University of San Diego Engineering Professor Honored for Research to Promote Diversity

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- University of San Diego Electrical Engineering Professor Susan M. Lord, whose research has contributed significantly to the study and promotion of diversity in engineering education, has been chosen as an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Fellow for 2015.

The honor recognizes her "professional leadership and contributions to engineering education" and is given annually to less than one out of every thousand IEEE members.

"We are thrilled to see Dr. Lord receive this prestigious recognition for her innovative work in engineering education," said Chell Roberts, Dean of the University of San Diego's Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering. "Her work is making a national impact and helping us to transform education here at USD."

Since entering college, Lord has been committed to increasing diversity in engineering particularly supporting women and underrepresented groups. "Engineers make critical decisions that affect all aspects of society so it's vital that members of all our communities be represented in the field," Lord said. "I'm honored to receive this recognition."

Earlier this fall, Lord also was part of a team that was awarded a $470,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study how to encourage more veterans to become engineers.

Lord's work "has shown that persistence measurement methods can lead to race and gender biases and thus the critical role that institutions and disciplines play in educational outcomes," wrote Edwin Jones, Jr., professor emeritus at Iowa State University in nominating her for the honor.

Lord is among the first to study Latinos in engineering. In reviewing her book, "The Borderlands of Education: Latinas in Engineering," co-authored with University of San Diego Sociology Professor Michelle Madsen Camacho, Dr. Donna Riley of Smith College cited her "groundbreaking work … that will challenge your assumptions about women and minorities in engineering."

Lord also was the second woman president of the IEEE Education Society. Her work in electrical engineering focuses on optoelectronic materials and devices. She earned her bachelor's degree from Cornell University and a master's and PhD from Stanford University.

The IEEE is the world's largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. The University of San Diego's Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering is ranked 14^th among non-doctoral engineering programs by U.S. News & World Report. For more information go to www.sandiego.edu.

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SOURCE University of San Diego