News
Anden Earns Knight of St. Patrick Honor
AE undergraduate Eric A. Anden of Hinsdale, Illinois, will be welcomed into the 2012 class of the Knights of St. Patrick during a ball this Saturday (March 10, 2012).
Anden will be among nine College of Engineering students knighted in recognition of their leadership and contributions to the College. The award is one of the highest honors an engineering student can receive, and is presented at the conclusion of Engineering Open House weekend.
Eric Anden
In nominating Anden for the honor, AE Prof. J. Craig Dutton pointed out Anden’s work as Director of the Dean’s Student Advisory Committee (DSAC). Anden served as a liaison between the engineering undergraduate student body and the engineering deans, and worked on a program to improve academic integrity among engineering students and faculty. He also served on the Engineering Council (EC) Executive Board to allocate funding and administer EC’s societies and committees.
Anden has been active in the Illinois Space Society (ISS) student organization, serving as Educational Outreach Director. He has conducted several educational workshops at community schools to teach students rocketry and robotics pertaining to space exploration. He also has served as ISS’s Treasurer and Coordinator, managing student tutors to teach at local schools and serving as the organization’s primary financial officer.
“(Through ISS), I’ve been able to combine my love for mentoring and teaching with aerospace engineering,” Anden said. “We’ve been able to reach out to a few schools this fall with both rocketry and robotics workshops, and are hoping to culminate the year with Illinois Space Day in April.”
“(Through DSAC), I lead a group of students in discussion on topics that concern the dean and the college administration. This year we have tackled issues like academic integrity and improving instructor-student relations.
“Finally,” Anden said, “I volunteer at the University YMCA weekly with the Vis-a-Vis tutoring program, where I serve as a volunteering coordinator and treasurer.”
Anden has been an excellent student, maintaining a 3.8 grade point average, and had successfully obtained a past Rockwell Collins co-op experience and Northrop Grumman internship. He has worked as an AE Department tutor and a learning assistant for ENGR 100 (Engineering Orientation).
Being knighted adds a highlight to Anden’s college career. “The honor means a great deal because it confirms my belief that every extra effort you put in to your community can make a big impact in people’s lives, especially when you don’t get anything in return,” he said.
