UW-Madison: College Of Engineering Honors Seven Faculty, Staff

CONTACT: Renee Meiller, (608) 262-2481, meiller@engr.wisc.edu

MADISON – The College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has honored seven faculty and staff members for their outstanding contributions in teaching, research and service. Chosen by a committee of their peers, award recipients each receive privately funded stipends and permanent recognition on a plaque in Engineering Hall.

This year’s award winners, who were honored at a May 2 celebration, include:

– Sanford A. Klein, professor of mechanical engineering: Byron Bird Award for Excellence in a Research Publication

Based on some of his own frustrations with the small role computers seemed to play in solving problems, Klein developed a software program that has fundamentally changed the way in which researchers in the thermal sciences approach problem solving. It allows a user to input a series of equations, and – provided that enough independent equations are supplied – the software returns the solution. More than 200 engineering departments use the software, which also is bundled with several engineering textbooks.

– Jay K. Martin, professor of mechanical engineering: Benjamin Smith Reynolds Award for Excellence in Teaching

His students say Martin is one of the most accessible, dedicated teachers they have ever had – someone who instilled ethics and pushed them to do better work than they ever imagined they could. But perhaps the greatest testament to his dedication as an instructor is his energetic pursuit of ways to improve teaching and learning. Among his endeavors, he is an active member of the UW-Madison Teaching Academy and an advocate of the concept inventory approach to teaching, which provides students immediate feedback on their comprehension of the material.

– Regina M. Murphy, professor of chemical and biological engineering: James G. Woodburn Award for Excellence in Teaching

To students of all ages, Murphy is not only an enthusiastic, engaging and effective teacher, but also a mentor valued for thoughtful, insightful input on everything from teaching philosophy to academic integrity. She transformed one of her department’s introductory courses, replacing a lecture-based format with an active learning experience that incorporates in-class problem-solving and a group design project. Then, from her course notes, she developed a textbook to accompany the course. She also maintains an active mentorship program with select Madison public schools and is both a formal and informal mentor to faculty in her department and women throughout the university.

– Erick L. Oberstar, assistant faculty associate, mechanical engineering: Harvey Spangler Award for Technology Enhanced Instruction

When Oberstar recognized a need for greater efficiency in and accessibility to laboratory experiments for both on- and off-campus students, he developed a set of Web-based experiments that students can conduct from any location at any time, using real lab-based hardware. The experiment system is a physical implementation, with live data and video feedback. Students have access to 11 different user interfaces, or Web pages; each experiment enables them to download different parameters to the system, which then uploads live performance data. Each user interface provides students with graphs of live performance data and a downloadable file of their data.

– Debra K. Schiess, administrative assistant, Academic Affairs Office: Classified Staff Distinguished Achievement Award

During the course of her work day, Schiess might encounter scores of interruptions from faculty, staff and students. She cheerfully answers their questions, then efficiently completes her other duties, which range from managing budgets and personnel tasks, to coordinating schedules and checking reports for the nearly 700 engineering students who hope to graduate.

– Donald C. Woolston, assistant dean of engineering general resources: Bollinger Academic Staff Distinguished Achievement Award

Woolston is an expert at helping new and prospective engineering students feel welcome and at ease on campus. Every summer, he meets with hundreds of incoming freshmen during SOAR; every school year, he advises hundreds of students entering the college. He co-teaches a course to help first-year students better relate engineering to their own interests, and he and his staff implemented extensive academic support programs and now use conferencing software to chat with students online and share applications in real time.

– David R. Zimmerman, professor of industrial and systems engineering: Ragnar E. Onstad Service to Society Award

Zimmerman is passionate about improving the quality of care for nursing home residents around the world. Through countless interactions with long-term care consumers, providers, advocates and regulators, he works to bridge the gap between research and applied efforts to enhance residents’ lives. He frequently interacts with federal policymakers on long-term care issues. His research guides the policy; his practical experience has resulted in more rational regulation and advancements in nursing-home industry quality-improvement initiatives.