Chemical engineering professor impresses national engineering education organization
April 25, 2008
Starkville, Miss.—The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Southeastern Section has recognized Dr. Adrienne Minerick, as an individual whose work is advancing excellence in all aspects of engineering education and engineering technology. The assistant professor of chemical and biomedical engineering and the director of the Medical Micro-Device Engineering Research Lab received the ASEE-SE New Faculty Research Award for her creative ability to transfer her innovative research techniques into effective, hands-on classroom experiments.
Rebecca K. Toghiani, an associate professor of chemical engineering, is one out of many of Minerick’s colleagues who nominated her for the award. “An innovative component of her research program is that she exemplifies the ability to successfully integrate education and research endeavors that are beneficial for students and her colleagues.”
Her reputation has expanded in teaching due to engaging students in research inspired activities in the classroom, a learning tool, which was exemplified in a new course she recently developed “Analytical Microdevice Technology”.
“In addition to her teaching and research load, she also created an independent study course called “Journal Club,” added Priscilla Hill, an associate professor of chemical engineering, who has the benefit of watching Minerick’s work in action. “She designed this course to teach student researchers how to efficiently learn from and critique research articles. Each week a journal article of interest is discussed and evaluated by the research group. This novel idea increases the group’s depth of knowledge of a wide range of scientific topics.”
Minerick also has spent her summers trying to increase enrollment of students from underrepresented groups by organizing and co-directing the Research Experience for Undergraduates Program called, “Chemistry and Chemical Engineering: The Bonds Between Us.” She co-wrote the grant, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, which attracted 45 young minds from across the world to work in the laboratories of the Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering and the Department of Chemistry during the 10-week summer break.
“It’s amazing what she’s been able to accomplish in the short time she has been here, “ commented Toghiani. “On top of authoring seven recent research publications, another eight manuscripts in the submission process, and twelve educational publications, her article “Talking & Working for Diversity When You Don’t Represent a Minority Demographic” received the 2007 Thomas C. Evans Instructional Paper Award and also the 2006 Outstanding Paper Award, both from the Southeastern Section of the ASEE.”
For a young researcher, scientist and professor, Dr. Minerick’s accomplishments read like those on the top 100 prominent scientists “Who’s who” list. She received the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Award during her second year at MSU, was awarded a 2007 National Science Foundation CAREER Award, and is this year’s university-wide nominee for the Camile Dreyfus Teacher Scholar Award. She is a member of American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the American Electrophoresis Society. Active at both the national and regional levels of ASEE, she has served on the executive board of the New Engineering Educators Division (Past Division Chair, Division Chair, Programming Chair, Vice-Chair, and Treasurer), and currently serves as Newsletter Editor for the Chemical Engineering Division-National, the Member at Large for the Women in Engineering Division-National, and Secretary of the Chemical Engineering Division-Southeastern Section.
ASEE fulfills its mission by providing a valuable communication link among corporations, government agencies, and educational institutions. ASEE’s 12,000+ members include deans, department heads, faculty members, students, and government and industry representatives who hail from all disciplines of engineering and engineering technology. ASEE’s organizational membership is composed of 400 engineering and engineering technology colleges and affiliates, more than 50 corporations, and numerous government agencies and professional associations. ASEE directs many of its efforts at providing for open and ongoing dialogues among these groups.