BCoE academy names new ‘distinguished’ members
April 25, 2011
Starkville, Miss. — Four Bagley College of Engineering (BCoE) faculty members have become the newest members of the college’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers.
John Brocato, Dave Dampier, Lesley Strawderman, and Rani Sullivan were inducted into the academy during an April ceremony.
This year’s honorees were chosen based on nomination letters from Mississippi State administrators, faculty and students that highlighted their dedication to the college and their fields of study.
The 2011 BCoE Academy of Distinguished Teachers inductees include (alphabetically):
John Brocato is an instructor and the coordinator for the college’s technical communication program, which helps students from all of the BCoE’s departments improve their written and oral communication skills.
In addition to his teaching duties, he works with engineering faculty to provide ongoing communications guidance for students in an effort to produce graduates who are not only well versed scientifically, but also effective communicators. He serves as the BCoE’s campus representative for the American Society for Engineering Education. Brocato holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Mississippi State University.
Dave Dampier is an associate professor in the computer science and engineering department and director of the Southeast Region Forensics Training Center. Since joining the college in 2000, his work with digital forensics has helped establish Mississippi State University as a hub for law enforcement training in the field.
He has helped secure millions of dollars in grants to enhance the digital forensics capabilities of law enforcement agencies and provide vocational training to wounded and transitioning veterans who are interested in the field. Dampier earned master’s and doctoral degrees in computer science from the Naval Postgraduate School. His bachelor‘s degree in mathematics is from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Lesley Strawderman joined the BCoE faculty in 2006 as an assistant professor in industrial engineering. She specializes in courses and research involving human factors and ergonomics.
Strawderman actively seeks out new ways to reach students and help them on their paths to graduation. She has developed courses for distance education and preparatory sessions for students taking the fundamentals of engineering exam. She is active in the American Society forEngineering Education’s industrial engineering division. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University and master’s and doctoral degrees from Penn State University.
Rani Sullivan has been a Bulldog since her first day as an undergraduate. She earned a degree in aerospace engineering and began a career at the Raspet Flight Laboratory. She went on to complete master’s and doctoral degrees before officially joining the BCoE faculty in 2005.
As an assistant professor she seeks out ways to provide hands-on experience to her students in an effort to keep them engaged and learning throughout the semester. Sullivan is active within the college serving as a committee member for planning groups, research and organizations. She also works within the community to encourage engineering and science education.
The BCoE Academy of Distinguished Teachers was established in 2006 to recognize faculty members who have gone beyond traditional ideas to help encourage, support and challenge students in order to ensure each individual’s future success in the field of engineering.
More information about the Bagley College of Engineering can be found on the college’s website, www.bagley.msstate.edu.