Dr. Lee W. Saperstein, professor of mining engineering and dean emeritus of the School of Mines and Metallurgy at the University of Missouri-Rolla, has received the Linton E. Grinter Distinguished Service Award from ABET, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. The Grinter Award is ABET’s highest honor.

Saperstein, a former ABET president, received the award during ABET’s annual meeting held Oct. 28-29 in Nashville, Tenn. ABET’s board of directors selected Saperstein for "his outstanding leadership in the development of governance documents that reflect ABET’s vision and mission, his contribution to ABET’s strategic planning, and his leadership in the criteria reform that led to ABET’s ‘engineering topics’ criteria."

Saperstein served as president of ABET in 1999-2000 and is completing his 23rd year of service to the organization. He has been a member of the ABET board of directors representing SME-AIME (the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers), as well as secretary, president and past president of the board.

Saperstein also served as chair of ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission in 1989-1990. As an EAC commissioner, he led evaluation teams to 12 universities, and as a commission officer he edited the reports of 75 more. Saperstein also is a member of ABET’s Strategic Planning Committee and is an ABET Fellow.

Saperstein joined the UMR faculty in 1993 as dean of the School of Mines and Metallurgy (now the School of Materials, Energy and Earth Resources) and a professor of mining engineering. Previously, he was chair and professor of mining engineering at the University of Kentucky. Before that, he was on the faculty at Pennsylvania State University.

After graduating with high honors from the Montana School of Mines in 1964, Saperstein, a Rhodes Scholar, earned a doctorate in engineering science from Oxford University in 1967.