The Liberal Education Division of the American Society for Engineering Education is pleased to present the 2005 Sterling Olmsted Award to Joseph R. Herkert, Associate Professor of Science, Technology, and Society at North Carolina State University. The award recognizes the many contributions he has made as an educator and lecturer, as a contributor to the literature, and as a promoter of the ideals of liberal education in engineering education.
Professor Herkert earned his B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Southern Methodist University in 1970, an M.F.A. in creative writing from Bowling Green Statue University in 1973, and the D.Sc. in engineering and policy from Washington University in St. Louis in 1987. He is a registered as a professional engineer in Indiana. Early in his career Professor Herkert worked for a number of years as an engineer in industry. Since then he has served on the engineering faculty at Lafayette College and, since 1994, in his present position. In addition to his teaching activities, he is Director of the STS program and Director of the Benjamin Franklin Scholars dual-degree program in engineering and humanities/social sciences.
Nationally, Professor Herkert has gained prominence for his extensive work in the field of engineering ethics, especially in relation to macro-ethical problems and issues. He is the editor of Social, Ethical, and Policy Implications of Engineering: Selected Readings, published by Wiley/IEEE Press in 2000. He has published more than 60 papers, book chapters, encyclopedia articles, and commentaries. His work has been widely cited in the literature on engineering ethics. He has also given numerous presentations at conferences and is in great demand as an invited speaker in both liberal education and engineering environments. His large number of co-authors is an indication of the broad range of his professional interests.
Dr. Herkert has made a major contribution to the Society on Social Implications of the IEEE, which he has served as President and in a number of other roles. He is currently the editor of the IEEE Technology and Society Journal, as well as having edited a number of stand-alone publications for the society. In addition, he has served on various committees for the IEEE Technical Activities Board, Publication Activities Board, and the Board of Directors. Within ASEE he has served as the LED Program Chair, on the LED White Paper Implementation Task Force, and on the ASEE Constituent Committee on Engineering Ethics Executive Committee. In 2002, he was the organizer of the International Symposium on Technology and Society.
Professor Herkert serves as a model of an individual who integrates engineering and the liberal arts in engineering education. For his lifelong contributions to bridging the gap between the two, for which his background is ideally suited, the Liberal Education Division is honored to celebrate him as the 2005 recipient of its highest honor, the Sterling Olmsted Award.
Respectfully submitted,
Julia M. Williams
Liberal Education Division Chair, 2004-05
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