April 25, 2025
By Chloe Arrington

The second annual Webb-Donnell Communication Competitions took place this month. Undergraduate and graduate students in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering had the chance to compete in communication-based tasks that pushed them to demonstrate that engineers can communicate beyond equations.

Created in honor of Frank K. Webb, ME 1938, and Jeffrey Donnell, former principal academic professional in the Woodruff School, the competitions aim to highlight the critical need for engineers to communicate their work in a way that is understandable and incites action and change.

Webb recognized the importance of training engineers with effective and practical communication tools throughout his career. Donnell joined the Woodruff School in 1990, tasked with improving students' communication skills. His work soon attracted the attention of Webb, who praised it as some of the best engineering education innovation he had ever seen.  

Webb remained a dedicated alumnus. In 1999, he bestowed an endowment upon the Woodruff School that ensured the continued support of students' communication skills. Donnell was named the first Frank K. Webb Academic Professional Chair in Communication Skills and held this position until his passing in 2022.

With this generous gift from the Frank K. Webb Trust, the Woodruff School continues its mission of providing students with this critical resource to help them succeed in the classroom and on their career paths.

Jill Fennell, the current Frank K. Webb Academic Professional Chair in Communication Skills, is dedicated to continuing this mission, and these competitions are one initiative she has undertaken to do so.

"These competitions aren't just about prizes—they're about preparing engineers to solve society's toughest problems by communicating solutions in ways that inspire action. Because what good is a breakthrough if no one understands it?" said Fennell.