A Career-Defining Year for an Engineer

This has been a year of noteworthy accomplishments for Bopaya Bidanda, the Ernest E. Roth Professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. On the heels of being elected to the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) College of Fellows, the ABET Board of Delegates this month named him a recipient of the 2025 ABET Fellow Award.

“Our department has been so fortunate to have such a visible and accomplished faculty colleague to mentor our junior faculty on contributing to the profession,” said Lisa Maillart, who succeeded Bidanda as chair of industrial engineering. “He has always been  generous with his time and expertise across Pitt and around the world, and we’re very proud of this outstanding recognition that validates his commitment to mentoring and education.”

ABET, formerly known as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc., is a non-governmental accreditation organization for post-secondary programs in engineering, engineering technology, computing, and applied and natural sciences. The Fellow of ABET Award was established by the ABET Board of Directors in 1988 to recognize individuals who have given sustained, quality service to applied and natural sciences, computing, engineering, or engineering technology education, and to their respective professions through the activities of ABET.

“I am humbled to be recognized by ABET with this prestigious honor,” said Bidanda, who previously served as the Swanson School of Engineering’s Department Chair of Industrial Engineering (2000-2021). “Engineering education and its accreditation have always been a career passion, and I’ve been privileged to contribute to both at engineering programs around the world.”

In a 2024 ABET profile, “Bopaya Bidanda: Celebrating a Legacy of Excellence,” the organization noted, “As an accomplished academic, a dedicated mentor and a leader in professional societies, his journey is a shining example of the transformative power of education and mentorship.” The profile also recounted his several international honors since 2023, including the 2024 Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Industrial Engineering Award, the highest honor from IISE, the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers professional society.

“Bopaya has been a global ambassador for engineering education assessment and so we are incredibly proud that ABET is recognizing his many years of engagement,” said Michele V. Manuel, U. S. Steel Dean of Engineering. “This also positively reflects on Pitt’s and Bopaya’s contributions to the field and underscores our commitment to shaping the future of engineering education through leadership, service, and global impact.”

Bopaya and his fellow honorees will be recognized at the 2025 ABET Awards Celebration on Friday, October 24, 2025 at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront in Baltimore, Maryland.