Navy Awards for Top Engineers and Scientists Renamed in Honor of SMU Engineering Professor Delores M. Etter
Dr. Delores M. Etter
DALLAS (June 4, 2008)– The Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, John S. Thackrah, announced that the Navy’s highest awards for engineers and scientists would be officially named in honor of Dr. Delores M. Etter, the TI Distinguished Chair in Engineering Education and Director of the Caruth Institute for Engineering Education at the SMU School of Engineering. Prior to joining the SMU School of Engineering, Dr. Etter served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for RDA.
"I am truly proud to have this award named in my honor," Dr. Etter said. "It was nice to see all of these familiar faces again here at the Pentagon, especially those award winners who are doing such amazing work in support of the War on Terrorism. They are doing great work. As ASN RDA I saw the direct impact of their work on increasing capabilities for the war fighters."
The Department of the Navy has over 35,000 scientists and engineers pursuing research, development, acquisition and sustainment. The Dr. Delores M. Etter Top Scientists and Engineers Award was established to honor those who reached superior technical achievements and to promote continued scientific and engineering excellence.
"This award ceremony recognizes the top scientists and engineers in the Department of the Navy," Thackrah said. "It is obvious to me that we have extremely talented people out there in the Department of the Navy, and their efforts are making a difference in the war on terrorism. I am humbled by the opportunity to honor them today."
This year the ceremony recognized 35 Department of the Navy scientists and engineers and 11 "emerging investigators," individuals who have less than 10 years of government service and show unique promise for future excellence. The honorees represented various commands across the Department of the Navy, including the Naval Research Laboratory, Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command and Marine Corps Systems Command.
