EMU Today

YPSILANTI — David DeLisle, an Eastern Michigan University senior majoring in electrical engineering, has received the 2021 “Outstanding Undergraduate Student of the Year” scholarship from the Engineering Society of Detroit.

Awarded each year in recognition of outstanding achievement by an undergraduate student who has distinguished themself in the engineering and scientific community, recipients receive a one-year complimentary student membership in The Engineering Society of Detroit, as well as a $2,000 scholarship.

DeLisle has been a participant in the EMU Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program since 2018. The McNair Program offers support services to high-achieving students who plan to attain a doctoral degree. EMU is one in a highly elite group of institutions selected by the U.S. Department of Education to host a McNair Program. As such, EMU McNair Scholars are among the students in our nation with the greatest potential to become leaders in their academic disciplines.

Dr. Heather Neff, McNair Director, notes that DeLisle has also had two papers published in the EMU McNair Scholars Research Journal:

●      "Implementation of a Mechanical Vibration Control System and Electric Locking Circuit for Atomic Sensing Research,” under the supervision of Dr. Eric Paradis, (Vol. 13, 2020),

●      “Control System Integration for Automating an Electric Golf Cart,” (forthcoming, Vol. 14, 2021), supervised by Dr. Qin Hu.

He has presented three McNair-related research projects at the EMU Undergraduate Symposium and has presented his work at four national McNair conferences. His 2021 paper won the American Society for Engineering Education’s Student Paper of the Year Award and will be published in the proceedings of the North-Central section conference (forthcoming).

Currently participating in a highly-selective General Motors Exploring Careers through Experiential Learning (EXCEL) summer internship, DeLisle is gaining hands-on experience working on controls execution support for the manufacture of automotive transmissions. The only EMU student selected for the program, this training aligns with his goal of earning a graduate degree in a program dedicated to the production of driverless vehicles.

EMU Honors College Dean Ann Eisenberg notes that “David is the first EMU student to earn the Engineering Society of Detroit’s 2021 ‘Outstanding Undergraduate Student of the Year Scholarship,’ which has been awarded since 1980.”

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves more than 16,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering and Technology; Health and Human Services; and, its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.