2002 IEEE Region 3 Employer Professional Development Award

The winner of the 2002 IEEE Region 3 Employer Professional Development Award is Dynetics, Inc. of Huntsville, Alabama.  Dynetics is being presented with this award for outstanding contributions to employee continuing education and professional development over the last three decades.  Dynetics has achieved a well-deserved reputation in the Huntsville area for its long-term commitment to employee professional development.  Some of the highlights of the Dynetics employee professional development program include:

An annual investment of approximately $150,000 for employee professional development

Employees take an average of 100 courses per year at local universities and colleges

Over 100 employees have received graduate and undergraduate degrees through educational programs funded by Dynetics since 1974

Dynetics offers an average of 15 in-house technical and management courses per year with an average enrollment of 15 students per class.

 Through this award, Region 3 of IEEE would like to recognize Dynetics as a model company in the area of employee professional development.  Congratulations to Dynetics, Inc.

Individual Awards 

The awards for the Region 3 Outstanding Engineer, Outstanding Service, and the Joseph M. Biedenbach Outstanding Engineering Educator were voted on by the EXCOM at its last meeting. The Awards and Recognition Committee, which includes the Area and Council Chairs, had a difficult time reaching a decision due to the high quality of the nominations for each award. Region 3 has many outstanding IEEE volunteers, and it is unfortunate that each and everyone of them cannot receive the recognition offered by these awards. We are pleased to announce that the following individuals will be recognized at the SoutheastCon Conference in Jamaica later in the Spring:

2002 IEEE Region 3 Outstanding Engineer Award

Dr. Neelkanth G. Dhere, Principal Scientist of the Florida Solar Energy Center, and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at the University of Central Florida is our 2002 Outstanding Engineer. His award citation will state "For engineering and research contributions to the profession in the area of thin-film photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical solar cells, and for the advancement of Brazil and the United States in this field by establishment of world-caliber research locations within Brazil and the State of Florida."    Dr. Dhere has labored for the greater part of his professional life to make solar technology more practical and competitive, not only for developed nations, but for undeveloped ones as well. Our congratulations to Neelkanth Dhere.

2002 IEEE Region 3 Joseph M. Biedenbach Outstanding Educator Award

Dr. Takis Kasparis, from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Central Florida, is our 2002 Outstanding Engineering Educator.  He is the faculty advisor for the Student Branch, and has modernized and updated numerous courses and labs, as well as developing new courses and computer projects. He also played an active role in organizing the entire undergraduate EE curriculum.

2002 IEEE Region 3 Outstanding Service Award

Mr. Butch Shadwell, a Private Consultant from Jacksonville, Florida, will receive the Region 3 2002 Outstanding Service Award "For identifying and putting onto practice ways to inspire members of the electrotechnology profession toward development and maintenance of the highest levels of technical expertise and ethics.   These goals have been realized through means as diverse as personal presentations, mentoring, and authoring challenging exercises in technical publications."    Mr. Shadwell has held numerous IEEE volunteer positions at the local Section, Florida Council, and Region 3 levels. His famous "Brain Teasers" are utilized in newsletters and other publications throughout the Institute and in Regions outside the country as well as inside.