About UD Engineering
College Participates in Honors Day 2007
Honors Day 2007, held on Friday, May 4, provided the College with the opportunity to recognize a number of outstanding faculty, students, and alumni with awards, many of which were enabled by generous sponsors.
“The University of Delaware has grown from its founding as a small private academy in 1743 to a major institution, and so, too, has the College of Engineering,” said Dean Eric Kaler in his welcome remarks. “The first engineering degree was awarded in 1892 in civil engineering. From 1909 to 1914, 78 percent of the undergraduate degrees awarded at the University were in engineering.”
“Today,” he continued, “there are more than 1200 undergraduates, almost 500 graduate students, and close to 100 faculty members in the College.”
Dean Eric Kaler (center) with Jeffrey Bross and William Mavity, recipients of the Engineering Outstanding Alumni Award
Kaler went on to point out that while engineering students make up a modest percentage of the undergraduate population, they received a significant percentage of the Honors Day awards across campus.
The Dean also praised the College’s 9,000-plus alumni. The ceremony began with special recognition of two: Jeffrey M. Bross and William G. Mavity. Both were selected to receive College of Engineering Outstanding Alumni Awards.
Eric Koepf receives the Laird Fellowship Award
Some 188 students were then honored with various awards. In introducing them, Senior Assistant Dean Michael Vaughan said, “It is all about excellence, and we gather today to celebrate you, the students, for the tradition that you continue and the legacy that you will leave as you approach new challenges. This event provides an opportunity for our College to publicly acknowledge your determination, perseverance and, without debate, excellence as students and to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to provide and foster quality engineering education.”
E. Erik Koepf who is pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, was selected as this year’s recipient of the George W. Laird Merit Fellowship, which is presented annually to a first-year engineering graduate student. The Laird Fellowship recognizes students who not only display outstanding scholarship but also have a variety of interests and talents. Mrs. Ann Wick, the widow of George Laird, conferred the award.
Dean Eric Kaler and Eric Furst,
Oustanding Junior Faculty Member
Dean Eric Kaler congratulates Ismat Shah,
College Excellence in Teaching Award recipient
Finally, three College of Engineering faculty members selected for special awards were recognized. Jack A. Puleo, Assistant Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, was the recipient of this year’s University Excellence in Teaching Award, College of Engineering Leon Slocomb Faculty Excellence Award, and the National ASCE 2007 ExCEEd New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. S. Ismat Shah, Professor of Materials Science & Engineering, won the College Excellence in Teaching Award, and Eric W. Furst, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, was named the Outstanding Junior Faculty Member award 2007.
“The College is extremely proud of all those who have been honored today and we are delighted that families, friends and sponsors could join us in this celebration of excellence,” said Kaler in concluding the ceremony.
The following are links to more detailed stories on Honors Day award recipients:
- Jeff Bross and Bill Mavity (College of Engineering Outstanding Alumni Awards)
- Erik Koepf (Laird Fellowship)
- Jack Puleo (three teaching awards)
- Ismat Shah (College of Engineering Excellence in Teaching Award)
- Eric Furst (Outstanding Junior Faculty Member Award)
by Diane Kukich
