LEO Member JP Pieper Wins Herbert L. Toor Award

LEO Ph.D. student JP Pieper was awarded the Herbert L. Toor Award for his Part A research.

Congratulations, JP!

About the award:

The Herbert L. Toor Award for best Part A Qualifier Paper was instituted in 1989. There is special recognition given only in those years when the faculty judge that one of the qualifier papers is outstanding. The winner is chosen by EPP faculty. In the early 1990s, the winner was chosen using a ranking ballot. By 2010, the winner was chosen based upon group consensus at the qualifier grading meeting. At a 2011 faculty meeting, it was decided that the process for selecting the Herb Toor Award winner will be: “After the grading is done and the faculty know who the competitors are, a small committee consisting of five faculty will read the papers and make the selection.” Winners are catalogued on an engraved plaque which hangs in the EPP main office. Additionally, the winner receives a monetary award of $250 after taxes. If there is a tie, each recipient receives $250. The winner is announced at an annual reception that is usually held in April and combined with the graduate student appreciation reception.

The Award was initiated by Robert W. Dunlap in honor of Herbert L. Toor. Toor spent 1953-1992 at Carnegie Mellon. Toor helped spearhead the creation of the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon. Toor was a pioneer in linking public policy and engineering issues and also inrecruiting more diverse engineering students. Toor was instrumental in increasing the number of women and minorities entering the university’s engineering programs.