HOUGHTON--Professor Allan Hambley of Michigan Tech's Department of Electrical Engineering, has been awarded the American Society for Engineering Educators (ASEE) Meriam/Wiley Distinguished Author Award.
The award is given by the ASEE only once every two years and recognizes excellence in the authorship of engineering books, particularly work that contributes to the advancement of technical and professional competence at the undergraduate or graduate level.
In announcing the award, the ASEE noted two of Hambley's texts.
"His book Electronics: A Top-Down Approach to Computer-Aided Circuit Design, is cited as presenting not only basic theory with clarity but also providing practical knowledge of electronics design with excellent examples and problems. His other work, Electrical Engineering: Principles and Applications, is innovative in its use of practical, everyday examples that motivate non-electrical engineering students to appreciate and learn EE topics." Seventeen universities are using Electrical Engineering, which was published in 1997, and twelve have adopted the electronics book.
Assistant Professor Noel Schulz , who nominated Hambley for the Meriam/Wiley award, said his books, by using everyday examples, "tie theory to practice" and underline the relevance of the subject matter.
"His textbooks are the fruits of persistent and aggressive experimentation in presenting material" to thirty years' worth of MTU students, she said. "Dr. Hambley has provided a resource for not only the thousands of students he has taught at Michigan Tech, but also for engineering students and faculty across the world. . . . He has elevated himself to the role of teacher's teacher."
Hambley has also been named an Outstanding Instructor six times by National Technological University for his distance-education teaching and was the MTU EE Department's Teacher of the Year in 1995.
The award includes a $2,000 honorarium and a free trip to the ASEE meeting.