After being an educator in engineering and engineering technology for more than 20 years, I am very proud of the culminating efforts underway to have engineering technology graduates be accepted as part of the wider engineering profession. The Engineering Technology Council of ASEE, and its standing group, the ET National Forum, have been leading a long effort to have engineering technology recognized by the Office of Personnel Management so that ET graduates can formally hold federal engineering jobs.

A parallel effort with the National Academy of Engineering is underway to refine the relationship between academic degree programs and industry workforce needs. Being at Purdue has helped open doors in Washington to bring these initiatives forward. Purdue is nationally recognized for its strong engineering technology and engineering programs, and the complementary nature of these two types of academic programs is a great asset to Indiana and the nation. I am glad to be here at this time, when more doors are being opened for more students.

While my current focus is on academics and curriculum, I got my professional start in industry. After graduating from Brown University, I entered the world of manufacturing. I went from process engineer to section head for Process Development, all in the analog integrated circuit industry. After 10 years in industry, I went "back to school" and have been teaching in engineering and engineering technology programs since.

While in Rhode Island, I taught electronics engineering technology and participated in thin film device research. From there, I headed to Virginia and then North Carolina, where my role became more focused on program development and leadership. Helping the university interface with the engineering community is a passion, and I have been an active participant and leader in local sections of SME and IEEE.

I started my tenure at Purdue University in 2011, and I currently serve as the head for the School of Engineering Technology. At the national level, I am the current past chair of the Engineering Technology Council of ASEE, a senior member of IEEE, and a member of ASEE.

I earned my BS, MS and PhD degrees in electrical engineering, all from Brown University. Both of my MS and PhD research efforts centered on the optical and electrical properties of compound semiconductors.