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.

2023 Winners

Jean R. S. Blair

For outstanding leadership and service while strengthening the higher education community’s understanding of the relevance of ABET accreditation criteria in improving professional practice across multiple computing and computing‐based disciplines.

Jean R. S. Blair is a professor of computer science and the EECS Distinguished Professor for Innovation at West Point, where she also served as deputy to the Chief Academic Officer and director of the Computer Science and Information Systems Engineering programs. Previously, she served on the faculty at the University of Tennessee, earned her master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, and graduated from Allegheny College. 

An ABET volunteer since the Computer Science Accreditation Commission (CSAC) merged with ABET, Blair has served as a program evaluator, team chair and commissioner. She currently serves as chair on the Computing Accreditation Commission Executive Committee. She volunteers with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, is a senior member of IEEE, a senior member of the Association for Computing Machinery and a member of both the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics and the American Society of Engineering Education. 

April Cheung

For continually demonstrating a high standard of performance, exemplary commitment, unrelenting dedication and extraordinary devotion to ABET activities and engineering technology education through both the lenses of industry and academia.

April Cheung is a Professor of Practice and the Program Lead of the Electrical Engineering Technology (EET) at the Polytechnic Institute at Purdue University. In her 15 years of experience at ABET, she served in all officer positions within the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) and as the ETAC Chair during 2021-22, making transformative impacts for improving quality of engineering technology programs. As the Chair of ETAC, Cheung applied her business acumen and management skills to bring consensus on decision-making while maintaining consistency.  

Before joining the faculty at Purdue University, Cheung was a Research and Development Manager at BraunAbility and an Electronics Engineering Manager for IMMI. Cheung also serves on the IEEE Committee on Engineering Technology Accreditation Activities (CETAA) since 2016. As the Chair-Elect for CETAA, she is an active participant in criteria and training activities.  

Cheung has a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering technology, a Master of Science in engineering technology and a Master of Business Administration.

Dianne Chong

For promoting diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels, from individual mentorship to development of equitable policies and procedures to advocacy while serving at the highest levels of leadership.

Dianne Chong, Ph.D., NAE, F.SME, F.ASM, was vice president in The Boeing Company’s Engineering, Operations & Technology organization where she led materials and manufacturing research and development and production program integration prior to her retirement. She currently serves on ABET’s Inclusion, Diversity Equity and Accessibility Advisory Council and was the 2020-2021 ABET President.  

Chong was elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and Washington State Academy of Science in 2017. She serves on the NAE Council and co-chairs EngineerGirl. She is a member of the National Research Council (NRC) Governing Board and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. She serves on the National Science Foundation Directorate for Engineering Advisory Committee.  

Chong is past president and Fellow of SME. She is a fellow of ASM, and in 2007-08, was elected its first female president. She received an award for alumna achievement from the University of Illinois in 2019 and has received numerous technical and diversity awards. She was inducted into the first class of the Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame.  

Chong received bachelor’s degrees in biology and psychology, and master’s degrees in physiology and metallurgical engineering. Chong received her doctorate in metallurgical engineering from the University of Illinois. She has an Executive Master of Manufacturing Management degree from Washington University and a green belt in Six Sigma. Chong is a member of The Minerals, Metals, and Minerals Society; American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc.; ASM International; Society of Women Engineers; Beta Gamma Sigma and Tau Beta Pi. 

Lorraine N. Fleming

For significant leadership in the redesign of the performance evaluation process for PEVs and TCs, mentoring of volunteers and contributions to the efforts to harmonize DEI criteria across the commissions.

Lorraine N. Fleming, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, is a professor of civil engineering at Howard University. She has nearly 40 years of experience in higher education and has served as a department chair, director of interdisciplinary research programs and interim dean of the College of Engineering, Architecture and Computer Science. Fleming’s service as an ABET volunteer began in 1999 as a program evaluator through American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and she continued as a commissioner, executive committee member and chair. As chair of the Engineering Accreditation Commission Volunteer Evaluation Committee, she contributed to the development of a robust evaluation program. 

Her scholarship and research are focused on broadening the participation of underrepresented minorities in engineering by exploring issues of persistence, diversity, engineering pedagogy and global preparedness of engineering students. She founded a research-abroad program that provided research experiences for African American STEM students at universities in Africa, Southeast Asia, South America and Eastern Europe. Former U.S. President Barack Obama recognized her achievements and awarded her the U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. She earned her doctorate in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. She holds a Master of Science degree from The George Washington University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering at Howard University. She is the author of many engineering and engineering education publications.

Andrew T. Phillips

For exceptional leadership at all ABET levels, national impact in founding cybersecurity accreditation in computing and engineering, harmonizing data science across multiple commissions and leadership in ABET’s DEI efforts.

Dr. Andrew Phillips currently serves as the Executive Director for CSAB, Inc. Prior to his current role, Phillips had served as the 7th Academic Dean and Provost at the U.S. Naval Academy from 2009-2023.

He also began his career at the Naval Academy in 1988 as a faculty member in the Computer Science Department. In 1998, Phillips moved to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he worked as Computer Science Department Chair and then Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies in 2004.  

Phillips has been an ABET program evaluator since 1997, later also taking on the role of team chair. He served as a member of the Computing Accreditation Commission from 2004-2009 before serving as the Computing Area Director and member of the ABET Board of Directors from 2018-2022. He is also a past president of CSAB, a CSAB Fellow and a Program Evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. 

After earning his bachelor’s degree in both mathematics and computer science at Pennsylvania State University, Phillips earned his master’s and doctorate, both in computer science, at the University of Minnesota.

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.

The Nomination Kit

The ABET Fellow Award, like all other ABET Awards, is given to a nominee selected by his or her peers. To learn more about the process and criteria involved, or to nominate one of your peers, please review our nomination kit. The deadline for nominations is April 20, and only complete nominations with references will be accepted.

DOWNLOAD NOMINATION KIT