ISA announces 2018 Fellows and Celebrating Excellence Award honorees

Summary

July 25, 2018 —The International Society of Automation (ISA) announced those members elevated to the membership grade of Fellow and the Celebrating Excellence Award honorees for 2018, including Member’s Choice honorees chosen by their peers.

Elevation to the grade of ISA Fellow is granted to Senior Members in recognition of their exceptional engineering scientific contributions to the field of automation. ISA’s Celebrating Excellence Awards honor companies and individuals, both members and non-members, for contributions in leadership, technical innovation, and contributions to education that have advanced the profession.

Award presentations will be made at the ISA Honors & Awards Gala on 14 October 2018 at the Grand Hyatt Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

2018 ISA Fellows

Shankar B. Baliga, Ph.D.

Orange County Section

General Monitors, Lake Forest, California, USA

For contribution to significant advances in adaptive industrial gas and flame detection

Eric C. Cosman

Toledo Section

OIT Concepts LLC, Midland, Michigan, USA

For leadership in advancing the state of automation cybersecurity as an essential element of operational information technology

Edward L. Quinn

Orange County Section

Technology Resources, Dana Point, California, USA

For contributions to the design, development, and implementation of control systems, data acquisition systems, instrumentation, and standards for the nuclear power industry

Herman E. Storey

Houston Section

Herman Storey Consulting, LLC, Kingwood, Texas, USA

For leadership in advancing the adoption and management of Foundation Fieldbus, wireless networks, and intelligent devices

2018 Celebrating Excellence Honors & Awards Program

Excellence in Leadership

Recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the industry and/or profession to advance automation

Don Bartusiak

ExxonMobil Research & Engineering, Spring, Texas, USA

For leading a global effort to solve the skills gap in automation control systems through new development and education in industrial data communications

Excellence in Analytical Technical Innovation (Endowed by the ISA Analysis Division)

Recognizes an individual who has played a critical role in the conception, design, and/or implementation of an innovative product, process, and/or service in the analytical technology field

Peter Geiser

NEO Monitors AS, Skedsmokorset, Norway

For developing a new wavelength range for Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy gas analyzers expanding in-situ mid-infrared applications

Excellence in Technical Presentation

Recognizes the author(s) of the most outstanding paper, article, presentation, or document published and/or presented on behalf of ISA that introduces a new technology or explains an existing automation process

Oliver Schraa

Hamilton Section

inCTRL Solutions Inc., Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Matthew Gray

Hach, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

For presentation on “Process Control Systems at WRRFs: Use of Process Simulation to Assist with Controller Design and Tuning”

Excellence in Enduring Service

Recognizes dedicated volunteer service to the Society at the grassroots level. May be presented to multiple (up to five) honorees.

David Robinson

Edmonton Section

Samson Controls Inc., Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada

For outstanding service and contributions to the Society and its members

Dean Bickerton

New Orleans Section

The Reynolds Company, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

For outstanding service and contributions to the Society and its members

Venkiteswaran P. Raman

Maharashtra Section

TECTON Engineering LLC, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

For outstanding service and contributions to the Society and its members

Excellence in Society Service

Recognizes distinguished and dedicated volunteer service to the Society

Billy Walsh

Ireland Section

University College Cork, County Cork, Ireland

For demonstrating excellence in service by his long-term support, activity and accomplishments across every aspect of the Society

Division Excellence

Recognizes an ISA division for development and/or execution of programs and/or services to advance the mission of the Society

The division will be revealed at the Gala. The top three nominees are:

Analysis Division

For a long tradition of organizing an international technical conference with continued growth in attendees and exhibitors

Construction & Design Division

For its efforts in onboarding new leadership and re-launching division activities

Water & Wastewater Industries Division

For its partnership with AWWA/WEF to provide automation training opportunities for the municipal water sector

Section Excellence

Recognizes an ISA section for development and/or execution of programs and/or services to advance the mission of the Society

The section will be revealed at the Gala. The top three nominees are:

Mexico Central Section

For excellence in increasing membership, editing and publishing the InTech magazine in Spanish, and for forming an Industrial Networks and Cybersecurity Committee.

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Student Section

For successfully hosting the International Instrumentation Student Games and implementing a superior leader succession plan including transition into the regular section

Valliammai Engineering College Student Section

For offering exemplary range of topics for monthly technical meetings, successfully hosting a technical symposium, keynote speakers, workshops and training courses, and conducting student field trips to local industry

Standards Excellence

Recognizes an ISA standards committee member for exceptional efforts in organization, development and/or administration to further the development of ISA standards and for services to advance the mission of the Society

Ian Verhappen

Standards Committee

CIMA+, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

For tireless dedication to the advancement of ISA’s standards.

2018 Member’s Choice Award Honorees

Division Leader of the Year

Recognizes a division leader whose activities in the previous year, in an innovative way, have provided exceptional value to a Division, or enhanced an existing conference and/or symposium, or contributed to the development of a new conference and/or symposium

Khashayar Behdinan

Process Measurement and Control Division

Pointfar Automation LLC, Newhall, California, USA

Section Leader of the Year

Recognizes a section leader whose activities in the previous year, in an innovative way, provided exceptional value to a local section.

Himanshu Patel

Gujarat Section

Nirma University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India

Student Mentor of the Year

Recognizes a member whose activities in the previous year have promoted and encouraged student involvement in automation programs

Kaveri Sawant

Maharashtra Section

Universal College of Engineering, Thane, Maharashtra, India

Volunteer Leader of the Year

Recognizes a member who in the previous year has demonstrated exceptional leadership of a task force, committee, or board at any level within the Society (section, division, district, department, executive) resulting in a specific positive outcome

Prof. Dattatray Sawant

Maharashtra Section

MPSTME, NMIMS University, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

About ISA The International Society of Automation is a nonprofit professional association that sets the standard for those who apply engineering and technology to improve the management, safety, and cybersecurity of modern automation and control systems used across industry and critical infrastructure. Founded in 1945, ISA develops widely used global standards; certifies industry professionals; provides education and training; publishes books and technical articles; hosts conferences and exhibits; and provides networking and career development programs for its 40,000 members and 400,000 customers around the world. 

ISA owns Automation.com, a leading online publisher of automation-related content, and is the founding sponsor of The Automation Federation, an association of non-profit organizations serving as “The Voice of Automation.” Through a wholly owned subsidiary, ISA bridges the gap between standards and their implementation with the ISA Security Compliance Institute and the ISA Wireless Compliance Institute