November 1, 2010
Baltimore, MD - ABET has announced the 2010 recipient of its prestigious Linton E. Grinter Distinguished Service Award: Allen I. Ormsbee, Ph.D. accepted this award during the 2010 ABET Annual Awards Banquet in Baltimore, MD, October 28.
ABET is the recognized accrediting body for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. This award, the organization's highest honor, is named for Linton E. Grinter, a pioneer in engineering and technology education and the first individual to receive the Distinguished Service Award from ABET's predecessor, the Engineers' Council for Professional Development (ECPD). The award recognizes ABET volunteers who follow in Grinter's footsteps and surpass even the highest service expectations of the organization.
Ormsbee's citation will read:
For dedication to the principles of ABET that went above and beyond normal call of duty and for shepherding the fiscal policies and procedures of ABET as Treasurer and Member of the Finance Committee through the governance changes of that period; his assured and responsible control of ABET's finances created and maintained an aura of trust between ABET and its members.
Ormsbee began his ABET service in 1970 as a program evaluator for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), joined the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) in 1985, became a member of its Executive Committee in 1990, and was EAC Chair and Past Chair in 1993 and 1994. He became a Fellow of ABET in 1995.
After service in the EAC, AIAA chose Al to be its Representative Director to the ABET Board from 1994 to 2000. During that period of service, he was on the Finance Committee, which he also chaired (1996-1998), Public Member Committee (1997-1998), and Secretary of the Board (1998-2000). At that time, the Secretary simultaneously served as a Representative Director.
In 2000, he was selected to be the ABET Treasurer, an Office that he held until he retired from the Board in 2006. As Treasurer, he also served on the Finance Committee, the Executive Review Committee, and, naturally, the Executive Committee.
The award's namesake, Linton E. Grinter, received the first Distinguished Service Award from the ECPD in 1972. Grinter showed an outstanding record of leadership within the engineering community and ECPD, and the Board Executive Committee that year not only gave the new award to Grinter but decided to call it the Linton E. Grinter Distinguished Service Award.
Among Grinter's legacy are three reports that have had major effects on technical education: (1) the 1945 Manual of Graduate Study in Engineering; (2)the groundbreaking 1955 Report of the Committee on Evaluation of Engineering Education, now known as "The Grinter Report" a major work in the development of engineering curricula that outlines specific objectives for both the technical and humanities areas of study necessary for future engineers; and (3) the 1972 Report on Engineering Technology Education. Grinter's powerful insight into the future of the engineering profession inspired and impacted not only the ECPD of yesteryear, but the ABET of today. See the complete list of individuals who have received Linton E. Grinter Distinguished Service Award.
The ABET Annual Awards Banquet is held during the ABET Annual Conference. The 2010 Annual Conference, Partnering for Progress: Advancing Constituent-Centered and Quality-Driven Accreditation, was held in Baltimore, MD, on October 28-29.
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.