The purpose of this award is to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of ELD Members in good standing who are in the early stages of their professional career as engineering librarians. Recipients show exceptional promise of leadership and contribution to ELD and profession.
Award History
Established in 2023.
Criteria:
- Nominees will have one (1) to five (5) years of professional experience as an engineering librarian/information professional and have been an ELD member for five (5) years or less.
- The nominee may have additional experience as a librarian beyond the five (5) years, as long as it was in a different area of librarianship, as we understand that the focus of one’s career can shift over time.
- Multiple ELD Early Career Awards may be awarded should the Awards Committee feel multiple nominees are deserving. However, no more than three (3) Early Career Awards will be awarded annually. The award will be presented annually at the conference.
How to Nominate
- Award nominations must include the name, title, and contact information of the nominee and nominator, nomination rationale statement, and a curriculum vitae of the nominee.
- The rationale statement should not exceed 500 words and should clearly indicate why the candidate is being nominated for this award. Letters of support from individuals besides the person making the nomination may be included.
- Nominees must be ASEE and ELD members in good standing. Nominations may be submitted by any member of the association, employer, or colleague.
- Nominations and all supporting documents should be received by the ASEE/ELD Awards Committee Chair by the deadline.
Past Recipients
2024: Denice Lewis, Wake Forest University
Denice Lewis, Research and Instruction Librarian for Engineering and Science at Wake Forest University. Denice’s nomination and accompanying letters of support were notably strong, clearly highlighting her many achievements since assuming the role of Engineering Librarian. Since joining ELD in 2019, Denice has been actively engaged in various activities within the organization, including participation in the annual ASEE conferences where she has moderated a technical session, delivered lightning talks, served on the 2023 ELD planning committee, and collaborated on a workshop proposal. Her integral role in the inaugural ELD Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee was particularly highlighted, underscoring her commitment to advancing these values within the profession.
In addition to her active involvement in ELD, she has also assumed leadership roles in other professional library organizations, notably the North Carolina Library Association. Although an Engineer by training, Denice’s professional journey has encompassed diverse experiences, ranging from culinary arts to academia. Her academic and professional background has provided her with a varied skill set as a dynamic instructor, presenter, and librarian. Upon review of her breadth of work and the profound impact she has had on her colleagues, the committee wholeheartedly concurs that Denice embodies the essence of the award, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to the profession and ELD.
2023: Seth Vuletich, Colorado School of Mines
Seth’s nomination letter came from not one colleague, but several, which the committee felt spoke volumes. The letter detailed the many accomplishments of Mr. Vuletich since he joined Mines in 2021. Seth has been an active member of ELD since joining ASEE in 2021. As his nominators state, “by the time the Annual Conference takes place in 2023, he will have participated in one ELD committee and four conferences in just two years.” He has authored a paper presented at the ASEE North Central Section Conference in March 2022 on the Mines Open Educational Resource (OER) program. In addition, he has co-authored a paper presented at the 2022 Annual Conference focusing on the concierge research services available at Mines. He presently is an active member of ELD’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee as well. These are just a few of the many activities Seth has taken on within ELD since joining.