Message from the Editor

Abstract

As teacher-scholars we do graphics. We research, manipulate, manage, evaluate, present, and apply graphics.

Recently I had the privilege of writing a scholarly paper with Frederick D. Meyers from The Ohio State University. We researched the journey of engineering design graphics and the impact it has had in the academe and on the profession. Why is this research significant? This is Fritz’s last academic activity. And he certainly knows how to do things right! Congratulations, Fritz, on being awarded the Distinguished Service Award. It is the highest award of merit given by the Engineering Design Graphics Division. This award recognizes his significant commitment to EDGD in his leadership, scholarship, and support.

Sometimes when we look forward into the future of technology we need to pause and take the time to reflect on where we have been and how valuable that experience was. We need to remember the people who work with the machines. My mantra has always been “It’s not the machines; it’s your human capital - your people - who are the most critical resources for success.”

So while writing this paper with Fritz, I spent time reflecting on the journey traveled by many in the graphical arena. As I researched the history of EDGD, I found that Judith Ellen Olson De Jong, wife of the 1988 Distinguished Award winner Paul S. DeJong of Iowa State University, used her editorial and typing skills and an IBM Selectric typewriter to prepare camera-ready copy manuscripts of the Engineering Design Graphics Journal and the manuscript for three editions of the 400-page college textbook “Engineering Graphics.” We have come a long way since the IBM Selectric typewriter.

I am sad to say that Judith Ellen Olson De Jong, 72, of Ames, died Saturday, Feb. 3, 2007 at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames, Iowa. We send our prayers to the family and appreciate the dedication of Paul and Judith to our ASEE division.

This volume of the Journal includes three articles submitted by Engineering Design Graphics Division members. The articles in this volume received a 25% acceptance rate. One of the articles in this issue is the Chair’s Award, which recognizes the outstanding paper published in a previous ASEE Annual Conference. The award was received by Nicholas Bertozzi of Daniel Webster College (DWC).  Nicholas Bertozzi, Chad D. Hebert, Jennifer Rought, and Charles Staniunas of DWC, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, and Clarkson University author “Implementation of a Three-Semester Concurrent Engineering Design Sequence for Lower-Division Engineering Students.” This paper communicates the impact that the new computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software has had on the teaching of mechanical drawing and engineering design at DWC. Robotic arm projects and a supersonic gun project were a part of this presentation at the ASEE Conference.

The second refereed article selected for this publication “Strategies for Bridging Learning Styles” is authored by Judy A. Birchman and Mary A. Sadowski of Purdue University. They continue to research learning styles and have found that to increase the effectiveness of teaching, graphics educators must make an effort to “bridge” the gaps created by the differences in teaching and learning styles. Instructional strategies and techniques that graphics educators can employ to teach students with different learning styles are presented in this paper.

The third article is “The Concurrent Engineering Design Paradigm is Now Fully Functional for Graphics Education” by Thomas J. Krueger and Ronald E. Barr of the University of Texas at Austin. The two major obstacles – design analysis and low-cost rapid prototyping – have now been overcome.  This paper addresses the goal of “Art to Part” becoming a realistic goal for engineering graphics education with today’s technology.

We hope you enjoy this edition.

NOTE:

The internationally-acclaimed Engineering Design Graphics Journal is a refereed academic journal that is published tri-annually and promotes activities in engineering, technology, descriptive geometry, CAD, and any research related to visualization and design throughout the United States and eight other countries. Each issue of the journal is circulated to more than 700 individuals and institutions. The Engineering Design Graphics Division is the oldest division in the American Society for Engineering Educators.

If you are interested in publishing your work in the Engineering Design Graphics Journal, please read the Manuscript Guidelines and submit your paper to the Associate Editor Dr. Nancy Study nstudy@vsu.edu.