Heinsohn To Receive Mckay Donkin Award

4-3-97

University Park, PA -- The McKay Donkin Award will be presented to Dr. Robert Jennings Heinsohn, professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State, during the Faculty/Staff AwardsProgram on Sunday, April 6, at 4 p.m. at the Penn State Scanticon Conference Hotel.

The award was established in 1969 in honor of the late McKay Donkin who served as vice president for finance and treasurer of the University from 1957 to 1968. It is presented to the full-time member of the faculty or staff or the retiree who has contributed most to the economic, physical, mental or social welfare of the faculty at Penn State.

Heinsohn received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y. in 1954; his master's degree in mechanical engineering from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1955 and his doctorate from Michigan State University in 1963.

He joined the Penn State faculty in 1963 as an associate professor and in 1966 was promoted to associate professor, a title he held until 1977 when he was name professor. For the past 10 years Heinsohn has devoted one-third of his time to serve his department, as the Graduate Advisor and also as the Undergraduate Program Coordinator. He has chaired many departmental committees and also was the department's acting head from January 1994 to January 1995.

He also served in leadership positions at the college level, having chaired its Science, Technology and Society program. He also was the chairman of the college's Economic Opportunity Program and was advisor to the Development Year Program.

Heinsohn has served in the Faculty Senate for over 20 years. His fellow senators in the College of Engineering elected as Chairman of the Caucus of Engineering Senators and as their representative on Senate Council from 1991 to 1994, at which point he was elected by his fellow senators to serve as Senate secretary.

A colleague lauds Heinsohn's past two years as chairman of the Senate's Faculty Affairs Committee by saying, "...he has contributed significantly to insuring that tenure and promotion criteria are fair and proper and that the procedures inherent in these decisions are equitable." Heinsohn also has served on the University Promotion and Tenure Committee.

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Contact:Christy Rambeau (814) 865-7517 (office) cmr7@psu.edu