Nationally recognized engineer speaks about engineering service learning projects The School of Engineering and Mines has invited William Oakes, director of the Engineering Projects In Community Service (EPICS) Program and an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Purdue University, to speak about engineering service learning projects. A presentation open to the public is set for Friday, Nov. 30, from noon to 1 p.m. in 324 Harrington Hall. Matching the needs of engineering education and opportunities for service to our local communities may seem challenging at first. Once connections are made and we realize the multitude of opportunities, the fun begins. This presentation will highlight successes from the EPICS Program that bring engineering expertise to address compelling community needs. Attributes of the EPICS model that engages communities and universities in long-term partnerships will be discussed, as well as lessons learned over the 12 years of the program. Participants will have opportunities for discussion about similar programs or approaches that could be implemented locally. In addition to the noon presentation, Dr. Oakes will speak to the School of Engineering and Mines faculty and students about the EPICS program at Purdue. Oakes holds courtesy appointments in mechanical engineering and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education. He earned his B.S.M.E. and M.S.M.E. from Michigan State University, worked as a design engineer for GE Aircraft Engines and earned the Ph.D. at Purdue. He was a recipient of the 2004 National Society of Professional Engineers Educational Excellence Award and Purdue’s Charles B. Murphy Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, among other teaching awards. He was an Indiana Campus Compact Fellow; Fellow of Purdue’s Teaching Academy and a founding member of the Purdue Community of Service-Learning Fellows. Dr. Oakes was a co-recipient of the National Academy of Engineering’s 2005 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education and was the first engineer to receive the Campus Compact Thomas Ehrlich Faculty Award for Service-Learning (2006).