Mechanical engineering professor emeritus Frank Kreith is closing out the year by claiming what the American Association of Engineering Societies bills as the highest award in the engineering profession.
Kreith, 94, is the recipient of the , a distinction previously earned by the likes of Alexander Bell, George Westinghouse, Thomas Edison and President Herbert Hoover.
"It's good company, isn't it?" Kreith, a Boulder resident, said on Friday.
Kreith, whose Chautauqua-area home features one of the first residential, solar-powered water heaters in Colorado, admitted to being "overwhelmed" with having received the honor.
"I'm certainly appreciative of my professional colleagues, to have recognized my contribution to what I consider to be one of the most important issues of the day, namely how to build a sustainable energy system," Kreith said.