Darin Nutter, professor of mechanical engineering, has received the Industrial Assessment Center Distinguished Alumni award from the U.S. Department of Energy. Industrial Assessment Centers, or IACs, help small and medium sized manufacturers identify energy-efficiency upgrade opportunities through technical assistance provided by local university engineering departments and students.

Nutter graduated from the Texas A&M University in 1994. While there, he served as assistant director of this center from 1990-1994, and he currently directs the University of Arkansas IAC, an affiliate of the IAC at Oklahoma State University.

Nutter is one of five IAC Distinguished Alumni from across the country. The Department of Energy’s website explains that these awardees “have made significant impacts through their work in energy efficiency, as well as for their outstanding accomplishments in promoting practices and principles of energy engineering.”

Nutter also serves as director of the Arkansas Industrial Energy Clearinghouse. The clearinghouse features a full-time engineer and a contact center that provides personalized answers to questions about energy efficiency, helps manufacturers perform self-assessments on their use of energy, and provides resources such as publications and software so that businesses can create their own energy management programs. 

Since 2010, the Nutter and his team have helped nearly 200 Arkansas manufacturers become more energy efficient.

“Dr. Nutter definitely deserves this recognition,” said James Leylek, head of the department of mechanical engineering. “In his work with these organizations and in his role as an educator, he has helped both students and industry recognize the value of energy efficient practices and systems. Our department places emphasis on providing students with real-world applications of their engineering training, and Dr. Nutter’s achievements reflect that.”