Hall of Achievement Honoree Jim Crites

College of Engineering Honors Hall of Achievement Inductee, Faculty and Staff at Annual Awards Banquet

The College of Engineering honored a Hall of Achievement inductee, three faculty and one staff member at Annual Awards Banquet for their outstanding achievements in research, teaching and administrative support. In addition, many awards were presented to students, recognizing their superior academic performance.

James M. Crites, director of operations at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, was inducted into the College of Engineering’s Hall of Achievement. Membership in the Hall of Achievement is accorded to individuals who, through their performance and example, have made significant contributions to the engineering profession.

Mr. Crites oversees the activities of operations, energy and transportation management, asset management, public safety, planning and environmental affairs, development and engineering. He provided key leadership in planning and support for the development of facilities and assessment of new business opportunities as part of the recently-completed and highly-regarded Airport Development Plan. Mr. Crites is the current chairman of the Transportation Research Board’s Aviation Group. He also serves as a member of the Airports Council International – North America Technical and Operations Committee, The University of Texas at Arlington College of Engineering Advisory Board, and the board of the City of Fort Worth Sister Cities International.

The College of Engineering’s Excellence in Research Award was presented to Electrical Engineering Professor J.-C. Chiao. The award recognizes someone who has demonstrated superior scholarship by advancing the state of knowledge in his or her chosen field of research. A committee of peers selected Dr. Chiao, who best meets the standards of research excellence required of this prestigious award.

Dr. Chiao came to the college in 2002 and quickly established a reputation for innovative investigations, discoveries and applications. Working with grants totaling more than $3 million, he made breakthrough developments that resulted in more than 130 mentions in national and international media coverage, bringing recognition to himself, the college and the university.

Dr. Chiao developed interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaborations involving biomedical, electrical, industrial and mechanical engineers, life scientists, physicians, medical clinicians, chemists and physicists. These collaborations and his independent research have involved radio transmission, cancer, sensors, micro devices, neurological implants, optics and more. For his work, he has received four U.S. patents and has an additional seven pending.

The College of Engineering’s Outstanding Young Faculty Award went to Dr. Seong Jin Koh of the Material Science and Engineering Department. The award is given to a young, tenure-track faculty member who is judged to be the most promising teacher and scholar, based on his or her body of accomplishments since coming to the college.

In a little more than five years, Dr. Koh has attained a remarkable record of achievements. These include developing a new area of research, developing a new course in nanotechnology, and revising an existing course to incorporate basic concepts from solid state physics. He also received a prestigious early career development grant from the National Science Foundation, a major development grant from the Office of Naval Research, and two U.S. patents. Further, his discoveries on the fabrication of single electron devices, which were published in the respected journal Nature Nanotechnology and described by the National Science Foundation and others as a technological breakthrough, brought international recognition to the university and the college.

The Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Award for Excellence in Teaching was presented to Dr. Sajal K. Das in Computer Science and Engineering. Excellence in Teaching Award winners 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 came not only from his peers here at UT Arlington, but also at institutions across the nation. In these letters, Dr. Das was described as an extremely dedicated and committed teacher and an inspirational mentor and advisor who has long lasting impact on his students.

The Fay Van Dam Outstanding Staff Award was presented to Civil Engineering Technical Staff Assistant Paul Shover. The award is 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. Mr. Shover gained knowledge, achieved significant endeavors and received prominent recognition in industry and government before coming to the college. Letters of nomination described him as someone who performs everyday duties and special assignments at a very high level of efficiency, timeliness and sincerity.