Oct. 15, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Amy Hewes
805-756-6402; ahewes@calpoly.edu
Cal Poly Professor and Administrators Honored by
the Society of Fire Protection Engineers
SAN LUIS OBISPO – The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) has named Dennis “Skip” Parks and Chris Pascual “Persons of the Year” for their efforts in establishing Cal Poly’s Fire Protection Engineering (FPE) program.
The award—one of the highest honors bestowed by the society—recognizes “significant achievement in the protection of humanity and the environment from the ravages of unwanted fire and an outstanding contribution to fire protection from outside the membership of SFPE which is broad in scope and has apparent lasting effects.”
Parks, assistant vice president for University and Community Engagement, and Pascual, a mechanical engineering professor and FPE graduate coordinator, were instrumental in developing the graduate degree program, along with Fred Mowrer, professor-in-residence and FPE director.
Mowrer is also receiving the John J. Ahern President’s Award from the society for his efforts in founding the new Cal Poly program.
According to the award citations, Parks was recognized for working “tirelessly over a number of years with representatives of the SFPE and with university administrators and faculty members to obtain approval of the FPE program.” Parks also helped provide funding for development of the FPE through an educational grant from the California State University system.
SFPE named Pascual “one of the leaders of the Fire Protection Engineering program at Cal Poly” whose unwavering support helped assure the approval and future success of the program.
“These awards are motivation to keep advancing the Fire Protection Engineering program at Cal Poly,” Mowrer said, “and they’re evidence that the Fire Protection Engineering profession is thrilled to have this new educational opportunity and will work very hard with us to assure the program’s success.”
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