Dr. Tracy Hammond and Pauline Wade, both faculty members in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University, were recently presented with national awards from the American Society for Engineering Education.
Hammond, director of the Institute for Engineering Education and Innovation, chair of the Engineering Education Faculty and director of the Sketch Recognition Lab, received the Chester F. Carlson Award in recognition of her work as an educator.
The national award is presented annually to “an individual innovator in engineering education who, by motivation and ability to extend beyond the accepted tradition, has made a significant contribution to the profession.” It is named after Carlson, who invented xerography, which is the process of dry copying using electrostatic charges to transfer printing halftones to paper.
Through her work, Hammond continues to make a significant contribution to engineering education and further development at Texas A&M. Her many goals include developing new technologies to improve engineering education, bridging the gender and diversity gaps in engineering and industries, and creating inclusive classrooms by helping faculty to engage with students. Hammond’s work in engineering education research has positively impacted learning across K-12 and is part of the engineering curricula at Georgia Tech, Texas State University, San Jose State University, LeTourneau University, Texas A&M and several high schools. She has received over $13 million in research funding, including 28 engineering education research grants, with 13 of them from National Science Foundation engineering education directorates. She has been named a 2020 Association for Computing Machinery Distinguished Member, the 2020 recipient of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Faculty Fellows award and the 2011-12 recipient of the Charles H. Barclay, Jr. ’45 Faculty Fellow Award.
Wade, associate professor of practice, received the 2021 Isadore T. Davis Award for Excellence in Collaboration of Engineering Education and Industry. This award, which is given annually to an outstanding engineering educator, celebrates the spirit and leadership of individuals who make a mark in the collaborative efforts of engineering with industry.
She is also the faculty lead for the department's Industry Capstone Program, which allows companies to sponsor and mentor a senior design project to allow students to benefit from the experience of working with an industry practitioner.
Wade has more than 25 years of information technology (IT) industry experience and her contributions to engineering education and bridging the industry-academia gap are highly remarkable. She makes sure to help her graduates be successful in industry through the engagement of industry practitioners to team-teach courses and participation in course content and curriculum improvement.
The students Wade has mentored on the knowledge, skills and attitude needed to succeed in industry achieved nearly a 100% employability rate. Her contributions included the development of 28 capability building programs over 14 years, helping to prepare over 3,000 undergraduates for industry, and the creation and funding of a technology business incubator, which has incubated over 60 IT start-ups, with some involving alumni. Wade has also raised funds and in-kind donations to support infrastructure and educational improvement programs, established a continuing education program consisting of over 30 courses for IT professionals, and designed and deployed new employee training programs for 400 employees of three multinational IT companies, co-taught by faculty and industry professionals.