UW Dean and Professor Emeritus Receive National Engineering Awards

Cameron Wright, the University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Carrell Family Dean, recently was selected as a 2024 recipient of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Distinguished Examination Service Award.

Also selected for the award -- which recognizes dedicated service to NCEES and the engineering profession -- was Raymond Jacquot, a professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering at UW.

"I was caught completely by surprise by this award," Wright says. "I'm humbled by this recognition and feel compelled to note that all of the members of the committee that do this work deserve recognition for their hard work on creating new and pertinent professional engineering exams year after year."

"The exam composition process with other volunteers was a very satisfying way I could give back to the profession that has served me well for over 60 years," Jacquot says.

Wright has been serving NCEES as a volunteer for the Principles and Practice of Engineering Electrical and Computer Exam Development Committee since 2000. During this time, he has taken on leadership roles, including chairing the exam's computer subcommittee, acting as a subject-matter expert and writing exam questions.

Wright has continued his service through various positions with many engineering organizations. He served as chair of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' USA National Committee for Engineering Licensure and Registration from 2003-05 and currently serves as an active member of that committee. He also has been an Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology program evaluator since 2001 and serves as a training mentor for new evaluators.

"I can't overemphasize the importance of engineering licensure and its focus on public safety," Wright says. "Working with NCEES for all these years has allowed me to contribute in my small way to promote and improve how people can earn their professional engineer license."

While on active duty with the U.S. Air Force, Wright was a faculty member and deputy department head for electrical engineering at the U.S. Air Force Academy. After retiring from a 30-year military career, Wright transitioned to a civilian teaching career. He has spent the last 22 years motivating and mentoring students at UW, serving as a professor, associate department head, interim department head and dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

Jacquot contributed to the development of the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam for 25 years, beginning in 1990. During that time, he served terms as chair and vice chair of the FE Electrical and Computer Subcommittee. Jacquot was part of an exciting time in NCEES history when, in 1995, the council approved adding discipline-specific modules to the FE exam. In 1996, he was integral in the development of the FE electrical and computer exam and assisted in the transition.

After earning his bachelor's and master's degrees from UW and his doctoral degree from Purdue University, Jacquot went on to develop areas of expertise in vibration and structural dynamics, control, simulation and animation of dynamic systems. In 2007, Jacquot was recognized as the Wyoming Engineering Society Outstanding Engineer for his long and dedicated service to the engineering profession, society and people of Wyoming.

Jacquot is a former rock climber and mountaineer who later became interested in the exploration of canyons on the Colorado Plateau of Utah. In retirement, he has become a landscape painter of the scenes that he visited as a mountaineer and canyon explorer.

About the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying

The vision of NCEES is to provide leadership in professional licensure of engineers and surveyors through excellence in uniform laws, licensing standards and professional ethics to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of the public and to shape the future of professional licensure.

To learn more about NCEES, visit https://ncees.org/about/#about.

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