Siegfried Hecker, CISAC co-director and a professor (research) in the Department of Management Science & Engineering (MS&E), has been honored with the Eugene L. Grant Award for Excellence in Teaching.

The annual award was presented June 13 during the School of Engineering's MS&E Commencement Ceremony.

For the last four years, Hecker has taught the sophomore seminar "Nuclear Weapons, Energy, Proliferation and Terrorism," which he dubs "All Things Nuclear," and last fall co-taught "The Role of Technology in National Security" with William Perry, MS&E professor emeritus and former U.S. defense secretary. Hecker has taught the second course, which last fall attracted 330 students, five times. 

The award was created by Stanford alumni to honor Grant, a professor of economics of engineering, for his contributions to the engineering community. It alternates annually between faculty in the departments of MS&E and Civil & Environmental Engineering. In 2009, Professor David Freyberg, a hydrologist from CEE, was honored with the award.

Professor Eugene L. Grant (1897-1996)

Gene Grant served as chairman of Stanford's Civil Engineering Department from 1947 to 1956 and was a co-founder of the university's Industrial Engineering Department. His memorial resolution to the Faculty Senate states that Grant "was a profound scholar, an inspiring teacher, a mentor who influenced the careers of many both in academia and industry. [He was] an excellent writer, a distinguished engineer, and a pioneer in engineering education."

Grant came to Stanford from Montana State College in 1930, and he retired from active teaching in 1963. He held the first certificate ever issued by the State of California as a registered civil engineer. In 1965, he received the Founders Award of the American Institute of Industrial Engineers. After retiring from Stanford in 1963, he served as chairman of the State Engineering Committee until 1977 and, in 1978, was honored with a State Assembly Resolution for this service. In 1987, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

Grant was the author and editor of several influential textbooks that are still in print.