Morrisville Professor Receives Outstanding Educator Award

Joan Dannenhoffer, of Morrisville State College, has been awarded the 2010 St. Lawrence Section Outstanding Educator Award by the St. Lawrence Section of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).



The prestigious award recognizes excellence and commitment in teaching engineering, engineering technology or engineering science.



“It is rewarding and flattering to be honored from among so many deserving educators,” Dannenhoffer, associate professor of physics and coordinator of the college's physics program, said.



Dannenhoffer, of Manlius, has worked at Morrisville State College since 2001. She attributes her success as an educator to bringing her research in learning styles into the classroom.



“I actively engage students in their education by relating physics to individual student's interests,” she said. “This motivates them and enhances their understanding of the importance of science in their lives.”



Science has been a part of hers for decades. A member of ASEE since 1995, Dannenhoffer served on the board of the ASEE Physics Division from 2002–2007 and has been the ASEE St. Lawrence section chairperson since 2007.



A licensed professional engineer in Connecticut, Dannenhoffer has been an active member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) since 1976, serving on the Syracuse Section of the SWE Scholarship Committee and presenting at various workshops. She was honored for her many years of service, receiving the Syracuse Society of Women Engineers Distinguished Member Service Award in 2004. Throughout her career, she has also written numerous articles and publications.



Prior to coming to Morrisville, Dannenhoffer was an adjunct instructor at Onondaga Community College, assistant professor at the University of Hartford, Ward College of Technology in Hartford, Conn., and was an engineering manager at Southern New England Telephone Company in Hartford, Conn.



Dannenhoffer earned a master's degree in environmental engineering from the University of Connecticut, a master's degree in business administration and a bachelor degree in civil engineering, both from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.



ASEE is a nonprofit organization comprised of individuals and institutions committed to furthering education in engineering and engineering technology, developing policies and programs that enhance professional opportunities for engineering faculty members, and promoting activities that support increased student enrollments in engineering and engineering technology colleges and universities. The St. Lawrence Section of ASEE includes engineering educators from Quebec, parts of Ontario, and most of New York state.