SAE International Honors Outstanding Technical Committee Members

WARRENDALE, Pa., March 25, 2008 - Robert Baker, Paul Belanger, Gerard Veen and Barry Wyerman are recipients of SAE International's Technical Standards Board Outstanding Contribution Award.

The Outstanding Contribution Award, established in 1953, recognizes individuals for outstanding service on SAE International's technical committees.

The 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 individuals are being recognized for their contributions to the Materials, Process & Parts Council

Robert Baker
Baker is retired from General Motors Corporation. Prior to his retirement, he held various leadership positions within SAE International's Acoustical Materials Committee. His most significant contribution was initiating and chairing the development of an SAE standard on a systematic way of presenting acoustical data (SAE Standard J2629). Baker resides in Utica, Mich.

Paul Belanger
Belanger is Lead Supervisor of the Dodge Ram Body Systems Engineering Group at Chrysler LLC in Detroit, where he is responsible for the engineering design and development of the next generation Dodge Ram Cab. Previously, he spent 10 years in Chrysler's Materials Engineering Division, where he supervised the sheet metal, corrosion and welding groups. He also has six years of experience in the steel industry, holding various positions in quality assurance, technical marketing, technical development and applications engineering.

Belanger holds one U.S. patent and is the author of 13 technical papers. Through SAE International, he chaired the J2340 High Strength Steel Task Force. He also has chaired the USAMP AMD Board, the Auto/Steel Partnership Fatigue Task Force, the Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST) Flat Rolled Products Committee and the Colorado School of Mines ASPPRC Industry Sponsor committee. He is a member of AIST.

Belanger holds a bachelor's in materials science engineering with a physical metallurgy option from Michigan State University. He resides in Lake Orion, Mich.

For more information about Belanger, please contact Max Gates at Chrysler LLC, MG145@Chrysler.com.

Gerald Veen
Veen is Technology Manager in the Advanced Engineering Group at Johnson Controls in Holland, Mich. He is responsible for acoustical product application on a wide range of automotive interior products. Most recently, he has worked on developing quality control vibration systems for the detection of seat track sound quality in manufacturing operations. He has more than 18 years of experience in the field of automotive acoustics.

A member of SAE International, Veen has led its small reverb room task force for the past five years. He has authored several papers in the areas of absorption and noise test methods, acoustic materials and automotive seat acoustics. He is a past recipient of the SAE Lloyd L. Withrow Distinguished Speaker Award.

Veen holds a bachelor's in mechanical engineering from Calvin College. He resides in Holland, Mich.

For more information on Veen, please contact Debra L. Lacey of Johnson Controls at Debra.L.Jacey@jci.com.

Barry Wyerman
Wyerman is a member of the product management team at Janesville Acoustics in Southfield, Mich., where he is responsible for the business and technical development of fiber-based products for automotive noise and vibration control. Prior to working at Janesville Acoustics, he held positions in management, technical leadership, and engineering with Lear Corporation, General Electric Transportation Systems, Lord Corporation and Owens-Corning Fiberglass. He has more than 30 years of experience in engineering, product development, product testing, marketing and management within the automotive, building materials and heavy equipment industries.

A member of SAE International, Wyerman chairs the SAE Acoustical Materials Committee. He is a past chair of ASTM International's committee on acoustical standards. Wyerman has published numerous technical papers and has been awarded four U.S. patents. A registered professional engineer, he is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the Acoustical Society of America.

Wyerman holds his bachelor's degree in physics from Ohio University, and his master's and doctorate degrees in engineering acoustics from Penn State University. He also holds a master's degree in business administration from Xavier University. Wyerman resides in Novi, Mich.

For more information about Wyerman, please contact Nancy Radawick at Janesville Acoustics, nancy.radawick@janesvilleacoustics.com.

For more information about SAE International's Technical Standards Board Outstanding Contribution Award, please contact pr@sae.org.