Wayne State University Professor of Computer and Electrical Engineering Robert Erlandson has been awarded the 2006 Fred Merryfield Design Award from the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).

The national award recognizes engineering educators for excellence in teaching of engineering design and acknowledges other significant related contributions.

Since 1992, as director of the Enabling Technologies Lab (ETL) at the WSU College of Engineering, Erlandson and his graduate students have enhanced the lives of special needs workers and students as well as helped local businesses with engineering solutions to workplace challenges to special needs employees.

The partnerships Erlandson has created help small businesses employ people with disabilities and as well as bring students from special education vocational classes to facilities for community work experience. Erlandson’s grad students work closely with businesses to design a workable prototype product that addresses a special workplace need presented by employees with physical and/or cognitive disabilities. The devices enable the special needs employees to perform otherwise difficult tasks, and helps the company reach their production goals.

The ASEE design award comes with a $2,500 honorarium and a $500 award to the WSU Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The award was presented at ASEE’s annual conference June 21 in Chicago, Ill.

Erlandson is also the recipient of the 2004 WSU President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Several schools have received awards for innovative education projects the Enabling Technology Lab developed. The Bovenschien School in Warren received the 1997 Education Excellence Award for its work with ETL. And the Macomb Intermediate School District received the MAGNA Award in 2000 from the American School Board Association for its Kids and Kaizen program with ETL.