Engineering college honors students, faculty, staff

Six students and several faculty and staff members received honors recently during the 2007 Engineering Banquet at SIUC.

The program honors top students and teachers in the SIUC College of Engineering annually. John W. Nicklow, interim associate dean of the college, said the event allows it to salute those who have excelled academically and professionally during the last 12 months.

"We are extremely proud of these outstanding students, faculty, and staff," Nicklow said. "They're not just our best and brightest; their efforts and contributions to the college, institution, and professional community provide us with a model for strengthening the future of SIUC and its College of Engineering."

This year's event also featured Sue Gaines, a 1984 SIUC engineering graduate and mechanical engineer for NASA, who spoke on the space agency's Constellation Program.

Student winners were:

• Outstanding Senior Award: Michelle C. Puzey, a senior in mechanical engineering from Westville. Puzey is a member of the Society of Women Engineers and Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. She plans to take a position at John Deere Co. upon graduating this spring and enroll in graduate school at the University of Iowa. She is the daughter of Ralph and Janet Puzey.
• David L. Eddingfield Award: Rapeepan Maitree, a senior in electrical engineering from Bangkok, Thailand. She is a member of the Thai Student Association, United Nations Association of the USA and is secretary of the SIUC Kendo Club. She is the daughter of Pattaraporn Thampradit and Kanchit Maitree.
• Herman J. Stoever Award: Teresa M. Abney, a senior in mechanical engineering and energy processes from Braidwood, and Christopher M. Jenkins, a senior in electrical and computer engineering from the Elkville/Du Quoin area.
• Abney is a member of the Society of Women Engineers, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. She plans to take a position with Raytheon Missile Systems in Arizona following graduation in May, and attend graduate school at the University of Arizona. She is the daughter of Chris and Chuck Abney.

An SIUC Presidential Scholar, Jenkins serves as a mentor in the College of Engineering's orientation program for new students. As a student, he conducted circuit-testing research and contributed to a publication scheduled for presentation in May in New York. He is the son of Donald R. and Kristi J. Jenkins.

• E. Leon Dunning Award: Zachary D. Scharnhorst, a senior in industrial technology from Quincy. Scharnhorst is president and team captain of the SIUC paintball team and graduates in May. He plans to pursue a career in technology.
• Dean Kenneth E. Templemeyer Outstanding Student Leadership Award: Jodi Kostecki, a master's degree student in civil engineering, from Nashville. Kostecki graduated from SIUC magna cum laude in 2006 with a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering. She is treasurer of the Engineering Student Council, Society of Women Engineers, American Society of Engineers and other groups. She will work as an intern at Brookhaven National Laboratory this summer. She is the daughter of Raymond and Yvette Kostecki.

SIUC faculty and staff receiving awards were:

• Dean Thomas B. Jefferson Outstanding Staff Award: Lavida Cruse. Cruse has worked in the Industrial Technology Outreach Program since 1998. Before that, she spent 35 years in the Office of Records and Registration, retiring as assistant director in 1995. She is in her 48th year of employment with SIUC.

• Dean Juh Wah Chen Outstanding Faculty Award: Y. Paul Chugh, professor of mining and mineral resources engineering. Chugh is also the director the U.S. Energy Department's Combustion Byproducts Recycling Consortium in the Midwest region. He began working at SIUC in 1977.

Outstanding teacher awards went to:

• Sanjeev Kumar, professor of civil and environmental engineering
• Ramanarayanan Viswanathan, professor of electrical and computer engineering
• Ning Weng, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering
• E. Bane Kroeger, assistant professor of mining and mineral resources engineering
• Tomasz Wiltowski, professor of mechanical engineering and energy processes
• Carl Spezia, assistant professor of technology

- Tim Crosby