AWARDS

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THE ; EN C. SPARKS MEDAL; established in 1; ; 0; recognizes eminent service by an
individual or collaborative team in promoting innovative; authentic; practice-based;
engineering design; build experiences in undergraduate mechanical engineering or
mechanical engineering technology education.
ALLEN H. HO; ; MAN; P.E.; Ph.D.; professor of mechanical engineering; Worcester
Polytechnic Institute; Massachusetts; 09!l9n1!!/!! l/a./!!23: 3n !2/ ./!/l9:!/n!an.
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Dr. Hoffman has been a member of the faculty at
Worcester Polytechnic Institute ;WPI;; Massachusetts;
since 1; ; 0. A professor of mechanical engineering since
1; ; ; ; he currently serves as group leader of the design
faculty within the mechanical engineering department.
Hoffman has made seminal contributions to the WPI
Plan; the university;s groundbreaking undergraduate
curriculum. He has been responsible for the development
of a number of pro;ect-based design courses; and
has developed and implemented improved methods
for forming student design teams that are based upon
an industrial entrepreneurial model. In 1; ; ; Hoffman
co-founded WPI;s Assistive Technology Resource
Center. The center solicits pro;ects from agencies that
provide services to persons with disabilities; these
pro;ects are used as class pro;ects throughout the undergraduate curriculum; as well
as for senior design pro;ects and graduate student research.
Hoffman and his students; efforts in the area of assistive devices and technology
have resulted in more than ; 0 ;ournal and conference publications; and two - .S.
patents.
An ASME ; ellow; Hoffman is a member of the Worcester; Mass.; Section. Previously
he served as faculty advisor of the Society;s Student Section at WPI ;1; ; 2–; 0;.
Hoffman is a member of the American Society for Engineering Education; RESNA
;the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America;
and the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. He has served on grant review
panels for both the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Disability
and Rehabilitation Research.
He was co-recipient of the Kappa Delta Elizabeth W. Lanier Award ;1; ; ; ; from the
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Hoffman;s WPI honors include ; oard
of Trustees; awards for Outstanding Teaching ;1; ; 0; and Outstanding Research and
Creative Scholarship ;1; ; ; ;; and the Denise Nicoletti Trustees; Award for Service to
Community ;200; ;; and he was co-recipient; with two of his students; of the inaugural
Kalenian Award ;200; ; for entrepreneurship.
Hoffman earned his bachelor;s and master;s degrees in mechanical engineering from
WPI in 1; ; ; and 1; ; ; ; respectively. In 1; ; 0 he earned his Ph.D. in mechanical
engineering from the - niversity of Colorado; ; oulder. He is a registered professional
engineer in the commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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