WVU engineering professor receives service award from national council

Kenneth Means, right, being presented with the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying's Distinguished Examination Service Award.

Kenneth Means, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at West Virginia University, was presented with the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying’s Distinguished Examination Service Award at the organization’s annual meeting, held August 24-27, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The award is presented to a member of NCEES that shows outstanding dedication to the nonprofit organization and the engineering industry.

Means began volunteering with NCEES in 1982, helping to develop the Fundamentals of Engineering exam then the Principles and Practice of Engineering Mechanical exam two years later.

For 34 years, Means continued to support engineering licensure exams by writing professional engineering mechanical exam items, taking part in preliminary item analyses to assess the quality of exam items and participated in studies to update exam specifications. He has trained and supported other exam development volunteers and has served as chair of the PE Mechanical Committee and as chair and vice chair of the Mechanical Systems and Materials module.

Means was a member of the West Virginia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers from 1981 to 1997, serving terms as president and vice president. He was a member or consultant to the Committee on Examinations for Professional Engineers for eight terms and served as vice chair. He served on several other NCEES committees during his board tenure, including the Committee on ABET and the ad hoc Committee on Office Automation, aimed in part at streamlining the exam process to improve efficiency.

“My long association with the mechanical exam at NCEES has been very rewarding,” said Means. “I have thoroughly enjoyed playing a part in generating a quality registration exam for mechanical engineers, working with the great people on the exam committee and working with the great staff at NCEES.”

Means has been a licensed professional engineer since 1971 and received his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from West Virginia University and his master’s degree from Drexel University.

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