HAWTHORNE, N.Y., June 18, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SmartPros Ltd. (Nasdaq:SPRO), a leader in the field of accredited professional education and corporate training, and Villanova University's College of Engineering, ranked in the top 10 engineering schools in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, today announced an agreement for SmartPros' Engineering division to distribute Villanova's online, self-paced PE Review Course in Power for Electrical Engineers.
Villanova College of Engineering offers a one-of-a-kind PE Review Course in Power for Electrical Engineers and is the most comprehensive online PE review course in electrical power in the country. The PE Review Course in Power for Electrical Engineers will be integrated into SmartPros' Engineering eCampus™, which allows a learner to access course lectures, examples, problems and solutions, as well as customize the lectures to their own learning style and needs. The course has over 100 hours of online learning created by Dr. Frank Mercede, PE, member of the Villanova faculty, who is well known in the electrical power profession as a consultant, designer and educator.
"Villanova College of Engineering is recognized as a leader in engineering education and a pioneer in advancing online education not only in the U.S., but worldwide. We believe that teaming with Villanova to distribute their online PE Review Course in Power for Electrical Engineers emphasizes our commitment to providing world-class engineering professional education," said Allen Greene, SmartPros' Chairman and CEO. "We feel that Villanova's online review course will fit in well with our other leading online PE review courses, and help serve the growing demand for the electrical engineering PE designation."
Villanova's PE Review Course in Power for Electrical Engineers is immediately available for any individual or engineering firm looking for a quality, time-efficient, and cost-effective method to prepare for the PE exam.
"Villanova is proud to become a partner with SmartPros," said Jeff Schwarz, Director of E-Learning, Villanova University, College of Engineering. "We feel that their model and format will be an excellent platform for our electrical PE review content. We believe that this will be a valuable tool for members of the engineering community."
"We feel that offering the Villanova electrical PE review course is a logical step to addressing the growing continuing education needs of the electrical engineering, utilities, energy and green engineering markets," said Mark Luciano, Vice President of SmartPros Engineering. "It fits well with our new Engineering eCampus™ Learning Management System strategy to offer enterprise-wide learning solutions to the engineering community."
SmartPros Engineering offers FE and PE review courses in civil, electrical, mechanical, environmental and chemical engineering in a variety of learning formats in both online or self-study guides, as well as online continuing education for PDH credits. SmartPros' engineering education is available today at www.engineering.smartpros.com.
About Villanova College of Engineering
The Villanova University, College of Engineering, began instruction in 1905 under the name of the School of Technology. It was the fourth engineering program to be established at a Catholic school of higher education in the United States (after The Catholic University of America, 1896, Manhattan College, 1896, and the University of Notre Dame, 1897). The major goal of a Villanova engineering education is: "To provide students with the opportunity to develop a greater technical competence in the chosen area of study." The engineering faculty strives to develop a professional attitude in students; namely, the desire to grow intellectually through the continual search for and use of knowledge, and the motivation to become active, articulate and socially aware citizens. The College of Engineering is committed to its responsibility to develop, collect and disseminate new knowledge in the engineering field and related areas. The College of Engineering offers disciplines in the fields of chemical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. Our Undergraduate Program offers bachelor degrees in all five disciplines. Our Five-Year Program offers combined bachelor and master's degrees in all 5 disciplines as well as Water Resources, Environmental Engineering, and Sustainable Engineering. Our Graduate Program offers master's degrees in all five disciplines as well as Water Resources and Environmental Engineering. Our Doctoral Program offers a Ph.D. in Engineering. Research/thesis topics are based upon the mutual interest of the student and their faculty advisor. Example areas of study include: Thermal Management of Electronics, Robotic and Electromechanical Systems, Automotive Systems, Signal Processing, Radar, Communications Systems, Environmental Protection, and Biotechnology. Our Distance Education Program offers four full online degrees as well as two online certificates.
About Dr. Frank Mercede, P.E.
Dr. Frank J. Mercede, PE is the founder and principal of Mercede Engineering LLC and has over 25 years of experience in the analysis and design of commercial, industrial, and utility electric power systems. Frank received the BSEE (first honors), MSEE and Ph.D. degrees in Electric Power Engineering in 1981, 1983 and 1989, respectively, from Drexel University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. His specialty areas include Arc Flash Hazard Assessment, Short-circuit Analysis, Protective Device Coordination, and Mission-critical Electrical Systems. Frank serves as Vice-Chair of the IEEE Power Engineering / Industry Applications Societies, Board Member of the Delaware Valley Power Quality Group, Associate Member of the International Association of Electrical Inspectors, and Adjunct Faculty Member in Electric Power Engineering for Villanova University.
About SmartPros
Founded in 1981, SmartPros Ltd. is an industry leader in the field of accredited professional education and corporate training. Its products and services are primarily focused in the accredited professional areas of corporate accounting, financial management, public accounting, governmental and not-for-profit accounting, financial services, banking, engineering, legal, ethics and compliance, and information technology. SmartPros is a leading provider of professional education products to Fortune 500 companies, as well as the major firms and associations in each of its professional markets. SmartPros provides education and content publishing and development services in a variety of media including Web, CD-ROM, video and live seminars and events. Our subscription libraries feature hundreds of course titles and 2,300+ hours of accredited education. SmartPros' proprietary Professional Education Center (PEC) Learning Management System (LMS) offers enterprise distribution and administration of education content and information. In addition, SmartPros produces a popular news and information portal for accounting and finance professionals serving more than one million ads and distributing more than 200,000 subscriber email newsletters each month. SmartPros' network of Web sites averages more than 900,000 monthly visits, serving a user base of more than one million profiled members. Visit: www.smartpros.com
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