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The American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the furthering of education in engineering and engineering technology. The ASEE works to provide excellence in instruction, global public research and service within the scientific field of Engineering. ASEE was founded in 1893 by the University of Illinois Professor Ira O. Baker who was the Head of the Civil Engineering Department for 39 years.
The American Society of Engineering Education was founded during a time in American history when higher education was gaining more prominence. The University of Illinois was established in 1867 after Congress passed the Morrill Land Act of 1862 which provided land grants to states to establish public universities for higher education. Professor Ira Baker created the ASEE with the mission of implementing scientific principles, methods, and theories into the practical education curriculum. Originally established as the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education (SPEE) at Chicago’s Colombian Expedition in 1893, the ASEE has grown exponentially from a small organization into a leading global force in the scientific research field. ASEE is an international organization that consists of 12,000 members in over 400 universities and 50 corporations. Although ASEE has sprouted from its humble Illinois’ roots, its mission to stimulate engineering through promoting educational research, public service, and leadership continues on today.
ASEE founder Ira O. Baker had a passion to promote the education of engineers. Baker was also instrumental in the foundation of the Illinois Society of Engineers in 1886, which is known today as the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers. Professor Baker was the Head of the Civil Engineering Department from 1878 to 1915 and again from 1920 to 1922. Today, Professor Baker’s influence lives on with a plaque on the first floor of the Engineering Hall that commemorates the foundation of the ASEE in 1893.
– Engineering Hall. There is a plaque commemorating the creation of the ASEE at Engineering Hall. Directions: Enter through the north doors and go straight down the hall. The plaque will be on your left. You can also enter through the east and west doors and turn down the hallway that leads north.
UIUC ASEE Student Chapter. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
American Society for Engineering Education. (n.d.). Who We Are. Retrieved April 23, 2015, from http://www.asee.org/about-us/the-organization
American Society for Engineering Education. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved April 23, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Society_for_Engineering_Education