To establish the category of OAA Honorary Member, four distinguished individuals were offered this special designation in 2009. By their acceptance, these persons bring great honor to Systems Engineering and to practicing and future SE’s everywhere.
Norman Augustine (United States) – Honorary Member Citation
Whereas, Norman Augustine’s quintessential qualifications and superb lifetime contributions were conservatively recited during his introduction as a Keynote Speaker for the International Symposium of the International Council on Systems Engineering in July 2009 and; Whereas, Dr. Augustine continues to serve with distinction within corporate, governmental, and increasingly within academic circles and; Whereas, Norm Augustine’s contribution to the advancement of youth ranges from boy scouting through engineering graduate study and; Whereas, his dedication to Systems Engineering is enthusiastic and unbounded and; Whereas, Norm is providing unique academic leadership within the engineering interdiscipline of Systems Engineering and; Whereas, Dr. Augustine will certainly be both an inspiration and a role model as Omega Alpha, the Systems Engineering Honor Society, earns its anticipated place among the prestigious honor societies in academia. Therefore, the Omega Alpha Association Board of Directors was delighted and honored to welcome Dr. Norman R. Augustine to Honorary Membership in the emerging International Honor Society for Systems Engineering during the 2009 INCOSE International Symposium in Singapore.
Peter Checkland (United Kingdom) – Honorary Member Citation
Peter Checkland is unique and outstanding as a researcher, practitioner, and pioneer in the field of Systems Engineering. Dr. Checkland was the first to conceive, develop, and employ a rigorous, system-theoretic method for the investigation and resolution of complex, or ‘messy’ real-world organizational problems. Today known universally as Soft Systems Methodology, SSM originated and is synonymous with Peter Checkland. Soft Systems Methodology has been accepted, promulgated, and practiced worldwide, largely due to Peter’s unceasing dedication and effectiveness, not only as a researcher and practitioner, but also as an author, teacher, and international lecturer of distinction. Professor Checkland has changed the way the world thinks about systems, and about systems engineering too. Therefore, the Omega Alpha Association Board of Directors is delighted and honored to welcome Dr. Peter Checkland to Honorary Membership in the emerging International Honor Society for Systems Engineering with the above citation presented during the INCOSE Conference on Systems Engineering Research in April 2009, with the venue being Loughborough in the United Kingdom.
Simon Ramo (United States) – Honorary Member Citation
Simon Ramo, scientist, engineer, innovator, entrepreneur, and visionary is a leader in the development of microwave and missile technology. Dr. Ramo extended the frontiers of applied science, led the development of technologies and systems for national defense, advised Presidents on national science policy, and advocates the advancement of engineering education. Simon Ramo is co-founder of two Fortune 500 Companies in the 1970’s. A major factor in Ramo’s success was the development of Systems Engineering where design of the “whole” led to the solution of complex interdisciplinary problems, ensuring a harmonious, optimum ensemble of hardware and information to attain desired performance goals. Founder of the National Academy of Engineering, Dr. Ramo authored and/or co-authored several textbooks. He was awarded the Ph.D. at the California Institute of Technology in 1936 and the honorary doctorate by 14 universities. Therefore, the Omega Alpha Association Board of Directors is delighted and honored to welcome Dr. Simon Ramo to Honorary Membership in the emerging International Honor Society for Systems Engineering, with recognition hosted by the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, where he was recently appointed to a Presidential Professorship in Electrical Engineering.
H. S. Tsien (Xue-Shen Qian) (1911- 2009, China) – Honorary Member Citation
Tsien Hsue-shen is a major innovator behind the missile and space programs of both the United States and China. During the 1940s Dr. Tsien was one of the founders of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Cal Tech, where he received his Ph.D. in 1939. Tsien proposed the scientific framework for Systems Engineering in the 1970s, introduced the concept and methods of “Systematology” as basic studies of systems science, and established the field of “Systematics” as the link between systems science and scientific philosophy. After the Cultural Revolution, Prof. Dr. Tsien’s work on Systems Engineering became well received in China, opening a new domain of research and education in Chinese universities and institutes. For his significant contributions, Professor Tsien has become recognized as the founding father of Systems Engineering in China. Therefore, the Omega Alpha Association Board of Directors is delighted and honored to welcome Prof. Dr. H. S. Tsien to Honorary Membership in the emerging International Honor Society for Systems Engineering, with special recognition presented through the China Academy of Sciences during the OAA Board Meeting at the INCOSE 2009 International Symposium in Singapore. After Omega Alpha recognition, INCOSE named Tsien as its first Posthumuous Pioneer.