Fleischmann was honored for being the driving force behind service-learning for engineering students at Grand Valley. Under her leadership, students have implemented a Bikes for Kids program at the inner-city Sibley Elementary School, designed and built a playroom for children at the Mel Trotter Ministries, and conducted energy surveys in local neighborhoods. The students have also "adopted" the entire class of fifth graders at Sibley Elementary. Activities include touring the engineering laboratory facilities, conducting bottle rocket experiments, experimenting with a circuit trainer in preparation for the MEAP tests and competing in a pinewood derby race.
In Fleischmann's senior level heat transfer course, students have completed energy surveys of a local neighborhood home and at Coit School that involved applications of heat transfer as well as activities designed to make students aware of people who live under conditions much different than their own.
"She has chosen service projects that utilize the unique skills of the engineering students. This simultaneously helps develop student understanding of community needs and reinforce the hands-on skills that are central to the engineering discipline," said Mahesh C. Aggarwal, regional vice president of ASME International.
Fleischmann has secured grants to support service-learning projects, and has given presentations to her engineering colleagues nationally on the value of those projects.
The Dedicated service Award honors unusual dedicated voluntary service to the society marked by outstanding performance, demonstrated effective leadership, prolonged and committed service, devotion, enthusiasm and faithfulness. The award is presented to individuals who have served the society for 10 years or more.
This award continues an impressive run for Padnos School of Engineering. Earlier this year, Michigan Campus Compact honored Fleischmann with an MCC Faculty/Staff Community Service-Learning Award. This prestigious annual award is the highest MCC bestows on faculty and staff in the state of Michigan. And for the second year in a row, the program's students earned a perfect score on a national standardized exam that is part of the professional licensing process for engineers. The exam, which is given by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, is one of four steps required to become a licensed engineer.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a nonprofit educational and technical organization serving a worldwide membership of 125,000. Its mission is to promote and enhance the technical competency and professional well-being of its members, and through quality programs and activities in mechanical engineering, better enable its practitioners to contribute to the well-being of humankind.
