Engineering professor receives award for support of students with disabilities

Contact: Cindy Wagner
April 25, 2022
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Caroline Konstant (left) nominated Dr. Bob White, recipient of the 2022 Disability Services for Students Faculty Advocate Award.

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University's Dr. Bob White, professor of engineering, has received the 2022 Faculty Advocate Award for support of students with disabilities through a partnership with the Disability Services for Students office.

“Every student who is willing to accept the challenge and do the hard work necessary to pursue a college education should receive all the assistance we can give them,” says White. “Everyone learns differently, and students with special needs or accommodations must be given the appropriate opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge of what they are learning. I am very honored to have been chosen to receive this award.” 

White was nominated by Caroline Konstant, a senior studying industrial and entrepreneurial engineering.  

“Despite my recent admission to disability services, he has been incredibly accommodating to the adjustments that I have required,” said Konstant in nominating White.

Nominees for the award are evaluated based on engagement in creating and strengthening services, collaboration with DSS to provide significant and meaningful resources, and serving as an outstanding role model for promoting accommodations.

“Dr. White forced me to think critically and introspectively about the course material. I was continuously encouraged to analyze how the material linked to my life and academic work,” says Konstant. “He is genuinely deserving of this honor because he has continued to be a huge support system during my times of need.”

About Dr. Bob White

White is an industrial and entrepreneurial engineering professor at Western’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, where he teaches courses in operations, cost and budgeting for engineers. He also serves as the industrial and entrepreneurial Ph.D. advisor and is a faculty member of the WMU Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Evaluation program. His research interests involve the integration of cost accounting and project justification methods. He is a member of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the American Society for Engineering Education.

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