March 1999

Chairman’s Corner

As the chair of the Middle Atlantic Section, it is my great pleasure and honor to extend warm greetings on behalf of the American Society of Engineering Education.

As Engineering and technology educators, you play an important role in training the technology leaders of the next millennium. The rapidly changing character of the world's global communities and the explosion of the World Wide Web has placed additional burdens on you to provide students with a broad spectrum of educational experiences.

I am confident, through the active participation in societies such as ASEE, we can improve the educational experience for students, by making ourselves better educators. I invite you to give your time freely to our Mid-Atlantic Section activities.

Professor Hew Zimmer, our meetings' committee chair, has been active in arrange the following future meetings for the section:

I thank Professors Ahmed Rubaai and Gajanan Sabnis for a very interesting Fall '98 meeting at Howard University in Washington, DC, which exceeded all our expectations. Professor Harris Drucker has been actively planning our spring 1999 Middle Atlantic Section meeting at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, N.J. The theme of the conference is "Integrating Education and Practice". He has announced a $1500 Best Paper Award. You can get details of the conference at

http://www.monmouth.edu/~asee. He has set up an interactive website, updating conference information. The conference hotel is the Sheraton Eaton Town Hotel and Conference Center at Eaton Town, N.J.

This year our theme is, "Bring a Member and a Student to our Meetings". Kindly tell your colleagues and students about the excellent program planned at Monmouth. I want everyone to bring a member and student along.

I am providing you a list of our executive committee members and their contact numbers at the end of the newsletter. Please use this information to your advantage.

I want to thank Professor Chuck Spiteri of Queensboro Community College for serving on the executive board as vice chair. He has decided to leave this position for personal reasons. I welcome Dr. Arthur Murphy of Dupont, who has been elected as our new vice chair.

I look forward to seeing you at Monmouth on April 17, 1999.

Sincerely,

Sankar Sastri, Chair ASEE Mid-Atlantic Section

Letter From the Editor:

We are publishing a brief newsletter this spring and would especially like to focus everyone's attention on the upcoming meeting at Monmouth University in April. All of the information about the meeting is at the website, including registration forms. Please go there for all the pertinent information. For anyone who has read his books or columns in the IEEE Spectrum, I am sure that you will be interested in the panel discussion featuring Robert Lucky as well as Richard Roca from AT&T, and Harry Bosco from Lucent. These companies are also generous sponsors of the upcoming meeting.

I would just like to draw your attention to an interesting item in the Chronicle of Higher Education "Notebook" from March 5, 1999 that the American Association of Engineering Societies is forming a coalition aimed at "raising awareness and understanding of engineering. The number of bachelor's degrees award in all fields has increased by more than 18 per cent since 1986, while the number of students earning undergraduate degrees in engineering has fallen by 19.8 per cent, according to a study done by the association. Members of the association, which represents engineers in industry, government, and education, said the new group - the Engineering Alliance-would involve "the best of America's engineering community" in outreach to increase the number and diversity of students in engineering programs." There is obviously a lot of work to be done.

- Suzanne Keilson, Newsletter Editor

 Submitted by:

-Harris Drucker, Monmouth University.

The fall 1998 Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference held November 6-7 was hosted by the School of Engineering, Architecture and Computer Sciences of Howard University in Washington, D.C. Dr. Ahmed Rubaai, Associate Professor in the Electrical Engineering Department served as the General Chairperson and Technical Program Chair of the Conference.

The Conference Theme, "Engineering Education Without Boundaries," addressed current issues relative to the expansion of engineering education with special focus on ethics in engineering, architecture and computer sciences. The Friday evening program was held at the Washington Plaza Hotel. Dr. Taft Broome, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Howard University was the banquet speaker. The Saturday program of events was held on Howard University’s campus in the Blackburn Center. Dr. Jackson O. Cole, Senior Associate provost delivered the welcome message. Dr. Julian Earls, Deputy Director for Operation, NASA Lewis Research Center, Lt. General Lester Lyles, delivered the keynote address.

A total of 47 papers were accepted and presented at the conference and there were over 150 conference attendees. The unlimited support of Dr. James H. Johnson, Jr., Dean, College of Engineering, Architecture and Computer Sciences, Howard University and Dr. Sankar Sastri, Chairman, the Executive Committee of the ASEE Middle Atlantic Section were instrumental in producing a successful conference.

Submitted by:

-Ahmed Rubaai, Howard University

Andrew L. Zydney, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemical Engineering
University of Delaware
Newark Delaware

Professor Zydney is presented this award for his outstanding teaching throughout his career, his development of comprehensive, open-ended problems in his courses, and for his wonderful concern for students. His superb direction of undergraduate research has produced an impressive group of medical doctors, scientists and engineers, He also has lead all of the important curriculum changes in his department and has been extraordinarily active in service work for the betterment of education. Prof. Zydney is a master teacher eager to share his craft with others. He has and will continue to provide the leadership, which makes a genuine difference in teaching.

1999 ASEE Middle Atlantic Section Dow Outstanding New Faculty Award winner is:

M. Nabil Kallas, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Division of Engineering Design & Graphics
College of Engineering
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park PA

Professor Kallas has been a key contributor to curricular innovation and projects on enhancement of learning in engineering at Penn State. Among his many accomplishments has been the development of the very successful First-Year Design Experience for all entering engineering students. Prof. Kallas has been an instrumental player on the faculty team that created and implemented this concept. He has also come forward as one of the first engineering faculty to develop a course for Penn State's new First-Year Seminar Program. His course has become the model to follow in the College of Engineering. Based on creative, web-based courseware, his seminar has integrated key academic skills and introductions to support services that will help to engage students in their studies and enhance their potential for academic success. In all respects, Prof. Kallas has demonstrated what the term "Scholarship of Teaching" should involve. He brings his own scholarly activity into the classroom, integrates students into the learning process, inspires students with a sense of discovery, and collaborates with other faculty. His work is recognized both within Penn State and by the larger community of engineering educators.

Submitted by:

-Nelson Macken, Awards Chair