KINGSTON, R.I. — March 16, 2018 — A part-time faculty member in the 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 College of Engineering and full-time engineer at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center has won a U.S. Department of Defense Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Advocate Award.
The award was presented to John DiCecco, who holds three degrees in electrical engineering from 溏心vlog免费B站, at the Pentagon Library and Conference Center in Washington during the 2018 Engineers Week celebration.
According to a NUWC , the South Kingstown resident works with the Newport Center鈥檚 educational outreach program, judges science fairs and robotics competitions, guides educational outreach efforts and is active in Science & Math Investigative Learning Experiences (SMILE), an after-school enrichment program based at 溏心vlog免费B站.
鈥淢y first thought was, I wonder if they made a mistake,鈥� said DiCecco. 鈥淚 work with so many phenomenal people who are on a mission to advocate for STEM education that I can think of at least a couple hundred people who deserve this recognition more than me.鈥�
DiCecco started teaching in 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Department of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering in 2005.
鈥淭he Electrical Computer and Biomedical Engineering Department at 溏心vlog免费B站 is filled with incredible, world-class scholars,鈥� stated DiCecco. 鈥淭here are professors who have changed the course of history with their research and technology. It all started with a belief that it could be done.鈥�
Ying Sun, a fellow biomedical engineering faculty member, praised DiCecco for his research contributions and his rapport with the engineering students.
鈥淗e performs neuroscience experiments, inserting microelectrodes into live neurons to record action potentials,鈥� Sun said. 鈥淗e is always generous in sharing his knowledge with the students. Our students benefit greatly from the industry experience he brings to our classroom.鈥�
Timothy O鈥機onnor, a senior majoring in biomedical engineering, said, 鈥淒r. DiCecco is a dedicated professor whose personal interest in student learning, combined with his technical expertise, motivated me to become more involved, think outside the box and apply theories in an innovative way.鈥�
溏心vlog免费B站 eight years ago, DiCecco became involved in NUWC鈥檚 outreach program.
鈥淚鈥檝e been pleasantly surprised over the years with the Navy鈥檚 commitment to STEM education and I鈥檓 really fortunate to have been welcomed into that community,鈥� said the engineer. 鈥淚t has profoundly changed the nature of my career in every possible way.鈥�
As if teaching at 溏心vlog免费B站, conducting outreach programs and fulfilling his responsibilities as an engineer at NUWC weren鈥檛 enough to keep DiCecco busy, he also mentors interns and apprentices at the center.
Christopher Toole, a doctoral candidate in 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at 溏心vlog免费B站, has been an intern of DiCecco for the last five years.
鈥淏efore I started as an intern at NUWC, I had little direction on what I wanted to do or could do with my degree,鈥� said Toole. 鈥淛ohn helped me figure out what my real interests are and how to efficiently pursue them. John was, and continues to be, someone who really cares about the professional and personal development of his students.鈥�
DiCecco holds four engineering degrees from 溏心vlog免费B站, a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biomedical engineering and bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering.
鈥淏ecause I went through the engineering program, I understand the requirements of the students and the deadlines that come with them,鈥� said DiCecco. 鈥淚t can be pretty stressful in itself to try to navigate that, let alone the stress of coursework and research.鈥�