Robert C. Wicklein, associate professor and graduate coordinator of occupational studies, was selected as one of six national fellows by the Technical Foundation of America.

In addition to being designated a fellow, Wicklein received a discretionary scholarship of $10,000 to be awarded to a student(s) preparing to be technology teachers.

"During the decade of the 1990s, the University of Georgia was the most active and successful grant-seeker of the higher education institutions. It received $96,507 from the foundation. Robert C. Wicklein of the University of Georgia has received from the foundation more grant dollars to conduct research than any other single individual," said foundation trustees.

The foundation is the modern-day successor to the American Technical Society, chartered in Massachusetts in 1898. The publishing division was sold in 1980 and the society became a philanthropic foundation with an estimated value of $7 million.

Earlier this year, Wicklein was named "Teacher Educator of the Year" by members of the Council on Technology Teacher Education (CTTE).

Wicklein, who joined the UGA faculty in 1991, works with both undergraduates and graduates and teaches classes that look at how technology is used in solving problems in such areas at communication, manufacturing, transportation, information systems, research and experimentation.

Wicklein received his Ed.D from Virginia Tech, his master's at the University of Alabama-Birmingham and his bachelor's from Western Kentucky.

Wicklein received the TECA Distinguished Faculty Advisor in 1995, Distinguished Technology Educator Award in 1995, Technology Education Division Research Award in 1992, 1993 and 1994, the Outstanding Young Technology Teacher in 1992, and the Outstanding Service Award from the Technology Education Division of the American Vocational Association in 1989.

He has received nearly $500,000 in grants over the past six years. Wicklein's research interests lie primarily in the areas of design of curriculum in technology education, and appropriate technological development.

His publications have appeared in numerous scholarly journals including Journal of Technology Education, Journal of Vocational Education Research, Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, The Technology Teacher, International Journal of Technology and Design Education, Technology in Society and Occupational Education Forum. Wicklein has chaired the editorial review board of The Technology Teacher and was project director of the Technology Education Demonstration Project funded through the U.S. Department of Education.

Monday, Nov. 20, 2000

Writer: Michael Childs, 706/542-5889, mchilds@coe.uga.edu

Contact: Robert C. Wicklein, 706/542-4503, wickone@arches.uga.edu