Faculty/Staff Honors and Achievements

March 2007
Dr. Wei-Jen Lee of Electrical Engineering received Outstanding Research Achievement Award presented by The University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Lee is the director of the Energy Systems Research Center and has been involved in more than 60 research projects.

February 2007
Sherri Warwick, assistant to the chair of the Computer Science & Engineering Department , received the Fay Van Dam Outstanding Staff Award, presented to a member of the support staff whose everyday performance and dedication to the college demonstrates a constant desire to go above what is normally required and accepted. Sherri was noted for her “soft and efficient way of addressing difficult problems, her attention to detail and her willingness to help anyone who needs it.”

Dr. Choong-Un Kim of Materials Science & Engineering received the College of Engineering Excellence in Research Award, presented to a distinguished faculty member who has demonstrated superior scholarship by advancing the state of knowledge in his or her chosen field of research. Dr. Kim was cited as “a tireless worker who significantly improved the research infrastructure of the department and opened many new areas of research and sources of funding.” This is not the first time Dr. Kim has been recognized by the College of Engineering for his accomplishments; he received the Outstanding Young Faculty Award in 2002.

Dr. Jean Gao of Computer Science & Engineering received the College of Engineering's Young Faculty Award, given to a young, tenure-track faculty member who is judged to be our most promising teacher and scholar, based on his or her body of accomplishments since coming to the College. Since joining the College of Engineering only four years ago, Dr. Gao managed to bring national and international recognition to her self and the university.

Dr. Roger Goolsby, who holds joint appointments in Materials Science & Engineering and Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering , received the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Excellence in Teaching Award, presented to distinguished educators who have demonstrated their dedication to the teaching profession by their superior classroom instruction and exceptional interactions with students. The letters of nomination and support for Dr. Goolsby include statements such as “an outstanding teacher and student mentor,” “lectures are well organized, clear and to the point,” and “assists students who have never made a presentation with the tools to be an effective communicator.”

Former students who are now tenured faculty at respected universities also commented. One states “Because of his mentoring experiences with me, I have made undergraduate mentoring a significant focus of my work. One of my students is now working on her Ph.D. at Northwestern and was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Student Fellowship.” Another writes, “Through him, I was taught to appreciate the basic skills of professionalism, ethics and importance of life-long learning; something that I still value the most.”

January 2007
Dr. Wen Chan of the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department was named a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Dr. Chan's research interests include analytical methodology development, testing and design of composite structures, and fracture and fatigue characteristics of metallic and composite materials. He has extensive industrial experience in the analysis and design of aerospace structures.

January 2007
Dr. Wei-Jen Lee of Electrical Engineering was named a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Dr. Lee is the director of the Energy Systems Research Center and has authored several chapters in the IEEE's “Color Book s” of Recommended Practice Standards.

November 2006
Dr. Dereje Agonafer of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Fellows of the association are individuals whose efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications are scientifically or socially distinguished and who have made significant contributions in research; teaching; technology; services to professional societies; administration in academe, industry, government and other institutions; and communicating and interpreting science to the public. Dr. Agonafer is also a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

November 2006
Diane Copeman, an administrative assistant in Civil Engineering , is one of only six University employees to receive Outstanding Staff Awards for 2006. Letters of nomination contained statements of her conscientious efforts to recruit and retain graduate students, her abilities to take on new and challenging tasks, her initiatives to improve record keeping, and her professional and cheerful manner in assisting students, faculty and fellow staff members, even if it means modifying her work schedule to accommodate their needs.

September 2006
Associate Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering Ali Abolmaali has been asked by the National Transportation Safety Board to assist in the investigation of structural failures in the I-90 connector tunnel in Boston. The tunnel is part of the “Big Dig,” the most expensive highway project in the nation: Estimated in 1985 to cost $2.5 billion, the project reached $14.6 billion in 2006. In June, a ceiling panel collapsed, killing a woman and leading to the closing of one section of the tunnel.

May 2006
Dr. Kent L. Lawrence of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering received a prestigious Minnie Stevens Piper Professor Award. Only 15 are made annually to professors in Texas for superior teaching at the college level; there are 145 colleges and universities in the state. Dr. Lawrence was selected by President James Spaniolo last year as the nominee from The University of Texas at Arlington, reflecting Dr. Lawrence's dedication to teaching, his scholarly contributions and respect from his peers.

April 2006
Dr. Bob Woods of Mechanical Engineering received the Chancellor's Teaching Award for 2006. The award is presented annually by The University of Texas System Chancellor's Council to recognize excellence in teaching at each of the system's nine universities. Dr. Woods teaches several undergraduate- and graduate-level courses, including Dynamics Systems Modeling and Simulation, Automotive Engineering, Control Systems Components, Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems, Capstone Design and others. He is also the faculty advisor for UT Arlington's Formula SAE racing team.

April 2006
Dr. Zeynep Celik-Butler of Electrical Engineering received the University Award for Outstanding Research Achievement or Creative Accomplishment, which recognizes a faculty member for achieving a particularly important research or creative accomplishment during the past three years.

Dr. Sajal Das of Computer Science & Engineering received the University Award for Distinguished Record of Research or Creative Activity, which recognizes a faculty member for achieving a distinguished record of research and scholarship or creative activity over an extended period of time.

February 2006
Cindy Smith , an administrative assistant in Electrical Engineering Department , received the Fay Van Dam Outstanding Staff Award, presented to a member of the support staff whose everyday performance and dedication to the college demonstrates a constant desire to go above what is normally required and accepted. The letters of nomination and recommendation for Ms. Smith were filled with complementary descriptions of her abilities and achievements: “consistently demonstrates the ability to accomplish all her tasks while maintaining the most courteous and helpful attitude with all who call upon her,” “she is the first person students and visitors meet when they arrive in the office; her greeting is always cheerful and her attitude is helpful,” “always willing to go the extra measure to meet deadlines,” “has been the ‘go-to' person in the department when we need assistance,” “has taken on more responsibilities above and beyond her normal duties.”

Dr. Sharma Chakravarthy of Computer Science & Engineering received the College of Engineering Excellence in Research Award, presented to a distinguished faculty member who has demonstrated superior scholarship by advancing the state of knowledge in his or her chosen field of research. Over a short, three-year period, Dr. Chakravarthy has had nine of his proposals funded, and he was the principal investigator on seven of these projects. He brought recognition to the university through his efforts to develop a multi-university, multi-disciplinary research center on the UTA campus. He has gained national and international prominence as an invited keynote speaker at professional gatherings and has established a respected record of published book chapters and journal and conference papers.

Dr. Melanie Sattler of Civil Engineering received the College of Engineering's Young Faculty Award, given to a young, tenure-track faculty member who is judged to be our most promising teacher and scholar, based on his or her body of accomplishments since coming to the College. Dr. Sattler brought to the university not only technical expertise, but also practical experience with public and private organizations. As a teacher, she has always received outstanding evaluations; students' responses are very positive and have suggested little, if any, room for improvement. She is very accessible to students and tries to involve them in her research. Dr. Sattler also excels as a researcher; she is currently the principal investigator of three sponsored projects, one of which is being supported by an organization that has never before directed funds to the university.

Dr. Manfred Huber of Computer Science & Engineering received the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Excellence in Teaching Award. Recipients of this award are distinguished educators who have demonstrated their dedication to the teaching profession by their superior classroom instruction and exceptional interactions with students. Letters of recommendation from former students noted Dr. Huber's superior teaching style: “has a unique way of placing strategic problems and challenging students by asking questions that would lead them to the correct solution,” “helped us to set and meet our own research goals, and often to exceed them” “always gave examples of how theoretical concepts could be put to practical use,” “my fellow graduates and I owe a significant part of our success to the efforts of this dedicated educator” “his teaching strategy has shaped me as a better employee among other employees hired during the same time period from reputed universities such as Columbia and Rensselaer Polytechnic.”

January 2006
Dr. Jean Gao of Computer Science and Engineering received a prestigious CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation to study four-dimensional, sub-cellular structure tracking and modeling for cell dynamics. The five-year grant is valued at more than $558,000. Dr. Gao joined UT-Arlington in January 2003 after receiving her Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Purdue University. She also holds an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

December 2005
Dr. Frank L. Lewis, Moncrief-O'Donnell Professor of Electrical Engineering and head of the Advanced Controls and Sensors Group at the Automation & Robotics Research Institute, was named a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Measurement and Control. The Institute is a representative body in the United Kingdom for those engaged in the science and practice of measurement and control technology. Professor Lewis is also a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and was selected as a charter member of UT Arlington's Academy of Distinguished Scholars in April 2004.

December 2005
Dr. Abdolhossein Haji-Sheikh of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering received the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Heat Transfer Memorial Award, which is bestowed on individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of heat transfer through teaching, research, practice and design, or a combination of such activities.

July 2005
Dr. Jim Williams of Civil Engineering was selected as the 2005 Transportation Engineer of the Year by District 9 of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). The award recognizes to an individual member of TexITE for his/her outstanding practice, teaching or research of the science and art of transportation engineering in the State of Texas.

April 2005
Dr. Robert C. Eberhart of Biomedical Engineering was recognized as a Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society. Dr. Eberhart is also a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a Founding Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. He received a Career Achievement Award from the Houston Society for Engineering in Medicine and Biology in 1997 and was president of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs during 1995.

March 2005
Dr. Adrian K. Fung, Jenkins Garrett Professor of Electrical Engineering and director of the Wave Scattering Research Center, was inducted into UT Arlington's Academy of Distinguished Scholars. A noted authority on radar and microwave scattering effects, he has written several books that are considered classics in the microwave remote sensing area.