Eaton Engineers to Receive SAE Award for Automotive Research

WARRENDALE, Pa., March 18, 2008 - Three engineers from Eaton Corporation are recipients of SAE International's Colwell Merit Award. They will be presented the award during the SAE 2008 World Congress Award Ceremony held April 15, 5-7:30 p.m., at Cobo Center in Detroit.

The Colwell Merit Award, established in 1965, annually recognizes the authors of outstanding papers presented at an SAE conference or SAE section meeting. The late Arch T. Colwell, who first funded this award, served SAE International in many capacities for nearly 50 years, including a term as President in 1941.

This award is funded through the SAE Foundation. In addition to supporting the awards, recognition and scholarship programs of SAE International, the SAE Foundation develops and funds programs and incentives that foster student interest in engineering, scientific and technical education.

The following recipients are being recognized for co-authoring, "Minimizing Dynamic Rollover Propensity with Electronic Limited Slip Differentials" (SAE paper #2006-01-1279). The paper introduces a control scheme with an electronically controlled limited slip differential to prevent vehicle rollover.

Jae Lew
Lew is a senior principal scientist at the Eaton Innovation Center in Eden Prairie, Minn. His research focuses on applying modern control theory to vehicle dynamics and electro-mechanical-hydraulics systems. Prior to joining Eaton, Lew spent five years as a research scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and six years as an associate professor at Ohio University.

Lew is a past recipient of the O. Hugo Schuck Award for Best Paper at the 2006 American Automatic Control conference. He is a member of SAE International, the American Society for Mechanical Engineers and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Lew holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Damrongrit Piyabongkarn
Piyabongkarn is a control system scientist at the Eaton Innovation Center in Eden Prairie, Minn. He works on vehicle stability control projects using driveline torque management technologies for the commercial and military industries. His research interests include advanced controls, vehicle dynamics and MEMS sensor design.

Piyabongkarn is a past recipient of the O. Hugo Schuck Award for Best Paper at the 2006 American Automatic Control conference. He also holds a doctoral dissertation Fellowship from the University of Minnesota. He is a member of SAE International, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Piyabongkarn holds a bachelor's degree from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, a master's degree from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a doctorate degree from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. All three degrees are in mechanical engineering. He resides in Medina, Minn.

John Grogg
Grogg is a technical specialist in the Torque Control Products Division at Eaton in Marshall, Mich. He works on active torque control driveline products for the enhancement of vehicle traction and handling dynamics.

Grogg has co-authored six papers related to vehicle dynamics and driveline torque control products. He also holds six patents in the fields of planetary gear transmissions and clutches. He is a past recipient of the O. Hugo Schuck Award for Best Paper at the 2007 American Automatic Control conference.

Grogg is a member of SAE International. He received his bachelor's in mechanical engineering from Purdue University. He resides in Marshall, Mich.

For more information on these recipients, please contact James Parks at Eaton, JamesParks@eaton.com.

For more information about SAE International's Arch T. Colwell Award, please contact pr@sae.org.