. Ryan III, 2008 president of SAE International, at the SAE Government Industry Meeting in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, May 14.

"This award program is a great way to highlight work that is very important normally, but not very visible," Houston noted. "It helps motivate people to focus on regulatory issues which are critical for the long-term success of the standards and regulatory industry."

Currently a PhD student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Spears holds a bachelor's degree in marine engineering from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota. He is the recipient of the National Science Achievement Award and Michelin's Challenge Bibendum Award. A native of Amherst, Wis., he is an active member in a number of professional organizations, including the Society of Automotive Engineers and the Coordinating Research Council.

The deadline for next year's 2009 SAE/InterRegs Standards & Regulations Award for Young Engineers is August 1, 2008. Interested applicants should contact the SAE award staff by e-mail at awards@sae.org or fax at: 1-724-776-3049.

Headquartered in Fareham, Hampshire, United Kingdom, InterRegs is a global publisher of regulatory and standards information for the automotive, mobile construction equipment and non-road engine manufacturing industries. InterRegs is the preferred supplier of international manufacturing regulations for companies such as Aggreko, Ford, General Motors, Hitachi, John Deere, MagnaDonnelly, Pininfarina, Ricardo, Robert Bosch, Toyota and Valeo Sylvania. With vehicle regulations covering more than 40 major markets, InterRegs provides accurate and up-to-date regulatory information required for vehicle design, engineering and certification. More information is available at www.interregs.com.