Martin-Vega elected as president-elect of American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)

Dr. Louis A. Martin-Vega, dean of the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University, has been elected as president-elect of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).

Martin-Vega will begin his term at the society’s annual conference in June in Seattle and will serve in the position for one year before assuming the presidency of the organization in 2016.

“I am very humbled and honored by this election and excited about this unique opportunity to help chart ASEE’s future course,” Martin-Vega said. “This is a very exciting time for engineering, and the critical role that engineering and engineering technology educators play in providing the motivation and relevance that drive this excitement has never been more important. Only by enhancing our role and visibility will our profession be able to continue to lead so much of our technological and societal change and be better understood and appreciated by the society we serve so well in many innovative and selfless ways.”

Martin-Vega has led NC State’s College of Engineering since 2006. During his tenure, the College has made significant strides in research, education and innovation to become one of the most preeminent colleges of engineering in the United States and in the world. It is the only college of engineering in the nation currently leading two National Science Foundation Engineering Research Centers and is playing a leading role in PowerAmerica – a Department of Energy power electronics National Manufacturing Innovation Institute being led by NC State.

Prior to his time at NC State, Martin-Vega spent five years as dean of engineering at the University of South Florida. He has also held several prestigious positions at the National Science Foundation (NSF), including acting head of its Engineering Directorate and director of its Division of Design, Manufacture, and Industrial Innovation. He currently serves on the Advisory Committee for the Engineering Directorate at NSF and on NSF’s Foundation-Wide Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE) charged with broadening participation by women, underrepresented minorities and persons with disabilities in all of the sciences and engineering.

Martin-Vega has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the IIE Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Industrial Engineering Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Institute of Industrial Engineers; the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference Hall of Fame award; and the Museum of Science and Industry’s National Hispanic Scientist of the Year.

Martin-Vega received a B.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, an M.S. in operations research from New York University and ME and Ph.D. degrees in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Florida.

ASEE was founded in 1893 and is the only national engineering education organization concerned with all engineering disciplines.