KINGSTON, R.I. — March 16, 2018 — A part-time faculty member in the University of Rhode Island’s College of Engineering and full-time engineer at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center has won a U.S. Department of Defense Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Advocate Award.
The award was presented to John DiCecco, who holds three degrees in electrical engineering from URI, at the Pentagon Library and Conference Center in Washington during the 2018 Engineers Week celebration.
According to a NUWC press release, the South Kingstown resident works with the Newport Center’s educational outreach program, judges science fairs and robotics competitions, guides educational outreach efforts and is active in Science & Math Investigative Learning Experiences (SMILE), an after-school enrichment program based at URI.
“My first thought was, I wonder if they made a mistake,” said DiCecco. “I work with so many phenomenal people who are on a mission to advocate for STEM education that I can think of at least a couple hundred people who deserve this recognition more than me.”
DiCecco started teaching in URI’s Department of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering in 2005.
“The Electrical Computer and Biomedical Engineering Department at URI is filled with incredible, world-class scholars,” stated DiCecco. “There are professors who have changed the course of history with their research and technology. It all started with a belief that it could be done.”
Ying Sun, a fellow biomedical engineering faculty member, praised DiCecco for his research contributions and his rapport with the engineering students.
“He performs neuroscience experiments, inserting microelectrodes into live neurons to record action potentials,” Sun said. “He is always generous in sharing his knowledge with the students. Our students benefit greatly from the industry experience he brings to our classroom.”
Timothy O’Connor, a senior majoring in biomedical engineering, said, “Dr. DiCecco is a dedicated professor whose personal interest in student learning, combined with his technical expertise, motivated me to become more involved, think outside the box and apply theories in an innovative way.”
About eight years ago, DiCecco became involved in NUWC’s outreach program.
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised over the years with the Navy’s commitment to STEM education and I’m really fortunate to have been welcomed into that community,” said the engineer. “It has profoundly changed the nature of my career in every possible way.”
As if teaching at URI, conducting outreach programs and fulfilling his responsibilities as an engineer at NUWC weren’t enough to keep DiCecco busy, he also mentors interns and apprentices at the center.
Christopher Toole, a doctoral candidate in URI’s Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at URI, has been an intern of DiCecco for the last five years.
“Before I started as an intern at NUWC, I had little direction on what I wanted to do or could do with my degree,” said Toole. “John helped me figure out what my real interests are and how to efficiently pursue them. John was, and continues to be, someone who really cares about the professional and personal development of his students.”
DiCecco holds four engineering degrees from URI, a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering.
“Because I went through the engineering program, I understand the requirements of the students and the deadlines that come with them,” said DiCecco. “It can be pretty stressful in itself to try to navigate that, let alone the stress of coursework and research.”