Jeff Allen to Receive 2009 SAE Teetor Award

Jeffrey Allen, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics, has been selected to receive a 2009 SAE Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award.

This Society of Automotive Engineers award recognizes excellence in teaching and honors younger educators who are successfully preparing engineers to meet society's challenges.

Allen came to Michigan Tech in August 2004 from the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. He is the associate director of the Advanced Power Systems Research Center and teaches courses in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics.

Allen conducts research in energy conversion, particularly within fuel cells; microfluidics and capillarity; and optical diagnostics. He advises the SAE Aero Design Team and the Michigan Tech chapter of Tau Beta Pi--The Engineering Honor Society.

"Jeff just does everything well; he is a great department citizen," said William Predebon, chair of the MEEM department. "He's a great mentor and teacher, and he really goes the extra mile for his students."

As coordinator of the fluid mechanics lab, Allen took on the task of remodeling. "He developed it into a first-class lab," said Predebon, who nominated him for the award.

In addition, Allen has an active research program, receiving a National Science Foundation CAREER award in 2008. "His work is timely and important for the future of our nation. Plus, he's a great collaborator, both within Michigan Tech and with other universities," Predebon said. "His demeanor, his willingness to work with others, make him a real asset to the department--and students flock to him."

As a Teetor Award recipient, Allen will be SAE's guest for the week of the SAE 2009 World Congress, which begins April 20 in Detroit.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.