Engineering education

Electrical Apparatus, Jun 2005 by Hoff, Joseph S

William E. Sayle II, director of undergraduate programs for Georgia Tech Lorraine in Metz, France, was honored for his contributions to engineering accreditation through the IEEE and ABET. He was also cited for his work at Georgia Tech in helping to develop the university's first Engineering Criteria 2000 self-study program, a guide for accrediting an educational institution or program.

IEEE Fellow H. Vincent Poor, the George Van Ness Lothrop Professor in Engineering at Princeton University, received the Major Educational Innovation Award for his innovation and leadership in teaching. He was cited for developing a course for both engineering and liberal arts students that uses the field of wireless communications as a model for learning about the technical, social, economic, and political dimensions of technology.

The Meritorious Achievement Award in Continuing Education went to IEEE Fellow Cary Y. Yang of Santa Clara University in California. For more than 20 years, Yang has initiated innovative programs to educate technical professionals at various stages of their careers.

Mark D. Conner, a mechanical engineer who teaches at Hoover High School in Hoover, Ala., and Rebekah Gendron, a technology educator at Riverside Middle School, in East Providence, R.I., were corecipients of the Pre-College Educator Award.

More awards. Worcester Polytechnic University was honored with the National Engineers Week "Girl Day" award, which is a national program commonly known to encourage young girls in their pursuit of science, math, and engineering. Worcester Polytechnic will receive the award at the annual Women in Engineering Programs & Advocates Network meeting.

Energy. New York state is encouraging distinguished academic research that redefines the term multidisciplinary to meet its governor's ambitious energy goal as it was articulated in his 2003 State of the State address. That accounts for the state's multimillion-dollar award to one of Rensselaer's newest centers.

The New York State Office of Science, Technology, and Academic Research has pledged up to $10 million to create the Future Energy Systems Center for Advanced Technology. Through multidisciplinary research, the center will strive to help realize Governor George E. Pataki's energy goal: generating 25% of the state's power through renewable energy sources by 2010.-JH