UE Mechanical and Civil Engineering Department Chair Receives Exemplary Teacher Award
December 13, 2006

Brian Swenty, professor of mechanical and civil engineering and chair of the department at the University of Evansville, was honored today during the UE Winter Commencement ceremony, with the 2006 Exemplary Teacher Award. The award recognizes excellence in teaching at United Methodist Church-related institutions of higher education and is presented by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church.

Swenty came to UE in 1993. During his time at UE he has received the Dean’s Teaching Award, the University’s Outstanding Teacher Award and the Harlaxton Outstanding Service Award. He has worked to help ensure that his department received continuous accreditation through ABET, the premiere engineering accrediting agency in the world. According to his colleagues, he has also shown an exceptional dedication to teaching and to his students. When he was awarded tenure, it was noted in his files that his “commitment to excellence in teaching is demonstrated by his high scores on IDEA ratings and student comments that mention his enthusiasm and approachability” and that he provided “a very high quality academic experience.”

One of his fellow faculty members said that Swenty is “one of the greatest teachers I have ever seen. In addition to his teaching in engineering, he has contributed to the general education program.”

Each year, engineering students work on major projects for their classes. Some of Swenty’s students were involved in a project to help design a new Islamic Center in Evansville. Swenty helped the students deal with not only the civil engineering aspects of the job, but also the cultural issues associated with meeting with the members of the Islamic Center and understanding cultural needs of the building. Other projects included one with Forest Park High School to renovate and expand its athletic fields. This project placed in the American Society of Civil Engineering design competition in 2000. Swenty himself has done a great deal of consulting work for businesses and corporations. His work has also been published in many professional journals and publications.

Swenty is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Society of American Military Engineers, the American Society for Engineering Education, the Association of State Dam Safety Officials and Chi Epsilon, the national civil engineering honor society.

He earned both his Ph.D. and his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla. He received his Masters degree in civil engineering from the University of Florida. He also is a graduate of the Engineer Officers Basic Course at the U.S. Army Engineer School.