WASHINGTON, March 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dr. Norman Fortenberry, a longtime leader in education scholarship who has held senior positions at the National Science Foundation and National Academy of Engineering, has been appointed Executive Director of the American Society for Engineering Education.

The appointment, which takes effect May 1, 2011, was announced today by Dr. Renata Engel, President of ASEE, following a nationwide search.

"Dr. Fortenberry is a respected national leader in engineering education.  We look forward to the application of his talents and energy to facilitating the efforts of faculty, administrators, employers, and other stakeholders to advancing excellence in all aspects of engineering and engineering technology education," Engel said.

Fortenberry is currently the founding director of the Center for the Advancement of Scholarship on Engineering Education (CASEE) at NAE.  CASEE promotes research on teaching and learning and seeks to translate research results into improved educational practices in pre-college, collegiate, and work-based settings.

Fortenberry previously served as director of the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) at the National Science Foundation.  DUE is the focal point for the Foundation's efforts to enhance the quality of education for future scientists and engineers, future teachers, future technicians, and educated citizens in an increasingly technological society.

"I look forward to working with ASEE's Board, membership, and staff.  By facilitating productive collaborations among academe, industry, and government, nationally and internationally, we can guide the evolution of engineering education to meet the challenges of the 21st century," said Fortenberry.

Before becoming division director at NSF, Fortenberry served as Executive Director of the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science, Inc. (The GEM Consortium).

Fortenberry was previously a member of the mechanical engineering faculty at the Florida A&M University – Florida State University College of Engineering.  A fellow of ASEE and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fortenberry is the author or co-author of more than 48 peer-reviewed publications and has written proposals for funded projects exceeding $16 million.

He received bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from  the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The Executive Director of ASEE has the direct and full-time responsibility for executive and administrative management of the continuing operations and Headquarters functions of ASEE and serves as secretary to the Board of Directors.

www.asee.org

SOURCE American Society for Engineering Education