By Dave Long
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
TERRE HAUTE —
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology English professor Julia Williams has received the Sterling Olmsted Award from the American Society of Engineering Education for distinguished contributions to the development and teaching of liberal arts in engineering education.
The award is the highest award given by the Liberal Education Division of the ASEE. It was presented at the education group’s annual meeting in Louisville, Ky.
“Dr. Williams has made numerous contributions to the development and teaching of liberal arts in engineering education,” noted Donna Riley, nominating chair for the Liberal Division awards program.
Williams, who also serves as executive director of Rose-Hulman’s Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Assessment, served as program chair for the Liberal Education Division at the 2003 ASEE conference and division chair in 2004-2005.
Shortly after joining the Rose-Hulman faculty in 1994, Williams established the college’s technical communication program, which integrated communication tasks across the engineering curriculum. She also developed an established course in technical communication, which is required of all majors in engineering and many of the sciences. Reflecting the strength of this initiative and the support of faculty across disciplines, Williams collaborates with many colleagues in engineering, math and science on communication integration projects.
William also played an instrumental role in development of the RosE Portfolio in 1998, and later the RosEvaluation tool, launched in 2008. These processes collect evidence of student achievement of institute learning outcomes for the purpose of continuous improvement and accreditation needs. These tools are also important for reinforcing the integration of liberal arts throughout the engineering education process, and for encouraging student reflection on the goals of their own education.
With IRPA, Williams has continued her advocacy for embedding liberal arts across engineering education at Rose-Hulman and throughout academe. She has helped IRPA organize annual Best Assessment Practices conferences that bring to Rose-Hulman leading authorities on assessing student education experiences.
Williams’ distinguished scholarship and service has had her publications on technical communication and engineering education featured in many journals. She currently serves as associate editor for educational tutorials in the IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, associate editor for the journal Engineering Studies, and education chair for the IEEE Professional Communication Society. IEEE is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity.
Earlier this year, Williams helped IRPA be a finalist for TechPoint’s Mira Award, honoring Indiana’s technology innovators. She has been named an honorary alumnus by the Rose-Hulman Alumni Association, received the Outstanding Scholarship Award from the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and earned the Teacher of the Year Award from the Triangle fraternity.
Williams becomes the third Rose-Hulman faculty member to receive the Olmsted Award.
Heinz Luegenbiehl, professor of philosophy and technology studies, was recognized by ASEE in 1998, and Caroline Carvill, professor of American literature, was honored in 2007.
