Clemson professor receives Presidential Award for Excellence in mentoring
November 16, 2011
CLEMSON, SC – November 15, 2011 – Clemson University School of Computing professor JuanGilbert is one of nine people receiving the Presidential Award forExcellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, the WhiteHouse announced Tuesday.
The award recognizes the role mentorsplay in the academic and personal development of students studyingscience and engineering, especially those who belong to groups that areunderrepresented in these fields. The award will be officially presentedat the White House later this year.
Through their commitmentto education and innovation, these individuals and organizations areplaying a crucial role in the development of our 21st centuryworkforce, President Barack Obama said. Our nation owes them a debt ofgratitude for helping ensure that America remains the global leader inscience and engineering for years to come.
Gilbert is chairman of the College of Engineering and Science’s Human-Centered Computing Division,which seeks to develop computing solutions to real-world problems andto understand how computer technologies affect society. His teamconducts research into such applications as electronic voting, workforcedevelopment, voice-texting and instructional technologies.
I’mhumbled to have been selected for this award and very pleased for therecognition it gives the students in the Human-Centered ComputingDivision, Gilbert said. We take the ‘human-centered’ aspect of ourwork very seriously. It’s their achievement that is truly being honoredhere.
Candidates for the Presidential Award for Excellence are nominated bycolleagues, administrators and students in their respective schools.They are selected on the basis of the expertise and encouragement theygive students, helping to prepare the next generation of scientists andengineers while ensuring that tomorrow’s innovators reflect and benefitfrom the diverse talent of the United States.
Gilbert and the other recipients receive awards of $25,000 from the National Science Foundation to advance their mentoring efforts.
Earlierthis year, Gilbert was selected to direct a three-year, $4.5 millionproject funded by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to increasethe accessibility of new, existing and emerging technologicalsolutions in the design of voting systems. His research team also istesting a new product called “Voiceing,” an application that allowsdrivers to speak, rather than type, text messages.
Gilbert is afellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science, anational associate of the National Research Council of the NationalAcademies and a senior member of the IEEE Computer Society. Last year hewas named a Distinguished Scientist by the Association for ComputingMachinery.
He has been named a national role model by MinorityAccess Inc., a master of innovation by Black Enterprise Magazine, aModern-Day Technology Leader by the Black Engineer of the Year AwardConference and Pioneer of the Year by the National Society of BlackEngineers.
Gilbert earned his bachelor’s degree in systemsanalysis from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He received his master’sand doctoral degrees in computer science from the University ofCincinnati.
