ABET Fellow Award

About the Award

Every ABET Expert promotes confidence in technical education. But those who truly embrace the power of our work and have a clear impact are named ABET Fellows.

The distinction of ABET Fellow is an honor that recognizes individuals that surpass normal expectation by dedicating notable time and effort to achieving our endeavors.

For unequivocal commitment to educate, train and mentor PEV and TC colleagues, disciplinary colleagues, and institutions about the importance of assessment, continuous improvement, and the ABET accreditation process worldwide.

Bopaya Bidanda is the Ernest Roth Professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. A former department chair for over 21 years, he has also led the Manufacturing Assistance Center, focusing on workforce development in underserved communities. He is a Fellow of two ABET member societies – IISE and SME and also a two-time Fulbright Awardee. Bopaya has served ABET – on the Board of Delegates, as EAC ExCom member and as a mentor to TCs on international visits. His 13 books include the Maynard ISE Handbook, the definitive body of knowledge in the discipline. Bopaya is Past President of IISE. He has consulted for organizations like the U.S. Navy and UPMC, and led global initiatives in India, Latin America, and Germany. He received multiple honors, including the ASEE John Imhoff Award and the Chancellor’s Distinguished Public Service Award. He is also Director of the Center for Industry Studies and co-leads the Business of Humanity project in Pittsburgh and India.

For applying her industry experience in quality improvement to a robust implementation of a more effective volunteer evaluation process now being used across all commissions.

Lois Mansfield began her accreditation volunteerism as a program evaluator for CSAB in 1999 while working for Raytheon in the Software Engineering Department facilitating process improvement initiatives.

Lois served as a Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) Program Evaluator, a CAC Team Chair, a CAC Commissioner, a CAC Executive Committee Member-at-large, and the 2015-2016 Computing Accreditation Commission Chair.  In 2021 Lois transitioned to ABET governance as an Engineering Technology Area Delegate representing CSAB.  In 2022 Lois was selected as a Computing Area Delegate and a member of the Board of Delegates representing CSAB.

Lois served as the CSAB QA Committee Chairperson, establishing and aligning the CSAB performance review process with the ABET process while addressing the unique relationship between CSAB and CAC.  Lois also documented the CSAB process for nominating commissioners, establishing a joint nomination process between CSAB and CAC, and, for four cycles, recruiting 80+ commissioners covering all four ABET commissions.

For pioneering leadership in establishing and advancing ABET’s inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility initiatives as a founding member and transformational leader of ABET’s IDEA Council.

Richard Olawoyin is a professor of engineering at Oakland University. He is a US Fulbright Scholar (alumnus), and has engaged students globally through teaching and research, particularly in four countries: China, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and the United States. He has served ABET in various roles including serving as the current chair of the ABET Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Advisory Council, incoming chair-elect of ABET ANSAC, Team Chair, Training Support Facilitator for PEV candidates, and a PEV mentor. He was awarded the ASSP Charles V. Culbertson Outstanding Award in 2019 and 2022 for his professional contributions.

For outstanding leadership, visionary innovation, and unwavering dedication to ABET, and advancing accreditation excellence through adaptive and transformative training initiatives.

Judith Solano holds degrees from Penn State and Florida State.  Her areas of expertise are in software engineering, information technology project management, and higher education administration.  Dr. Solano began her career as a data administrator in the offices of the Board of Regents of the State University System of Florida (SUS). Given the opportunity to teach, she moved to the University of North Florida (UNF) where she was particularly active in faculty governance and served as a member of the UNF Board of Trustees and the SUS Board of Governors. She retired from UNF in 2012, after 35 years of service to UNF and the SUS.  Dr. Solano began her affiliation with ABET in 2000 as a PEV and has continued to serve as a member of the Computer and the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commissions of ABET.

For inspirational leadership with over two decades of dedication to ABET accreditation, driving the global transformation of educational programs and shaping the next generation of skilled engineers.

Ece Yaprak is Professor and Chair of the Engineering Technology Division at Wayne State University’s College of Engineering. Her research in computer networks, wireless communications, and sensor networks—funded by NSF, DOE, NASA, the U.S. Navy, and industry—has been widely published. She has held fellowships at NASA centers, the U.S. Navy’s SPAWAR, and was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Oulu, Finland. Since 2002, Dr. Yaprak has served ABET in various leadership roles, including Program Evaluator, Chair of IEEE’s Committee on Engineering Technology Accreditation Activities (CETAA), IEEE ETAC Commissioner, IEEE Representative to the ABET Board of Delegates, and currently as Engineering Technology Area Director on ABET’s Board of Directors. From 2015 to 2017, she was a Program Director at the National Science Foundation. She also brings industry experience from General Electric and Ford and became an IEEE Fellow in 2025.

Award Benefits

Fellow award winners will be recognized at the ABET Awards program in the fall. Fellows will also be featured on our website and social media pages, as well as recognized in a press release.