2013 ASEE International Forum

1. Prof. Richard F. Vaz Worcester Polytechnic Institute [biography]

   Richard F. Vaz received the PhD in electrical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), specializing in signal analysis and machine vision. He held systems and design engineering positions with the Raytheon Company, GenRad Inc., and the MITRE Corporation before joining the WPI Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty in 1987.

   Rick is currently Dean of Interdisciplinary and Global Studies at WPI, with oversight of an academic unit focused on local and regional sustainability in support of WPI’s interdisciplinary degree requirement, the Interactive Qualifying Project. Rick also oversees WPI’s Global Perspective Program, a worldwide network of 35 Project Centers to which more than 700 students per year travel to address problems for local agencies and organizations under faculty supervision.

   Rick’s teaching and research interests include service and experiential learning, engineering design and appropriate technology, and internationalizing engineering education. He has developed and advised hundreds of student research projects in the Americas, Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe. Rick has published over 55 peer-reviewed or invited papers and is the recipient of numerous teaching and advising awards including the WPI Trustees’ Awards for Outstanding Teaching and for Outstanding Advising. From 2004 to 2010 he served as a Senior Science Fellow of the Association of American Colleges and Universities.

2. Dr. Scott Jiusto Worcester Polytechnic Institute [biography]

   Scott Jiusto is Associate Professor of Geography in WPI’s Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division and Director of the WPI Cape Town Project Centre. As regards this article, he has developed intensive, project-based experiential learning programs and mentored students both domestically and abroad. The Cape Town Project Centre engages students and faculty advisors in collaborative efforts with local governmental agencies and civic organizations to advance sustainable community development, especially in South Africa’s informal settlements. Jiusto regularly prepares students to research and manage projects, develop proposals, presentations and reports, and engage in intercultural exchange, and has traveled with and advised students in Africa, Latin America, Europe, and the US. In Worcester, he works often with student project teams to advance campus and community sustainability, particularly in areas of energy and climate, and sustainability policy, assessment and communications. He also contributes to WPI professional development programming for faculty engaged in project advising.

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