PACK POINTS
Faculty highlights
Martin-Vega named to two top ASEE posts
Dr. Louis A. Martin-Vega, dean of the College of Engineering, has been appointed chair of the Public Policy Colloquium (PPC) of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Engineering Deans Council for the 2011-13 term. He is also serving as vice chair of the Engineering Deans Council Executive Board during the term.
The PPC has two goals: Strengthen the discussion of engineering education and research issues between the deans of engineering and key public policy makers and enable the deans to refine their public policy agenda. Objectives of the Engineering Deans Council include assessing and recommending policies affecting the overall administration of ABET-accredited engineering colleges and schools; providing a forum for discussion and an information exchange concerning problems and experiences at engineering colleges and schools; and representing and speaking on behalf of member institutions.
Martin-Vega has been dean of engineering at NC State since 2006. 
Baliga receives Holladay Medal
Dr. B. Jayant Baliga, Distinguished University Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of the Power Semiconductor Research Center (PSRC), was one of four NC State faculty members awarded the Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence from the university’s Board of Trustees in 2011. The Holladay Medal is the highest honor bestowed on a faculty member by the trustees and the university.
Baliga, who has served NC State for 22 years, invented the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), which is pervasively used in consumer, industrial, lighting, medical, transportation, defense, and renewable power generation applications worldwide. The energy efficiency improvements achieved using the IGBT have saved consumers more than $3 trillion while reducing worldwide carbon emissions by more than 30 trillion pounds.
He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and was recently inducted into the Electronic Design Engineering Hall of Fame.
Misra, Escuti receive Alcoa Foundation Awards
The Alcoa Foundation Engineering Research Awards for 2011 were presented to Dr. Veena Misra, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Dr. Michael J. Escuti, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, at the spring faculty meeting for the College.
Misra received the Alcoa Foundation Distinguished Engineering Research Award, made to a senior faculty member for research achievements over a period of at least five years at NC State. She is a world-renowned expert in the area of advanced CMOS materials and devices, nanoelectronics for memory and logic, organic solar cells, wide bandgap power devices, and bioelectronics.
Escuti was awarded the Alcoa Foundation Engineering Research Achievement Award, intended to recognize young faculty who have accomplished outstanding research achievements during the preceding three years. His work developing new polarization gratings, as well as devices and applications based on them, has been extremely influential at the international level.