Texas engineer receives IEEE-USA's highest honor, 1 of 24 IEEE-USA award recipients

WASHINGTON (30 April 2008)-- Jean M. Eason of Fort Worth, Texas, received IEEE-USA’s highest honor during the IEEE-USA Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis on Saturday 26 April.

Eason was presented the Robert S. Walleigh Distinguished Contributions to Engineering Professionalism Award “for long-term leadership and accomplishments in IEEE-USA professional activities.” She is the first woman so honored.

Eason was one of 24 award recipients recognized for their professionalism and technical achievements, as well as literary contributions to public awareness and understanding of the engineering profession in the United States. John Meredith, IEEE-USA’s 2007 president, made the presentations.

Eason is a senior member of the IEEE who has held numerous leadership positions within IEEE-USA, including vice president, professional activities in 2005-06. She spent 15 years working in avionics systems design and now works as a consultant on specialized applications for small businesses, and in technical communications and documentation.

Robert S. Walleigh, an IEEE member electrical engineer, worked for the National Bureau of Standards -- now the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) – for more than 35 years. He retired as a senior adviser for international affairs in 1979. He worked the next 18 years as an IEEE-USA senior specialist.

The award was first presented in 1978 and renamed the “Robert S. Walleigh Distinguished Contributions to Engineering Professionalism Award” in 2000.

IEEE-USA’s distinguished awards are administered under its Awards and Recognition Committee and approved by the IEEE-USA Board of Directors. The nomination deadline for 2008 awards is 31 July 2008. For additional information, go to http://www.ieeeusa.org/volunteers/committees/awards/, or contact Sandra Kim at

Here’s the complete list of 2007 IEEE-USA award recipients:

DISTINGUISHED PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.)
For leadership in initiating the study, Rising Above the Gathering Storm

CITATION OF HONOR

Steve Allen
For creating a self-sustaining Future City Competition for the state of Washington

Tarek Lahdhiri
For tireless efforts to further the professional development skills and career interests of U.S. IEEE members

Robert W. McClure
For lifetime contributions to engineering education program accreditation, and support of engineering licensure

Paul Meisel
For long-term support of PACE activities and motivating the development of professional programs and conferences

REGIONAL PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARD

Terence B. Carr, Region 5
For promoting PACE activities and developing an online process for PACE proposals within Region 5