Dr. Sherra Kerns
Vice President for Innovation and
Research, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, Needham, Massachusetts
March 6, 2007
11:30 - 1:30
ECJ Large Conference Room, 10th Floor
Abstract
The last decade has brought new calls for reform, improvement and innovation in engineering education in order to best prepare our graduates for their future contributions to our increasingly global society. The presentation will focus on approaches to reach these noble goals within the realistic constraints of time, talent and energy of our faculty and students.
Bio
Dr. Sherra E. Kerns is Vice President for Innovation and Research and F. W. Olin Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering. In this position, she is on the leadership team forming this new college of engineering focused on utilizing and developing the best practices in curricula design and delivery and in educational infrastructure. Professor Kerns served previously as member of the administration and faculties of Vanderbilt University, North Carolina State University and Auburn University.
She is active in many facets of engineering education and is also a technological innovator, with numerous contributions to improving the complexity, reliability and information integrity of microelectronics, as well as advancing sensor capabilities. She served as 2004-2005 President of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). She has been active is in engineering accreditation for more than a decade, serving ABET as an Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) Program Evaluator, member of the Committee on Engineering Accreditation Activities, liaison to the Committee on Technology Accreditation Activities, Commissioner and team chair, member of ABETs Diversity Task Force, the EAC Executive Committee and the Succession Planning Task Group and presently on the on the ABET Board of Directors. She served NAE as a member of the Engineer 2020 Phase II: Engineering Education in the New Century Steering Committee and of the NAE Center for the Advancement of Scholarship on Engineering Education (CASEE) Advisory Committee. On the board of StandardsWork and as National Judge Advisor for FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), she supports organizations dedicated to enhancing the quality and diversity of opportunities for pre-college students.
Dr. Kerns has published over 100 technical journal papers. Her technical work has centered on microelectronic circuits, including several original contributions to enhance information integrity in digital microelectronics, particularly for space applications. She has over 20 years of professional experience in the design and simulation of electronics for space and other environments hostile to standard chips and circuits. Her research focuses on the fundamental limits of information processing and information integrity. Dr. Kerns earlier served on the University Advisory Board of the Semiconductor Research Corporation and the Naval Studies Board of the National Research Council. Professor Kerns has contributed to creating an all-silicon optical interconnect technology and designing improved microelectromechanical accelerometers and rate sensors. Most recently, her research has centered on creating ultra-sensitive microelectronic systems to monitor transport of nuclear materials without cooperation of the transporters.
Her work in both educational and technical areas has been recognized by local, national, and international awards. Dr. Kerns is the recipient of IEEE's Millennium Medal and the IEEE Education Societys Harriet B. Rigas Award. She has also received several awards for outstanding undergraduate teaching and was twice recognized as the engineering professor highlighted in the Vanderbilt yearbook. Sherra Kerns was elected Fellow of the IEEE in 1999 for technical contributions to enhancing the information integrity of silicon and gallium arsenide microelectronics and Fellow of the ASEE in 2003 for contributions to engineering education.