November 4, 2011
Baltimore, MD - ABET, the recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology, installed its new officers on October 29 at the semiannual meeting of its Board of Directors, held in Baltimore, MD.
The following individuals will serve as the officers of the ABET Board of Directors for the 2011-2012 term:
President
Larry A. Kaye, Ph.D., P.E., is the ABET President. Dr. Kaye has been involved with ABET accreditation for more than 25 years. He is a Fellow of ABET and of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). Dr. Kaye spent much of his career in various technical, managerial, staff, and executive positions at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company. He received his doctorate in chemical engineering from Yale University and his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from New York University.
President-Elect
Karan Watson, Ph.D., P.E., is the ABET President-Elect. Dr. Watson, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at Texas A&M University, has been involved with ABET and accreditation for more than 20 years. Previously, she was the Representative Director for the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) on the ABET Board of Directors. Dr. Watson is a Fellow of both ASEE and IEEE. She received her bachelor's, master's, and doctorate, all in electrical engineering, from Texas Tech University.
Secretary
Jeffrey J. Siirola, Ph.D., is the ABET Secretary. Dr. Siirola is currently a part-time Professor of Engineering Practice at Purdue’s School of Chemical Engineering. Recently, Dr. Siirola retired from his position as a Technology Fellow at Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport, Tenn. Previously, he served as a representative from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) on the ABET Board of Directors. Dr. Siirola received his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Utah and his doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Treasurer
Bassem F. Armaly, Ph.D., is the ABET Treasurer, serving in his second year of a three-year term. Previously, Dr. Armaly chaired the ABET Finance Committee and represented ASME (formerly the American Society of Mechanical Engineers) on the ABET Board of Directors. Dr. Armaly is the Curators' Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Mo. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Iowa, and his doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.
Past President
Phillip E. Borrowman, P.E., S.E., is the 2011-12 Past President. Previously, Borrowman served as an American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) representative on the Board of Directors and was inducted as a Fellow of ABET in 2007. Borrowman is a Senior Vice President at Hanson Professional Services, Inc., in Kansas City, Mo.
About ABET
ABET, the recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology, is a federation of 31 professional and technical societies representing these fields. Among the most respected accreditation organizations in the U.S., ABET has provided leadership and quality assurance in higher education for more than 75 years.
ABET currently accredits over 3,100 programs at more than 600 colleges and universities worldwide. More than 2,000 dedicated volunteers participate annually in ABET activities. ABET also provides leadership internationally through workshops, memoranda of understanding, and mutual recognition agreements, such as the Washington Accord. ABET is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.