ETSU's Dr. Keith Johnson Is Newest American Society For Engineering Education Fellow

From East Tennessee State University:

July 26, 2021

JOHNSON CITY — Dr. Keith Johnson, vice president for Equity and Inclusion and chair of the Department of Engineering, Engineering Technology and Surveying at East Tennessee State University, has been selected as one of nine new fellows to the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).

“I was delighted to receive notice that I have been awarded such a prestigious recognition. When I was a junior faculty member starting out at ETSU, I always admired the folks who were chosen for their outstanding contributions to the Engineering and Engineering Education disciplines,” said Johnson. “Their contributions were so outstanding and impactful that I thought that would be light-years away from me ever getting to that point. Thirty years later, here we are. This recognition means a lot to me but more to those who see me as their mentor and advocate. This provides a reality check that they, too, can dream big.”

ASEE is a nonprofit organization of individuals and institutions committed to furthering education in engineering and engineering technology, developing policies and programs that enhance professional opportunities for engineering faculty members, and promoting activities that support increased student enrollments in engineering and engineering technology colleges and universities.

“The fellow status is one of the highest honors the society bestows,” said Sheryl Sorby, president of ASEE board of directors. “Typically, it is awarded for sustained, impactful work in engineering education.”

According to ASEE bylaws, the grade of Fellow Member is one of professional distinction, conferred by the Board of Directors upon an ASEE member with outstanding and extraordinary qualifications and experience in engineering or engineering technology education or an allied field, who has made appropriate and important individual contributions to engineering or engineering technology education, as well as considerable individual contributions to ASEE.

To be considered for the selection, a current fellow must nominate someone for fellow status. This includes five letters of recommendation with a minimum of three from current fellows. A selection committee appointed by the president evaluates the nominations and selects individuals for fellow status. The maximum number of fellows inducted in any given year is 0.01% of total membership, noted Sorby who added, “for this year, our membership is just under 10,000, so we are inducting only nine new fellows. Recognizing someone who has made a sustained contribution to engineering education and/or to our society is essential to our ability to move the society forward.”

For more information about ASEE Academy of Fellows and nominating criteria, visit asee.org/member-resources/groups/academy-of-fellows.

This press release was produced by East Tennessee State University. The views expressed are the author's own.