FACULTY NEWS
 Hagness wins teaching award
 roessor Susan C. Hagness has received a 2009 Alliant Energy Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Award. Four awards of $3,500 were offered to faculty or staff from UW System schools within the Alliant Energy service area. Award recipients were especially selected for displaying an uncommon commitment to teaching and effective teaching strategies, as well as enabling former students to make notable achievements.
Hagness was recognized for her belief that students are more motivated to learn if they see the relevance of the subject matter and that students learn most effectively when they are engaged in an active learning environment that recognizes different learning styles. Hagness also believes that students find learning to be most meaningful and enjoyable when they see their instructor as an advocate.
She has been involved in developing or revamping multiple engineering classes in her 10 years at UW-Madison. One notable example is her Grand Challenges course, which was developed for the COE 2010 Initiative. Grand Challenges introduces freshmen to engineering disciplines from the perspective of how engineers can address the problems faced by society in the 21st century.
She also has integrated her research into the classroom by developing computer-based educational tools for visualizing electromagnetic phenomena. Hagness focuses on computational and experimental applied electromagnetics, with an emphasis on bioelectromagnetics and the development of diagnostic and therapeutic technologies for biomedical applications.
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The February 6 issue of Institute, the publication of IEEE, featured Professor Susan Hagness among four new fellows. The article highlighted Hagness’ medical imaging research, particularly her use of computational electromagnetics to develop and investigate microwave imaging for breast tissue.
On March 10, Forbes.com featured microgrid technololgy developed by Professor Emeritus Robert Lasseter. The microgrid concept was one of five trends to watch in the 2009 Clean Energy Trends report published by market researcher Clean Edge. Microgrids, local energy grids with their own generation and storage, could provide all or part of the power for a building or neighborhood and serve as backup in case of larger grid failures. Currently, microgrid systems are in place at the Sacramento, California, Municipal Utility District, the Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County, California, and in Wal-Mart stores. .
In June, Professor Emeritus Don Novotny received the IEEE Nikola Tesla Award as part of the 2009 IEEE Awards Presentations. The IEEE Nikola Tesla Award recognizes Novotny for pioneering contributions to the analysis and understanding of AC machine dynamic behavior and performance in adjustable-speed drives. This award is one of the highest professional acclaims that a researcher can receive from IEEE peers. The 2009 award winners have the special distinction of receiving recognition on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the IEEE.
A March 8 story in the Air Force Times quoted Professor Amy Wendt. In the story, “Female airmen under-represented in tech field,” Wendt pointed out that although high school girls take as many math and science courses as boys do, they are less likely to continue pursue a career in technical fields. In part, she says, it’s marketing: Engineering and other technical fields often receive attention for being technically rigorous and difficult, which might appeal more to men, but factors that could appeal more to women—creativity and the ability to make a difference in people’s lives—aren’t highlighted, she said.
