RIT Faculty Emeritus Receives Engineering Society Award

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A. Sue Weisler

John Stratton

John Stratton, professor emeritus in the College of Applied Science and Technology at Rochester Institute of Technology, was designated the 2009 James H. McGraw Award winner by the American Society for Engineering Education. The award is given for distinguished service, educational excellence and advancing the engineering technology profession.

A professor and former chairperson of the mechanical/electrical engineering technology department at RIT, Stratton will receive the award at the Society’s annual conference in mid-June. This is the second of two prestigious educational excellence awards given by the organization to Stratton. He was awarded the Frederick J. Berger Award in 2005 and is one of only a handful of members to receive both awards.

“I believe very strongly in engineering technology and the role which the American Society for Engineering Education plays in assisting engineering technology to deliver first-class education for our students,” says Stratton, who added that the applied focus of engineering technology helps students apply abstract designs to real-world problems.

Stratton has been active in the American Society for Engineering Education since the early 1980s. He has served on numerous local and national committees as well as in leadership positions with the organization. He is completing his two-year term as district chairperson and continues as one of the ASEE Commissioners for the Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, the organization that oversees and accredits engineering technology education programs at universities.

Serving for more than 37 years at RIT, Stratton was the chairperson of the electrical engineering technology department for 10 years and associate dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology for 10 years. He also chaired the manufacturing and mechanical engineering technology/packaging science department for four years and acted as advisor for the RIT chapter of Tau Alpha Pi, the engineering technology honor society for several years. He continues to teach in the College of Applied Science and Technology as an adjunct faculty and assists with accreditation activities.

Last year, Stratton was honored with the Elliot Colchamiro award from the New York State Engineering Technology Association for his 38 years of service to the organization. Stratton, who lives in Henrietta, N.Y., holds a bachelor’s degree from RIT and a master’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.