Jerry S. Dobrovolny Award for Leadership and Scholarship

To a General Engineering Senior recognizing outstanding leadership qualities and academic scholarship.

Richard "Buddy" Erickson

The Jerry S. Dobrovolny Award was established in 1988 to recognize a senior with outstanding leadership qualities, based on evidence of academic scholarship and active participation in student professional societies, campus organizations, off campus organizations, and other recognized efforts. Jerry Dobrovolny earned a B.S. in General Engineering in 1943 and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1947, both from the University of Illinois. He did additional graduate study in geology and foundation engineering. He joined the Department of General Engineering in 1945 and was promoted to head in 1959, a position he held until his retirement in 1987. Jerry is the co-author of five textbooks and several workbooks. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Illinois and has served as President, Champaign County Chapter of ISPE, as State President of ISPE, as a Director of the National Society of Professional Engineers, and as Vice Chairman of the NSPE Central Region of Professional Engineers in Education. He is also a member of ASCE, ASEE, Sigma XI, AAAS, AAPG, ATEA and the Society for the History of Technology. He is the author of the book “A History of the Department of General Engineering, 1868-1995.” Jerry now resides in Champaign and Florida.

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