Award Program Institutions

The program is endowed to operate through six supporting institutions.

An international recognition is part of the annual society-level award programs of ASME. U. S. national honorees are recognized through the engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi. Other outstanding mentors are selected annually through similarly-endowed institutional programs at Duke University, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology – universities where sponsor Capers McDonald has been privileged to have been engaged as a learner, either as a student or faculty member.

Aside from simply learning more about each of these organizations, there are many reasons to contact our award program institutions! You may want to learn more and become a better mentor or advisor. You may wish to know the procedure for nominating an excellent mentor for one of the awards. Or, you may have some interest in contributing to the celebration by volunteering some of your time or funds to enhance the recognitions. All are welcomed!

A sincere effort is maintained to keep this information, including contacts, up to date. However, the institutions' own web sites and directory listings should also prove helpful.

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Duke University, Pratt School of Engineering

The Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University is an internationally-recognized teaching and research institution focused on educating and exploring the frontiers of engineering in a bold, personal and cross-disciplinary environment. Located within a multi-faceted university that dates from 1838, the School offers bachelor, master and doctoral degrees with majors in biomedical engineering, civil engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and mechanical engineering. Also offered is a professional master in engineering management degree and several professional certificates.

The Pratt School’s stated mission is to provide a rigorous engineering education for students, enabling them to lead productive, rewarding, and ethical lives for the betterment of society. It is the School's vision that Pratt students and faculty will be catalysts for generating and integrating knowledge across the disciplines required to address complex issues facing a global society.

The faculty and staff view teaching as a partnership where students and faculty share the responsibility to excel. Therefore, the School’s goal is to provide a personalized engineering learning experience to match the interests and commitment of its students.

Website: http://www.pratt.duke.edu

CONTACT: Pamela Hanson, Director of Annual Fund, 305 Teer Engineering Building, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27706; Email: pamela.hanson@duke.edu, Voice: 919-660-5130, FAX: 919-684-4860

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Johns Hopkins University, Whiting School of Engineering

Johns Hopkins University was founded in 1876 as the first academic research university in the United States, created for the "encouragement of research ... and the advancement of individual scholars, who by their excellence will advance the sciences they pursue, and the society where they dwell." When admitting its first engineering students in 1912, the University adhered to its original mission of the pursuit of knowledge through research. The Whiting School of Engineering continues to fuse advanced scholarship with research and applied technologies, preparing its students to think broadly and beyond the narrow constraints of any single field of study.

The Whiting School’s mission is to provide “knowledge for the world through innovative research that leads to improved quality of life and enhances the safety and security of future generations; an education, grounded in fundamental scientific principles, that prepares students to solve the complex, technology-based problems of the 21st century; and the world’s next generation of engineering leaders through creative curricula and programs that instill ethical values, an appreciation for the importance of diversity, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a love of learning.” The School’s ability to realize this mission is expected to derive from the accomplishments and support of its people -- the students, faculty, alumni and staff who share this vision and commitment to excellence. Today’s vision for the Whiting School is “Leadership through Innovation.”

Although the Whiting School is relatively small, a number of its academic departments, including Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Engineering, are ranked among the top in the United States. However, leadership in the global impact of research and academic programs and innovations in engineering for the betterment of society is what Johns Hopkins is about. In every area of research, Hopkins engineers are engaged in a process of discovery, pioneering new frontiers, and are securing their role as tomorrow’s leaders.

Website: http://engineering.jhu.edu

CONTACT: The Johns Hopkins University, Whiting School of Engineering, 120 New Engineering Building, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218; Email: engineeringinfo@jhu.edu, Voice: 410-516-4050

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Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering

Massachusetts Institute of Technology has had a significant influence on the world through technological leadership and research innovations since its founding in 1861. MIT is one of the world's great research universities: renowned for rigorous academic programs; cutting-edge research; a diverse campus community; and a longstanding commitment to working with the public and private sectors to bring new knowledge to bear on the world's complex challenges.

MIT's School of Engineering strives to develop innovative technologies, thinking, and practice, as well as creative leaders equipped to address the world's complex problems.

During 2008, the seven departments and two divisions of MIT's School of Engineering encompass a community of approximately 60% of MIT's undergraduates with declared majors, about 45% of graduate students, and about 35% of the Institute's entire faculty.

The School of Engineering’s stated purpose is to meet societal needs through its education, research, and public service. The School's overarching theme is "Leadership through Technical Excellence and Innovation." The primary objectives of the School are therefore twofold: first, to educate men and women for leadership in industry, government, and educational institutions; and, second, to positively influence the future directions of engineering education and practice.

Website: http://web.mit.edu/engineering

CONTACT: MIT School of Engineering, Room 1-206, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307; Email: engineering@mit.edu, Voice: 617-253-3291, FAX: 617-253-8549

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Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) serves as the connector and integrator of Harvard University’s teaching and research efforts in engineering, applied sciences and technology. Its earliest progenitor, the Lawrence Scientific School was founded at the University in 1847. The Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, then within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, completed its transition and was renamed as a "School” in 2007.

The SEAS community at Harvard embraces flexibility, adaptability and a “never say no” attitude. It has little hierarchy and a high level of autonomy; no formal departments but countless informal groups linked by similar interests. Interdisciplinary collaborations are commonplace.

SEAS is designed to be nimble and multidisciplinary, connected to the professional schools, and directed toward discovery, innovation and impact on society. As noted, it therefore functions as a connector and integrator within the broader University – building bridges between disciplines, departments and schools, and spurring novel partnerships between engineering and the schools of medicine, public health, business, law and government.

SEAS core tenets – educating broad-minded students; interdisciplinary research; integration across disciplines; and balancing theory, experimentation, and practice – create a fertile and supportive environment for exploration and learning.

Founded in 1636, Harvard is the oldest university in the Western Hemisphere. The University offers a curriculum with 3,500 courses and over 40 areas of concentration; the largest university library system in the world; a renowned faculty; nearly 300 student organizations and 41 intercollegiate athletic teams; a House system that combines the intimacy of a small college with the rich and stimulating environment of a university; state-of-the-art research centers, laboratories, and museums; the resources of 10 graduate and professional schools; and the varied cultural, educational, and recreational offerings of Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts.

Website: http://www.seas.harvard.edu

CONTACT: Danielle Festino, Assistant Director of Resource Development, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), 214 Pierce Hall, Harvard University, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138; Email: danielle_festino@harvard.edu, Voice: (617) 495-9467, FAX: (617) 495-0521

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The Tau Beta Pi Association

Tau Beta Pi is the U. S. Engineering Honor Society. Founded in 1885, the association's purpose is to recognize those of distinguished scholarship and exemplary character as college undergraduates in the field of engineering, or by their attainments as alumni in the field of engineering, and to foster a “spirit of liberal culture” in America’s engineering schools.

With an initiated membership of approximately half a million men and women, Tau Beta Pi is the world's largest engineering society. It is the only U. S. engineering honor society representing the entire engineering profession. Founded at Lehigh University in 1885, it also is the nation's second-oldest honor society, after Phi Beta Kappa. There are now collegiate chapters at 234 U. S. colleges and universities and active alumni chapters in 18 districts across the country.

Tau Beta Pi's Fellowship Program is a pioneering program among honor societies, started in 1928 for the advancement of engineering education and the profession. Since the beginning, its purpose has been to finance a year of graduate study at the colleges of their choice for a select group of members chosen for merit and need. These awards are as free of binding rules as possible, unlike many other fellowships that are designated for a specific purpose, often making it difficult for students with original ideas to find one exactly fitted to their needs. Tau Beta Pi fellows are free to pursue graduate work in any field which enables them to contribute to the engineering profession.

The Tau Beta Pi Association Scholarship Program was established in 1998, and since that time, awards have been made to hundreds of Scholars for their senior year of full-time engineering study. Since 1996, Tau Beta Pi has participated in the scholarship program of the Society of Automotive Engineers, sponsoring a total of 48 Tau Beta Pi Scholarships to entering engineering freshmen. During 1988-95, the Society also awarded 24 Tau Beta Pi Scholarships to first-year engineering students in a National Society of Professional Engineers program.

Working within the local communities of Tau Beta Pi chapters, members are seeking to impact positively the pursuit of careers in computational fields in the U. S. through enhanced preparation of students in the K-12 system in mathematics and science. The association is seeking development of interventions which will increase the number of students in the K-12 system who will be adequately equipped to pursue careers in various computational fields upon graduation. These embody the kinesthetic or "hands-on" approach to instruction and learning. This is being used in the classroom for general instruction and in engineering labs for demonstration of math and science concepts. For classroom instruction delivery, math and science teachers are being trained and supported in the use of these tools, and egineering projects designed by Tau Beta Pi members are being used for engineering lab demonstrations.

Website: http://www.tbp.org

CONTACT: Patricia McDaniel, Director of Communications and Development, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society Headquarters, 508 Dougherty Hall, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-2215; Email: pat@tbp.org, Voice: 865-546-4578, FAX: 865-546-4579

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A S M E

Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME today is a 120,000-member professional and student organization focused on technical, educational and research issues of the engineering and technology community. Approximately 18,000 of these members work and live outside of the United States.

ASME is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the art, science and practice of mechanical and multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences throughout the world. The society holds numerous technical conferences worldwide, offers hundreds of professional development courses each year, and conducts one of the world's largest technical publishing operations. ASME also sets internationally-recognized industrial and manufacturing codes and standards that enhance public safety.

The core values of ASME are rooted in its mission to better enable engineering practitioners to contribute to the well-being of humankind. In performing its mission, ASME adheres to the following core values: embrace integrity and ethical conduct; embrace diversity and respect the dignity and culture of all people; nurture and treasure the environment and our natural and man-made resources; facilitate the development, dissemination and application of engineering knowledge; promote the benefits of continuing education and of engineering education; respect and document engineering history while continually embracing change; promote the technical and societal contribution of engineers.

Through its initiatives in education, advocacy and public policy, The ASME Foundation impacts all aspects of the mechanical and multidisciplinary engineering community. Its goals are to assure the growth and longevity of the professional community. The Foundation’s success stems from the generosity of ASME members and like-minded individuals who contribute to the future of the profession.

Website: http://www.asme.org

CONTACT: Cathy Mervyn, Coordinator, Honors and Fellows, ASME, 3 Park Avenue - 22nd Floor, NY, NY 10016; Email: mervync@asme.org, Voice: 212-591-7736, FAX: 212-591-7739

Headquarters: 800-843-2763 (U.S/Canada), 001-800-843-2763 (Mexico), 973-882-1167 (Outside North America)

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Connections Among the Six Institutions

In addition to their individual dedication to excellence in engineering and the applied sciences; to innovation, creativity and leadership; and to a broad social perspective on the role of engineers, these six institutions are prominent among those Capers McDonald has enjoyed working and learning in throughout his life – either as a student, faculty member or volunteer.

In the School of Engineering at Duke University, Capers earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) degree with majors in Biomedical Engineering and Zoology in 1974. He completed a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME) degree at MIT in 1976, conducting his thesis work with fellow engineers at MIT and orthopedic surgeons at Children's Hospital Boston. Following five years of employment, Capers concluded his formal education – to date – with a Master in Business Administration (MBA) degree from Harvard Business School in 1983.

Immediately following 12 years as President and CEO of BioReliance Corporation in 2004, Capers became an Executive in Residence and faculty member with Johns Hopkins University, teaching in graduate programs that in 2007 became parts of the newly-chartered Carey Business School.

Capers was inducted into Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honorary, following his third undergraduate year at Duke and served as the student Chapter President during 1973-74. He is a Life Member of ASME, which for many years was known as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

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PAGE IMAGES:

Top Row: (L) Award program medallion, obverse. (C1) Fitzpatrick Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering, Medicine and Applied Sciences (CIEMAS) at Duke University. (C2) Mason Hall Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) facility and Homewood Campus Welcome Center at Johns Hopkins University. (C3) Great Dome and Killian Court at MIT. (R1) Maxwell-Dworkin Hall at Harvard University, a SEAS facility named for the mothers of Microsoft founders Gates and Ballmer. (R2) Tau Beta Pi "Bent" near association's headquarters on University of Tennessee campus. (R3) ASME and ASME Foundation logos.

Sidebar: DUKE: (1) Award medallion with Duke ribbon. (2) Duke School of Engineering Associate Dean Linda Franzoni. (3) Duke School of Engineering Dean Kristina Johnson with students outside CIEMAS. JOHNS HOPKINS: (1) Award with Johns Hopkins ribbon. (2) First Johns Hopkins honoree, Dr. Todd Hufnagel. (3) Johns Hopkins President Bill Brody talking with a student. MIT: (1) Award with MIT ribbon. (2) MIT Prof. Amedeo Odoni with School of Engineering Dean Subra Suresh in 2007. (3) MIT President Susan Hockfield with several graduate students. (4) MIT President Susan Hockfield with student. HARVARD: (1) Award medallion with Harvard ribbon. (2) First Dean of Harvard's SEAS, Prof. Venkatesh “Venky” Narayanamurti. (3) Harvard President Drew Faust with SEAS Dean Venky at School announcement in 2007. (4) Harvard President Drew Faust among students. TAU BETA PI: (1) Tau Beta Pi institution logo. (2) Award medallion on Tau Beta Pi neck ribbon. (3) Executive Director Jim Froula outside Tau Beta Pi headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee. (4) Capers McDonald showing award medallion at Tau Beta Pi alumni gathering. (5) A Tau Beta Pi symbol, The Bent, that traveled around the moon with Apollo 8 mission in 1968. ASME: (1) ASME logo. (2) ASME medal with blue and white neck ribbon. (3) ASME eMentoring communications room. (4) ASME and Engineers Without Borders (EWB) field project participants. SIX INSTITUTIONS: (1) Duke University CIEMAS facility. (2) Interior entrance for 77 Massachusetts Avenue at MIT. (3) Baker Hall at Harvard Business School on the Charles River in Boston. (4) Gilman Hall at Johns Hopkins University. (5) Tau Beta Pi membership certificate. (6) ASME logo.

This Web site and all images it contains are being used for limited and noncommercial purposes, principally teaching and personal mentorship. Several ASME images © 2007 ASME International; several Duke images © 2006, 2007 Duke University; several Harvard images © 2007, 2008 The President and Fellows of Harvard College; several Johns Hopkins images © 2005-2008 The Johns Hopkins University; several MIT images © 2006, 2007 Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and several Tau Beta Pi images © 2006, 2007 The Tau Beta Pi Association, Inc. McDonald Mentoring Award medallion art © 2005 Capers W. McDonald.

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