September 18, 2024 The Golden Gear of Excellence Award Winners Written By: Kassi Akers Departments: Mechanical Engineering Categories: Awards Congratulations to Mike Cheadle and Kassi Akers for receiving the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s Golden Gear of Excellence Awards! This award was created in 2024 to recognize two non-tenure track members in the department, one non-tenure track instructor and one administrative staff member. The recipients are nominated and voted on by department faculty and staff to recognize their hard work and dedication to students and the department. The ‘Golden Gear of Excellence Award’ was fondly named to highlight individuals who are the ‘gear’ working towards making our department the best it can be! See more information below about the two golden gear winners. Non-Tenure Track Instructor Winner Professor Mike Cheadle is an Assistant Teaching Professor and the Senior Design Program Coordinator. Cheadle has been with the department since fall of 2013. When asked what he enjoys about his position, he stated, “Every year in Capstone Design I get to work with hundreds of students on a wide variety of projects that cut across the entire discipline. It’s a real joy to watch our students apply their engineering skills, develop new ones, and explore their creativity. I’m particularly fond of the Design Showcase at the end of each semester where students get to show off all their fabulous prototypes. There’s nothing else like it.” Administrative Staff Member Winner Kassi Akers is an Academic Program Specialist and focuses on improving the overall experience for undergrad, grad, and prospective students. She has been with the Department of Mechanical Engineering since spring of 2022. When asked what her favorite part of her job is, she stated, “I like that I get to work with students at all stages of their academic journeys. Whether it is coordinating info sessions for prospective students, helping undergrads develop their leadership skills, or advising grad students about building community, getting to connect with and see students’ passion for engineering is inspiring!” Congrats again to these two outstanding members of our team! Thank you for all you do to keep us moving forward! The Golden Gear of Excellence Award was created in the UW-Madison College of Engineering Design Innovation Lab. The gear is even interactive and moves!