Academics Honoured for Contributions to Engineering Education: 2008 VISION Grant Winners Announced

PRLog (Press Release) – May 01, 2008 – Toronto , ON - The Engineering VISION Grant was founded to encourage excellence in engineering education. The Grants are awarded to engineering instructors and professors who demonstrate an ability to develop outstanding classroom and field educational aids that utilize advanced technology. All submissions are currently available for review online at www.engineeringvision.org. The 2008 Grant recipients are Professor Edwin Odom of the University of Idaho, Maury Middleton of Thomas Nelson Community College, and Dr. Zezhong Chevy Chen, of Concordia University. The founding Grant sponsors have contributed a selection of CATIA software, cash honorariums and training manuals for up to 30 students.

The judges were particularly impressed by the "incredible video animation of the Howell Engine" submitted by Professor Odom. Judge Paul Nutter remarked, “the project exposed students to several aspects of design software, from knowledgeware to manufacturing and rendering. The spirit of the engineering VISION Grant is to support engineering educators. This submission included a very good description of program and curriculum with complex and intricately detailed support. Odom’s students are benefiting from an excellent educational base.”

The judging panel included Dr. M.G.(Ron) Britton - P.Eng., Associate Dean in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Manitoba, Heidi M. Steinhauer - Assistant Professor at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Xavier Fouger - Director of Dassault Systèmes’ PLM Academy, and Paul Nutter - a former Engineering VISION Grant recipient and Associate Professor in the Department of Technological Studies at Ohio Northern University.

Maury Middleton’s submission of a USS monitor engine, and planetary gear system represented was well received by the judges, representing an excellent selection of projects that can stimulate interest as well as challenge the students. They were also impressed by the fact that students were required to work from historic drawings to create CAD models, which clearly linked history and engineering along with theory and practicality.

The panel commended Dr. Chen for his “excellent documentation of the project, complete with pictures and prints.” This documentation is vital to ensuring that these excellent teaching aids make the transition from competition to the classroom. They also liked that there was more than one element to the fabrication process, including both electronic and mechanical components.

The founding sponsors at ENGINEERING.com , Dassault Systèmes , IBM and Wichita State University believe that technology plays a critical role in engineering education. Students in colleges, universities and even in K-12 can better understand the mechanical principles being taught when educators embrace these tools.