Source: Noel Schulz, 785-532-5844, noels@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Mary Rankin, 785-532-6715, mrankin@k-state.edu
Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013
Founder of Schweitzer Engineering labs to speak at inaugural national academy of engineering seminar series
MANHATTAN -- Edmund O. Schweitzer III, founder and president of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc. and member of the National Academy of Engineering, will deliver the inaugural address of the College of Engineering National Academy of Engineering Seminar Series at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5, in Fiedler Hall Auditorium at Kansas State University.
Schweitzer's address, "Engineering a Path to Invention, Entrepreneurship and Management," will highlight his academic and career path leading to the founding of Schweitzer Engineering Labs, an employee-owned company serving the electric power industry worldwide. Certified to the international quality standard ISO-9001, Schweitzer Engineering Labs' equipment is in service at voltages from 5 kV through 500 kV to protect feeders, motors, transformers, capacitor banks, transmission lines and other power apparatus.
Recognized as a pioneer in digital protection, Schweitzer was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2002. He holds the grade of fellow of the IEEE, a title bestowed on less than 1 percent of institute members. IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization. Schweitzer received the 2012 Medal in Power Engineering, the highest award given by IEEE, for his leadership in revolutionizing the performance of electrical power systems with computer-based protection and control equipment.
He has bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering from Purdue University, as well as a doctorate from Washington State University. He served on the electrical engineering faculties of Ohio University and Washington State University, and in 1982 founded Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc. to develop and manufacture digital protective relays and related products and services.
Schweitzer is a recipient of the Graduate Alumni Achievement Award from Washington State University and the Purdue University Outstanding Electrical and Computer Engineer Award. He has also been awarded honorary doctorates from both the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon in Monterrey, Mexico, and the Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, for his contributions to the development of electric power systems worldwide.
He has written dozens of technical papers in the areas of digital relay design and reliability, and holds more than 35 patents pertaining to electric power system protection, metering, monitoring and control.
"We are so honored to host Dr. Schweitzer as our inaugural speaker of the college's National Academy of Engineering Seminar Series," said Noel Schulz, associate dean for research and graduate programs in the College of Engineering at Kansas State University.
"His prominence and expertise in the field of electrical power systems are certainly exemplary of the membership of the National Academy of Engineering, and represent the importance of bringing this caliber of guest speaker to campus in the midst of K-State 2025 — our undertaking of becoming a Top 50 public research university."
The National Academy of Engineering Seminar Series, established in 2013, is sponsored and funded by Kansas State University's College of Engineering office of research and graduate programs in an effort to bring academy members to campus to speak and meet with faculty and students.