A month ago, when he was inducted into NIU’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology’s inaugural Hall of Fame class, Joe Sener needed to walk only a few steps to be at the ceremony.
That’s because he had already arranged to travel from his home in Galena to be a guest speaker earlier in the day for a class on engineering ethics.
Those back-to-back engagements illustrate the spirit of service that led to Sener’s selection for an honorary Doctor of Science from NIU. In a lifetime marked by service in a variety of spheres, from the U.S. Army to Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America) to several volunteer roles at NIU, he has distinguished himself for his dedication and generosity.
And all of that service—which Sener routinely characterizes as “doing something fun”—is on top of a highly accomplished professional career. One aspect of that path saw him make significant contributions to medical device safety and standards in leadership roles for companies such as Baxter Healthcare and Hospira.
At Hospira, Pfizer, and ICU Medical, Sener played important roles in resolving significant design process and cybersecurity problems in medical devices. In the context of Sener’s earlier career work in nuclear power plant design and later hydraulic and pneumatic systems and power cylinders, those phases reflect an adaptability and lifelong commitment to learning and growth.
As he told engineering students in May, during a keynote address at CEET’s Scholarship, Staff, Faculty and Student Awards ceremony, “Do not for a moment think that the job you have when you leave here is the job you’re going to have five years from now, let alone 45 years from now. It doesn’t work that way.”
CEET Dean Dave Grewell emphasized the mentorship role that Sener has played for him, the latest in a succession of CEET leaders who have benefited from Sener’s advocacy for engineering students.
“The word that stands out about Joe is ‘friend,’” Grewell said. “He’s a friend to our nation through his miliary service, to all the organizations he’s helped lead and continues to support, to NIU and to the engineering college.”
Read the entire NIU Today story, A commitment to professional and philanthropic service: Joe Sener receives NIU Honorary Doctorate.
