Burbank honored with McGraw Award by the American Society for Engineering Education

Ken Burbank

Ken Burbank, head of the School of Engineering Technology, was named the recipient of the James H. McGraw Award by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) in 2019. The award recognizes outstanding service in engineering technology education.

Before arriving to Purdue in 2011, Burbank earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from Brown University, where his research centered on the optical and electrical properties of compound semiconductors. He is the past chair of the Engineering Technology Council of ASEE and a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Burbank shares the praise effortlessly. Upon the announcement of his McGraw Award, Burbank acknowledged the University by saying, “Purdue is nationally recognized for its strong engineering technology programs, and the applied nature of these academic programs is a great asset to Indiana and the nation.” And in a 2013 interview, Burbank lauded students pursuing engineering technology degrees and professionals already in the field by saying, “Those in technology tend to be self-directed learners who can solve open-ended problems by using off-the-shelf technology.”

The James H. McGraw Award was established in 1950 by the McGraw-Hill Book Company, and is co-sponsored by McGraw-Hill Higher Education, the Engineering Technology Council and the Engineering Technology Division of ASEE.

American Society for Engineering Education

This article first appeared in Innovation Magazine, published annually by Purdue Polytechnic for alumni and friends.

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