Barakat named to ASME's ethics committee

Dr. Nael Barakat, assistant professor of Engineering at Grand Valley State University, has been named to a four-year term on the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Committee on Ethical Standards & Review (CESR) beginning July 2007. The announcement came during proceedings of the 2007 ASME Summer Annual Meeting, June 9-14, in Toronto.

The Committee on Ethical Standards and Review is responsible for the activities of ASME that relate to the ethical practice of engineering. These include maintenance of the ASME Code of Ethics, policies on Conflicts of Interest and Sexual Harassment, and procedures for handling ethics cases.

Barakat teaches and develops courses and curricula in mechanical and electromechanical engineering, including dynamic systems modeling and control, robotics engineering, engineering ethics, mechanics, and automation. He serves on various department and university committees and advises students including the ASME section at Grand Valley State University. He also carries out ABET accreditation and assessment tasks and advises on industrial senior projects in robotics, automation and systems integration. His industrial experience includes contract work in automation, manufacturing processes, uncertainty reduction and precision improvement.

Barakat received an MASc in Mechanical Engineering from Concordia University, in 1996 and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from McMaster University in 2000, and is the author or co-author of 25 peer-reviewed technical papers. He is a member of the ASME Engineering Management Body of Knowledge (EMCI-BOK).

"We are pleased to have an engineer of this caliber to fill this position on the CESR. Dr. Barakat's experience in the engineering profession and in maintaining high ethical standards will serve him well as we strive to fulfill our goal to be recognized as a prime example of professional society ethics for the world," said Andrew Taylor, P.E., CESR chair.

Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization promoting the art, science and practice of mechanical and multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences. ASME develops codes and standards that enhance public safety, and provides lifelong learning and technical exchange opportunities benefiting the engineering and technology community. Visit www.asme.org .