Professor Sabol Named VT Engineer of the Year

16 Feb 2021

Vermont Tech is proud to announce that Scott Sabol, Professor in the Department of Architectural and Building Engineering Technology within the School of Engineering and Computing, has been named Engineer of the Year by the professional associations for engineers in Vermont. Sabol is a licensed structural engineer and holds the position of Secretary as a member of the Vermont Board of Professional Engineering, a position he was named to by Governor Scott.

Teaching and launching the next generations of engineers is very important to Scott, as we all witness daily. As proof of his priority, Schylar Corsones-Brown, a current Architectural Engineering Technology (AET) student credits Professor Sabol with stopping, “at nothing to ensure we reach our full potential.” Likewise, AET alumnus and Associate Engineer with the City of Rutland, Ted Gillen says Professor Sabol’s “infectious passion for engineering and influence on countless professionals is beyond deserving of the title, ‘Vermont 2021 Engineer of the Year.’” Here are the full statements from two of Sabol’s students, past and present:

Alumnus, Ted Gillen, architectural graduateTheodore Gillen, E.I., Class of 2013
BS Architectural Engineering Technology
Associate Engineer, City of Rutland

Scott Sabol has had an immeasurable impact on my life, during my time as student at Vermont Technical College and subsequently throughout my career as an engineer.  He has a passion for educating young engineering minds, extraordinary patience, and an extensive knowledge of a variety of engineering disciplines.  This translated into an academic experience for which I will forever be grateful.  Despite graduating nearly 8 years ago, Scott continues to provide mentorship, gladly returning my phone calls (as recently as two months ago) to offer whatever advice I may be seeking.  There are many reasons why I continue to recommend VTC to students seeking a profession in engineering.  Based on my experiences, having the opportunity to take courses from Professor Sabol is the number one benefit.

Scott’s professional experience alone warrants recognition from his peers.  His infectious passion for engineering and influence on countless young professionals is beyond deserving of the title, “Vermont’s 2021 Engineer of the Year”.  As I previously stated, I’m quite proud of my education, but today I’m proud of my good friend and mentor.  Congratulations Professor Sabol.

Alumna, Schylar Corsones-Brown, architectural graduateSchylar Corsones-Brown, Class of 2021
BS Architectural Engineering Technology
Student Engineering Technician of the Year, 2018-2019

Professor Sabol is not only passionate about the engineering field, but he is also passionate about extending his knowledge and expertise to the students he teaches. The real world experience he brings into the classroom keeps students engaged and inspired. He truly cares about our success, and stops at nothing to ensure we reach our full potential. There is not a time of day that you can email him without getting a reply within a half hour. Professor Sabol has an endless list of responsibilities, yet he somehow is able to make each one feel like the priority. 

I can honestly say, the most important thing Professor Sabol has taught me in my college career is not even related to engineering. In every class, no matter the subject, he encourages us to not let the fear of being wrong stop us from answering his questions. The reason being that answering incorrectly actually ingrains the correct answer in our brains. I am not sure if he realizes what an impact this simple encouragement makes, but it most definitely speaks volumes about his teaching skills. 

Professor Sabol puts his heart, soul, and then some into everything he undertakes. It has been inspiring to witness this over the past four years, and I am beyond thrilled for his hard work to be acknowledged as he is named Vermont’s Engineer of the Year.

Read the full press release from the Vermont Engineers Week below.

Scott A. Sabol, P.E., has been named Vermont’s 2021 Engineer of the Year.  A distinguished academic, researcher, and practitioner, Mr. Sabol has over twenty-five years of experience in the engineering field.  Since 1999, Mr. Sabol, a licensed structural engineer, has been professor of Architectural and Building Engineering Technology at Vermont Technical College, teaching primarily in the bachelor degree program, and is a past chair of the department.  Mr. Sabol has received VTC’s highest faculty awards, the Harry G. Wirtz Master Teacher Award and the Robert Wonkka Award for student advising.  As a founding course developer of the Norwich University online master of civil engineering program, he has also been named a distinguished faculty member in the Norwich University graduate school.   Prior to his academic career, Mr. Sabol worked for the Transportation Research Board in Washington, D.C., and he served as director of the Delaware Transportation Institute.  In his role as an engineering consultant, he has performed research for the Federal Highway Administration and has developed a national strategic plan for the implementation of fiber reinforced polymers into the transportation infrastructure.

In addition to his engineering accomplishments, Mr. Sabol currently serves as a member of the Vermont Board of Professional Engineering, where he holds the position of Secretary.  He is active in many professional and technical societies including, among others, the American Society for Engineering Education, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and the Vermont Society of Engineers. Mr. Sabol recently began volunteer efforts with the Equity Alliance, a group whose mission includes attracting and retaining a diverse workforce in Vermont.

Mr. Sabol lives in Northfield, VT.

Mr. Sabol will be presented with his award at the annual Engineers Week celebration, which will be held virtually this year on February 25.

Vermont Engineers Week is sponsored annually by the state’s engineering societies, and the Vermont Engineer of the Year award is presented to a licensed professional engineer in Vermont.  Selection of the award winner is made by a committee comprised of the five most recent winners of the Vermont Engineer of the Year award.