Alumnus wins one of engineering’s top honors

From left, William C. Oakes, Leah Jamieson and UD alumnus Edward J. Coyle celebrate their National Academy of Engineering 2005 Bernard M. Gordon Prize.

3:50 p.m., March 10, 2005--A University of Delaware alumnus is part of a Purdue University team that has been awarded one of the National Academy of Engineering’s highest honors.

Edward J. Coyle, who earned his bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from UD in 1978, is one of three Purdue professors who were presented the organization’s $500,000 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education for developing a program that harnesses the talents of students to solve real-world problems.

Coyle, along with fellow faculty members Leah H. Jamieson and William C. Oakes, were recognized “for innovations in the education of tomorrow's engineering leaders” by developing and disseminating Purdue’s Engineering Projects in Community Service, or EPICS, program. The professors declined most of their share of the prize money, with the bulk being used to fund the program itself.

The award was presented during a special National Academy of Engineering event held Feb. 21 in Washington, D.C.

The EPICS program creates partnerships between undergraduates and nonprofit organizations to solve engineering problems in the community. Projects range from constructing wetlands to mitigate farmland runoff, to designing environmental controls for an art museum, to making toys for preschoolers with special needs.

EPICS was founded in 1995 at Purdue’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering by Coyle and Jamieson. Since its inception, EPICS has appealed to a broad range of undergraduates and to other universities.

Under the national EPICS program that was established by Coyle and Jamieson in 1999, 14 additional EPICS sites have been established in the United States and Puerto Rico. More than 3,500 students have participated, and there are currently more than 140 active community partnerships.

Coyle is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue. After earning a bachelor’s degree from UD, he went on to earn master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from Princeton University. He was named a UD Outstanding Engineering Alumnus in 1998.

Coyle’s research interests include the performance analysis of computer and sensor networks, signal and image processing and engineering education.

The Gordon Prize was established in 2001 as a biennial prize recognizing new modalities and experiments in education that develop effective engineering leaders. Recognizing the potential to spur a revolution in engineering education, NAE announced in 2003 that the prize would be awarded annually.

Article by Neil Thomas
Photo by David Umberger, Purdue News Service

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