In keeping with tradition, outstanding full-time and part-time faculty members were honored at MSOE to mark the beginning of the new academic year.

Dr. Jung Lee, assistant professor in the Physics and Chemistry Department, received the Karl O. Werwath Engineering Research Award.

Karl O. Werwath was an innovator in engineering education and the application of technology, and believed that teaching effectiveness was enhanced through applied research and consulting. He felt that MSOE should make an effort to contribute to the advancement of technical knowledge for the benefit of business and industry for the good of the community and the nation. This award was initiated to recognize the vision of Karl O. Werwath and the contribution of MSOE faculty and staff who have fostered the advancement of applied scientific knowledge. Lee was nominated for this award by MSOE faculty and staff members, alumni, Regents and Corporation members. The award recipient is chosen based on criteria including his or her contribution to engineering, scientific research, consulting, the engineering profession and scholarship, promoting research at MSOE, patentable concepts and publications.

Lee holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Kyung Hee University at Seoul; a Master of Science in Chemistry from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology; and a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics and Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin. Lee joined the faculty in at MSOE in 2011 and is currently part of a team of faculty and students working on a National Science Foundation I-Corp funded research project titled “Developing an Artificial Red-Blood-Cell Product.” He also has been involved with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeast Wisconsin (CTSI), and the MSOE Center for BioMolecular Modeling.

The Falk Engineering Educator Award was presented to Doug Nelson, P.E. The award is given annually to full-time faculty members with less than seven years experience. It is a testament to exemplary dedication and performance. Nelson is an assistant professor in the Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Department. He received an Associate of Applied Science in Agricultural Engineering from SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Morrisville; a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering from Cornell University and a Master of Arts in Teaching Agricultural Engineering from Cornell University.

Dr. Luis G. Rodriguez, adjunct associate professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department, received the Johnson Controls Award, presented to outstanding part-time faculty. The award was inspired by Robert C. Moore, a long-time faculty member in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department. The award recognizes the contributions of part-time faculty to the education, motivation and support of the students at MSOE; encourages and recognizes excellence in teaching, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels; recognizes commitment and assistance to students outside of the classroom; and recognizes contributions to the improvement of educational programs and the effectiveness of the learning process at MSOE. Rodriguez earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Monterey Institute of Technology and Higher Studies; and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.