TAU BETA PI LEADERS ATTEND 96TH CONVENTION

Columbus, Ohio was the site of the 96th annual Convention of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society. The event was hosted by Ohio Gamma, the local collegiate chapter at Ohio State University. Nearly 300 engineering students from 183 collegiate chapters received leadership and management training and then practiced their skills in conducting the business of the Convention, held this year on October 18-20.

The growth of the Association is a testament to the steady and enthusiastic 116-year involvement of students in the world’s largest engineering society. Awards to outstanding members and chapters were presented.

The 2001 Distinguished Alumnus Award was presented to Dr. James E. Drewry, Virginia Alpha '60, retired executive vice president and COO of the Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The R.C. Matthews Outstanding Chapter Award for 2000-2001, the top honor to a campus group, went to Wyoming Alpha at the University of Wyoming, with honorable mentions to Iowa Alpha at Iowa State University and Michigan Theta at Oakland University.

The R.H. Nagel Most Improved Chapter Award for 2000-2001 was presented to West Virginia Alpha at West Virginia University. Both the Matthews and Nagel awards are named for former secretary-treasurers of the Association.

Dr. Louis F. Geschwindner, Jr., P.E., New York Gamma '67, longtime chief advisor to the Pennsylvania Beta Chapter and professor of architectural engineering at the Pennsylvania State University, was recognized as Tau Beta Pi's 2001 National Outstanding Advisor.

Forty-three scholarships of $500 (totaling $21,500) were presented for sustained excellent performance in membership and project activities to 33 chapters: Alaska Alpha (University of Alaska Fairbanks); California Alpha (University of California, Berkeley); California Zeta (Santa Clara University); California Mu (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo); District of Columbia Alpha (Howard University) - two for $1,000; Florida Alpha (University of Florida) Florida Beta (University of Miami); Florida Theta (Florida International University); Georgia Alpha (Georgia Institute of Technology); Illinois Epsilon (Southern Illinois University at Carbondale); Iowa Alpha (Iowa State University) - two for $1,000; Kansas Gamma (Kansas State University); Maryland Beta (University of Maryland) - two for $1,000; Michigan Beta (Michigan Technological University); Michigan Gamma (University of Michigan); Michigan Epsilon (Wayne State University) - two for $1,000; Michigan Theta (Oakland University)- two for $1,000; New Mexico Alpha (New Mexico State University); New Mexico Gamma (New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology); New York Theta (Clarkson University); New York Kappa (University of Rochester) - two for $1,000; New York Tau (Binghamton University) - two for $1,000; Ohio Iota (Ohio Northern University) - two for $1,000; Oregon Beta (Portland State University); Pennsylvania Theta (Villanova University); South Carolina Beta (University of South Carolina); South Dakota Alpha (South Dakota School of Mines & Technology)- two for $1,000; Tennessee Alpha (University of Tennessee, Knoxville); Vermont Beta (Norwich University); Washington Delta (Gonzaga University); Wisconsin Alpha (University of Wisconsin-Madison); Wisconsin Epsilon (University of Wisconsin-Platteville); and Wyoming Alpha (University of Wyoming)- two for $1,000.

Four petitioners were awarded charters to become Tau Beta Pi chapters: Dartmouth College, the University of Portland, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and the University of Missouri- Kansas City.

The Executive Council, or board of directors, comprises: President Douglas M. Green, Ph.D., P.E., Texas Beta '65, dean of engineering at Marquette University; Vice President Edward J. D'Avignon, New York Beta '88, member of technical staff at Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation; Councillor Jerome A. Atkins, District of Columbia Alpha '63, dean of technology and engineering programs at Excelsior College; Councillor George D. Peterson, Ph.D., P.E., Ohio Eta '72, executive director of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc.; and Councillor Catherine P. Rice, P.E., Maryland Beta '83, special assistant to the director of the Maryland State Highway Administration's office of planning and preliminary engineering.

A new Executive Council-slate to serve the 2002-06 term was elected: Alison Hu, California Gamma '96, manufacturing engineering manager at Agilent Technologies; Matthew W. Ohland, Ph.D., Florida Alpha '96, assistant professor in Clemson University's general engineering program; Russell W. Pierce, Washington Alpha '70, manager for AT&T fixed wireless services; Ellen D. Styles, Alabama Delta '85, proposal manager at General Dynamics; and Dennis J. Tyner, Ph.D., Massachusetts Epsilon '85, dean of engineering at Norwich University.