The Mechanical Engineering Awards were established by the ME department in 2015 to motivate and to recognize ME faculty members with a superior record of teaching, research, service, and tech & innovation in the department.
The 2020 award winners were Dr. Prashant Singh, Dr. Hongjoo Rhee, Dr. Shane Brauer, Dr. Heejin Cho, and Dr. Wil Whittington.
Dr. Prashant Singh, Assistant Professor, was selected to receive the Mechanical Engineering Outstanding Junior Faculty Research Award. This award recognizes exceptionally influential research accomplishments by a junior faculty. The ME Outstanding Junior Faculty Research Award was open to all assistant professors in the ME department.
Dr. Hongjoo Rhee, Associate Professor, was selected to receive the Mechanical Engineering Outstanding Senior Faculty Research Award. This award recognizes exceptionally influential research accomplishments by a senior faculty. The ME Outstanding Senior Faculty Research Award was open to all the associate and full professors in the ME department.
Dr. Shane Brauer, Assistant Clinical Professor, was selected to receive the Mechanical Engineering Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award. This award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to excellence in teaching, advancing the educational mission of the ME Department, and incorporating innovation in undergraduate and/or graduate teaching. This award was open to all instructors, clinical, assistant, associate, and full professors in the ME department.
Dr. Heejin Cho, TVA Associate Professor, was selected to receive the Mechanical Engineering Outstanding Faculty Service Award. This award recognizes a faculty member who has excelled in the service category, and has shown outstanding leadership in the ME department, the college, and the university, in K12 outreach, diversity activities, industrial outreach, etc. This award is open to instructors, clinical, assistant, associate, and full professors in the ME department.
Dr. Wil Whittington, Assistant Professor, was selected to receive the Mechanical Engineering Outstanding Faculty Technology and Innovation Award. This award recognizes a faculty member who has excelled in the areas of technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, and start-ups. This award is open to instructors, clinical, assistant, associate, and full professors in the ME department.
