Donald Zwiep Named Honorary Member of ASME

On Nov. 16, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) recognized Donald Zwiep, emeritus professor and emeritus head of the Mechanical Engineering Department, as an honorary member. The highest award that ASME bestows on an individual, honorary membership recognizes distinguished service that contributes significantly to the attainment of the goals of the engineering profession. Zwiep was one of four individuals named honorary members this year and is the first person from WPI to receive the honor. Since the founding of the society in 1880, there have been fewer than 400 honorary members.

Zwiep joined WPI in 1957 as professor and head of the mechanical engineering department, which expanded and developed under his leadership to offer graduate programs with a strong emphasis on quality education and research. He was also instrumental in establishing the program in 1964 and the university’s project-based undergraduate curriculum, the WPI Plan, in the early 1970s. In 1977, he was the advisor to the WPI Project Center in Washington, D.C., and in 1982 became the director and chairman of WPI’s Manufacturing Engineering Applications Center. Subsequently, he served as acting provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Following his retirement in 1990, Zwiep became involved with student projects in London, at the Technical University in Delft, The Netherlands, and, most recently, at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

As a member of ASME since 1947, Zwiep has held many local, regional, and national advisory and committee positions. He also served as president of ASME during the society’s centennial year (1979–1980).

Read more about Donald Zwiep’s ASME recognition.

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Last modified: Dec 16, 2004, 15:05 EST