Award sponsors honor top innovators

Engineers and representatives of top suppliers to the OEM market will gather in March to honor top visionaries at the 16th annual Design News Engineering Awards Banquet. The event, to be held on March 4, 2003, recognizes engineering achievement in eight categories, seven of which are sponsored with grants from prominent engineering companies. And for the first year, Design News readers and engineers attending National Manufacturing Week are invited to attend the function. It's a great way to support the award winners and the Engineering Education Foundation (EEF), which works to better technology education in our schools today.

Engineer of the Year

A $25,000 grant, contributed by The Torrington Company in its 16^th year as an award sponsor, is given to the individual voted by Design News readers as Engineer of the Year. The most recent recipient, Dr. Gerson Rosenberg, pioneered the development of heart assist and artificial heart technology.

"Continuing support of the awards program reflects our commitment to the engineering discipline and the value it creates for Torrington, the customers we serve, and our entire society," says George T. Bowman, president of the Torrington Company, Engineered Solutions-Automotive Division.

The Excellence in Design Award

MSC.Software will provide $6,000 cash prizes to the three top winners of the twenty-third annual Excellence in Design contest. The most recent recipients were Chris Roberts of Welch Allyn; Wayne R. Anderson of Sauer-Danfoss; and Russell Blette of 3M.

"MSC.Software is constantly looking for ways to increase its involvement in education and cutting-edge research," says Frank Perna, chairman and chief executive officer, MSC.Software. "We are proud to be able to work with other industry leaders and recognize those who evaluate our profession."

Handspring is also providing PDAs (handheld computers) to the three second-place winners.

Global Innovation Award

A $5,000 cash award and a $15,000 educational grant, donated by Omron Electronics LLC, will be presented to the winner of the Global Innovation Award. This award is given to the company that best demonstrates how it de-signed a specific product for the global marketplace and effectively dealt with international standards, cultural differences, and other global issues. This year, Project Manager Kurt Richter of Grove Worldwide and his team were honored for developing Grove Worldwide's biggest all-terrain crane yet.

"The innovative engineering community has positively impacted the way we live. At Omron we want to continue to recognize the value of these engineers' achievements," states Frank Newburn, president and COO, Omron Electronics LLC.

College Design Engineering Award

For the third year, a $10,000 prize will be awarded by ANSYS Inc. to a student design team for an outstanding engineering achievement in a collegiate setting. This year's recipient, a class of engineering students at Texas Christian University, is recognized for successfully measuring vacuum levels without opening bottles of saline solution. In addition, ANSYS will donate a $10,000 design scholarship to the team's school to further support student education.

"By encouraging a curriculum that melds traditional theory with the latest innovations in modern engineering techniques, ANSYS Inc. is committed to helping the next generation of design engineers secure its position in an increasingly competitive workforce," says Jim Cashman, president and CEO, ANSYS, Inc. "ANSYS Inc. is proud to be a cornerstone in the education of tomorrow's design engineers."

Special Achievement Award

Supporting the EEF for its second year, Phillips Plastics Corp. will bestow a grant for $20,000 to the school selected by the recipient of the Special Achievement Award. This honoree is selected by Design News editors based on a history of stellar achievements in his or her engineering specialty. William M. Lambert, the 2002 winner, helped set the standard for the breathing apparatus that enables fire fighters to save lives.

"The people of Phillips Plastics Corporation are pleased to sponsor the Special Achievement Award for the second consecutive year," says Robert F. Cervenka, founder, chairman and chief technology officer at Phillips. "The benefits of the award are twofold - it spotlights the great contributions made to our daily lives by our country's finest engineers, and provides scholarship money to ensure young people continue to pursue and receive the best engineering education."

Engineering Quality Award

Stepping up to support the Engineering Quality Award for its first year, ITT Industries, Cannon will donate a $20,000 grant to the school of the winner's choice. This year's award recipient was the engineering team at Applied Biosystems, recognized for their passion to improve the quality of automated equipment used for DNA analysis.

" 'Engineered for life' is a phrase that has special meaning for us," says Gerry Gendron, senior vice president, ITT Industries, and president, Cannon. "It's more than just a slogan below our logo; rather, it articulates our commitment to engineering excellence and the highest quality products."

Women in Engineering Achievement Award

Donating $20,000, ENGINEERING.com recognizes women engineers in a category of their own for the first time. The grant will be given to a leading female engineer dedicated to improving the quality of life through innovative technology.

"As an organization dedicated exclusively to engineering-the most important profession in the world-we are extremely proud to contribute to the Design News Engineering Awards Program," says Frank Baldesarra, CEO, ENGINEERING.com Inc. "I am particularly pleased to support the tremendous contributions that have been made by women engineers, individuals who have ignored traditional stereotypes and made their own unique contributions to improving the human condition."

Design News readers can help launch the coming year's Engineering Awards Program by voting for the Engineer of the Year on pg. 48. And check out www.designnews.com for details on all of last year's winners, and for information on submitting entries to this year's contests.