July 28, 2011
Baltimore, MD - ABET, the world leader in higher-education accreditation for applied science, computing, engineering, and technology education programs, has announced that it has added two new Adjunct Directors to its Professional Services Department. Michael S. Leonard, Ph.D., P.E., is the new Adjunct Training Director, and James N. Warnock, Ph.D., is the new Adjunct Educational Research and Assessment Director.
Michael S. Leonard, Ph.D., P.E., is Senior Associate Dean of the Mercer University School of Engineering. His involvement in engineering accreditation over the last decade includes being author/co-author of 10 accreditation-related conference proceedings and journal articles, leader or co-leader of eight ABET faculty workshops and 13 accreditation-program-evaluator training sessions, and participation in on-campus program reviews and faculty training sessions at 17 academic institutions.
As ABET Adjunct Training Director, he will, in collaboration with the Managing Director of Professional Services and the Training Manager, provide strategic oversight of the following ABET activities:
- Program Evaluator professional development programming
- Support Facilitator Training
- Program Evaluator Candidate (PEVC) Training
- Refresher Training
- Pre-Visit Preparation (formerly Just-in-Time (JIT) Training)
- Team Chair Training
- Non-U.S. Visit Training
- Training Mentor Training
Dr. Leonard is a Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE), an ABET Member Society. He is a registered professional engineer in the states of Missouri and South Carolina. He holds bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in engineering from the University of Florida.
James N. Warnock, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Mississippi State University and also serves as the Assessment and Accreditation Coordinator in the James W. Bagley College of Engineering. In this latter role, Dr. Warnock has responsibility for coordinating the assessment activities of 10 engineering programs within eight departments. He teaches classes in biomaterials and problem-based learning and has an active research program studying the role of mechanical forces in cardiovascular disease. He is an ABET Senior IDEAL Scholar.
As Adjunct Educational Research and Assessment Director, Dr. Warnock will, in collaboration with the Managing Director of Professional Services and the Educational Research and Assessment Manager, provide oversight for the planning, production, and execution of Professional Services educational offerings. In addition, he will conduct technical educational research in collaboration with faculty and industry across multiple institutions, disciplines, and organizations.
Dr. Warnock received his bachelor's in biological sciences from the University of Wolverhampton, UK, and his master's in biochemical engineering and his doctorate in Chemical Engineering from the University of Birmingham, UK.
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 3,000 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.