Burt Swersey, a lecturer in the RPI Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering, has been awarded the 2007 Olympus Lifetime of Educational Innovation Award for his dedication to original thinking and his commitment to students and their learning.
Prior to joining Rensselaer, Swersey was a successful inventor in the medical field and developed a number of important inventions, including an extremely accurate scale to weigh patients, together with bed and instrumentation, revolutionizing the treatment of water loss in patients with severe burns. Swersey has, for the past 18 years, taught the ideals and methods of innovation and has served as a role model to students.
“Looking at the world today, billions of people are struggling to survive, to maintain a living, or even have fresh drinking water, and the environment faces challenges that affect us all,” Swersey said. “These are real problems, and the solutions will require empathy, strong technical skills, and hard work. The challenge is recognizing these problems and having the courage to say that we’re going to fix them, even before we know how or even if it is possible. This is the mindset that we strive to instill in our students so that they can have a positive impact on people’s lives.”
Olympus recognizes individuals who have fostered and demonstrated creative thinking in higher education. “Burt Swersey’s passion for educating the next generation of innovators is paving the way for these gifted students to change the world,” said Acting Provost Robert Palazzo. “Burt’s award serves as a recognition of our efforts at Rensselaer to teach students how to identify problems and needs and seek creative solutions.”
