Arvid Eide, professor of mechanical engineering, recently was selected as a fellow for the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).

“This certainly is an honor. I’m very pleased about it,” Eide said.

Nominees for ASEE fellowship must have been a member of ASEE for 10 years and must have made outstanding contributions to the field of engineering education.

Eide, who has worked at ISU since 1964, said he has held many chairs in the society throughout his membership, including the chair that serves the entire Midwest.

He also said he has served on ASEE’s board of directors.

He said he was nominated for fellowship by George Burnet, retired professor of chemical engineering.

Eide was selected by a fellowship committee made up of other ASEE fellows.

Only 10 members are selected for fellowship each year.

“The [ASEE] aims at the enhancement of teaching [engineering] in every possible way you can think of,” Eide said.

Eide said his area of contribution to the field of engineering education is in providing lectures to students over the Internet and other communication technologies.

“I was one of the first professors to be involved in close-circuit television,” he said.

Eide currently has students in Egypt and Japan taking a thermodynamics course over the Internet.

He said he currently is setting up technology that will allow students abroad to take his examinations via the Internet.

Gloria Starns, mechanical engineering advising center coordinator who has worked with Eide, said he has added a lot to the ISU program.

“He’s an outstanding teacher. He’s made what most educators consider significant contributions to engineering education,” she said.

Warren DeVries, chair of the department of mechanical engineering, said he thinks the award is recognition of the department’s leadership.

“To the best of my knowledge, this is the only professor we currently have with this distinction,” he said.

According to a press release, ASEE is a nonprofit organization with over 11,000 members.