News
Chouieri Presides over Inducation Ceremony
Michael Littman elected a Fellow of the Optical Society of America
Professor Littman was elected a Fellow of the Optical Society of America at the annual meeting of the Board of Directors held on 12 October 2009.
Arnold appointed Academic Associate Director of PRISM
Prof. Craig Arnold of the Dept.of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering has accepted Prof. Sturm's offer to be the Academic Associate Director of PRISM. He will work with him, the PRISM faculty, Associate Director Anthony Novembre and the rest of the PRISM staff in developing the group's research and educational mission.
Prof. Arnold is an Associate Professor in Princeton Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and has played a leading role in PRISM’s education and research programs. His research focuses on laser materials processing with an emphasis on energy, photonics, and nanoscale applications. His work with students led to the founding of the Princeton chapter of the Materials Research Society, and his teaching has ranged from core materials courses to topical issues in energy and materials. Prof. Arnold’s leadership has been recognized through awards from the MRS and SPIE professional societies as well as the NSF CAREER, ONR Young Investigator, Lawrence Keys ’51 Faculty Advancement, and the Princeton E-Council Excellence in Teaching awards.
Nuclear Proliferation Expert in MAE
Professor Edward Seckel
Edward Seckel, 88, Princeton Edward Seckel died Monday, September 28,
2009 at the University Medical Center of Princeton. Born in Chicago, IL he grew up in Riverside IL and Chicago. He earned his graduate and undergraduate degrees from Princeton University. He was Professor of Aeronautical Engineering for twenty-five years at Princeton University, before retiring to Nantucket in 1977 and returning to Princeton in 1999.
He authored a textbook, "The stability and control of airplanes and helicopters", and sailed across the Atlantic. He enjoyed gardening, golf, bridge, and photography. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Helen Randall Seckel of Princeton, his son David Seckel and children Lauren and Maxwell Seckel, and Christopher and Jody Shields, grandchildren through his deceased daughter Deborah Ann Kresh. Funeral service and burial will be private. Arrangements are under the direction of The Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, Princeton.
Arnold receives Recovery Act Award
Craig Arnold (right), associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, is one of the Princeton faculty members who has received research funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Karp shares Class of 1939 Princeton Scholar Award
This year's Class of 1939 Princeton Scholar Award is shared by Danielle Rochlin and David Karp. The award is given to the undergraduate who, at the end of the junior year, has achieved the highest academic standing for all preceding college work at the University. Karp is concentrating in mechanical and aerospace engineering and pursuing certificates in applied and computational mathematics and in finance. He also has twice won the Shapiro Prize for Academic Excellence.
Grotberg here from U MI
Professor James Grotberg, of the Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Michigan, holds the Kenan Trust Visiting Professorship for the fall semester of academic year 2009-2010.
Professor Grotberg is Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan (http://biofluids.engin.umich.edu), where he is also the Director of the University of Michigan - NASA Bioscience and Engineering Institute. He holds a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University Department of Mechanics and Materials Science, and an M.D. from University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical & Biological Engineering, Fellow of the American Physical Society, Division of Fluid Dynamics, and an Inaugural Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society. He has served on the Michigan School of Engineering Committee on Undergraduate Fluid Mechanics Curriculum, and he has served as the Graduate Committee Chair in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and on theirTask Force on Undergraduate Education. He is also the Chair of the Board of Directors of R.E.A.C.H. Youth Programs, Inc., a not-for-profit, neighborhood-based outreach service to children who live in the Nolan and State Fair Sectors of the City of Detroit. It provides counseling, tutorial services, nutrition, family assistance, and athletic/recreational activities for over 300 at-risk children in this impoverished urban region.
Professor Grotberg will be teaching a new 200-level course in MAE entitled “Biofluid Dynamics” (MAE 234). This course will cover swimming, flying, pulmonary and arterial flows, etc. and will be offered in the fall semester of 2009. It will be a technical course, but would require no previous exposure to fluid mechanics. There is a great interest among students for courses that have relevance to bio-engineering or the life sciences, and to have the opportunity to learn from a PhD/MD who is a world authority on biofluid dynamics is an exciting prospect.
A tradition of high standards
This professorship continues the admirable tradition of Professors Brian Kernighan and Zellman Warhaft, who held the 250th William R. Kenan, Jr. Visiting Professorship for Distinguished Teaching and set the standards for exceptional scholarship and distinguished record of teaching which has become the hallmark of this professorship. Previous holders of this professorship include:
Professor Umesh Vazirani from the University of California–Berkeley as the William R. Kenan Jr. Visiting Professor for Distinguished Teaching in Computer Science taught the course "Quantum Physics, Qubits, and Nanoscience." While the class served as an elementary introduction to quantum physics, it also targeted students interested in interdisciplinary areas such as nanoscience and quantum computing. The course covered standards such as tensor products and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, as well as more advanced topics such as multi-particle systems and spin. "I really enjoyed teaching the course," Vazirani said. "The students were very engaged with the material, asked lots of questions, and were very articulate." Vazirani used "qubits," the basic unit of quantum information, to make the subject matter more intuitive for undergraduates. The approach succeeded in reaching non-majors, and Vazirani hopes it may become the standard method of introducing quantum physics to physics majors in the future. Along with transforming teaching in quantum information, Vazirani's interests include quantum computation, computational complexity theory, randomized algorithms, and computational foundations of randomness. He also serves as director of the Berkeley Quantum Information and Computation Center.
Professor Edward Coyle *82 from Purdue University as the William R. Kenan, Jr. Visiting Professor for Distinguished Teaching of Electrical Engineering. Professor Coyle taught an electrical engineering course entitled “The Wireless Revolution”, an interdisciplinary course addressing technological, regulatory, economic and social issues arising in the rapidly developing field of wireless communications and computing. In addition to his teaching, Professor Coyle, along with other faculty, launched the Princeton chapter of EPICS, Engineering Projects in Community Service. In the EPICS program, students earn academic credit for their participation in multidisciplinary design teams that solve technology-based problems for local not-for-profit organizations.
Professor Richard De Veaux from Williams College as the William R. Kenan, Jr. Visiting Professor for Distinguished Teaching of Operations Research and Financial Engineering. Professor De Veaux taught a course entitled "Fundamentals of Engineering Statistics". With his prior teaching experience at Princeton, Professor De Veaux was a six-time winner of teaching awards from the Engineering Council. Professor De Veaux went on to receive a Lifetime Achievement award from the Engineering Council, in recognition his outstanding classroom achievements.
Professor Christopher Rogers from Tufts University as the William R. Kenan, Jr. Visiting Professor for Distinguished Teaching of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Professor Rogers taught a fall term Freshman Seminar entitled “Robots” to introduce students in a hands-on way to the concepts of engineering and physics. The class was enthusiastically received and revolved around weeklycompetitions between robots that students constructed from advanced Lego kits that include small computers, motors, gears, light and touch sensors and other gadgetry.
Professor Eric Denardo of Yale University as the William R. Kenan, Jr. Visiting Professor for Distinguished Teaching of Operations Research and Financial Engineering. An international authority on dynamic programming, Professor Denardo taught a problem-based survey of ORFE using EXCEL as a learning tool, incorporating problems identified throughout his career to teach the techniques of quantitative modeling of decision making.
Professor James A. Smith of the University of Virginia as the William R. Kenan, Jr. Visiting Associate Professor of Distinguished Teaching of Civil & Environmental Engineering. A civil engineer specializing in groundwater remediation, Professor Smith introduced a course on water for the developing world, in which he taught students, among other things, about water purification technologies that can be implemented in refugee camps.
Jiao and Torquato Set World Record in Packing Puzzle
Torquato and Jiao Set World Record in Packing Puzzle
Posted Aug 14, 2009By Mary Monahan
Salvatore Torquato, a PRISM faculty member and a professor in the Department of Chemistry along with Yang Jiao, a graduate student in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering reported in the cover story of the Aug. 13, 2009 issue of Nature to have beaten the present world record for packing the most tetrahedra into a volume. Using computer simulations, Torquato and Jiao were able to fill a volume to 78.2 percent of capacity with tetrahedra thereby improving upon previous 77.8 percent record for filling of the space.
In addition beyond making a new world record, Torquato and Jiao have devised an approach that involves placing pairs of tetrahedra face-to-face, forming a "kissing" pattern that, viewed from the outside of the container, looks strangely jumbled and irregular. Another striking outcome of their approach when applied to other Platonic solids with central symmetry is that the highest-density packings of such solids turn out to be their optimal Bravais lattice packings. Subsequent theoretical analysis further leads to the apparent optimality of the Brava is lattice packings for the centrally symmetric Archimedean solids.
The conclusions of this research are not at all obvious, and it took the development of a complex computer program and theoretical analysis to achieve their ground breaking results. Fundamental understanding into these so-called packing problems have produced deep mathematical ideas and led to practical applications as well.
For more information click here
Energy Gauge: Who Exactly Is In Power?
Princeton engineers promote science in their native countries
Carter Elected to IAQMS
Congratulations to Emily A. Carter who was elected as a new member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science.The members are chosen among the scientists of all countries who have distinguished themselves by the value of their scientific work, their role of pioneer or leaders of a school in the broad field of quantum molecular science.
Howard A. Stone Arrives at EQuad
Howard A. Stone, the Donald R. Dixon ’69 and Elizabeth W. Dixon professor in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering has arrived on campus. Stone was the Vicky Joseph Professor of Engineering and Applied Mathematics at Harvard University.
In 2008, Stone was the winner of the inaugural Batchelor Prize sponsored by the Journal of Fluid Mechanics for the breadth and depth of his research over a 10-year period (1998-2007) and for his widely acknowledged leadership in fluid mechanics generally.
Stone did his undergraduate studies at University of California at Davis and earned his Ph.D. at Caltech. He joined the Harvard faculty in 1989 after spending one year as a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at Cambridge University.
His research has been concerned with a variety of fundamental problems in fluid motions dominated by viscosity, so-called low Reynolds number flows, and has frequently featured a combination of theory, computer simulation and modeling, and experiments to provide a quantitative understanding of the flow phenomenon under investigation. Stone's studies have also been directed toward heat transfer and mass transfer problems involving convection, diffusion and surface reactions.
He has made contributions to a wide range of problems involving effects of surface tension, buoyancy, fluid rotation, and surfactants. He has also studied problems concerning the flow of lipid bilayers and monolayers, and has investigated the motions of particles suspended in such interfacial layers.
In 2000, Stone was named a Harvard College Professor, an appointment established in 1997 to honor outstanding service to undergraduate education. He credited his students for making teaching enjoyable: "They have been a source of questions, insights, and continued learning for me." The following quote, he said, summarizes his philosophy of teaching: "‘The sickness of man lies in his fondness for playing teacher to others. Thus in a world full of gurus, I claim merely the title of a guide, to be dismissed at the end of the journey.’”
Socolow Award
Robert Socolow, a Princeton professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, will receive the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Frank Kreith Energy Award for his pioneering contributions in energy research.
Glassman Receives Honorary Degree
McAlpine Funded for Asthma Research
Professor Mike McAlpine received the Early Excellence Award from the Sandler Program for Asthma Research. The award funds nanowire sensors for asthma detection.
Bending a 12-inch wrench
Dennis Rogers Blog: May 14, 2009:
Last Sunday, my wife and I were at a dinner party at the home of author William Kalush. One of those in attendance was celebrated Rocket Scientist, Edgar Choueiri. Before leaving for the party, David Blaine suggested that I bend a wrench for Mr. Choueiri, as he is totally fascinated with the application of all kinds of power and would believe such a feat of strength to be impossible- at least by human hands. So, in the interest of blowing the mind of a Rocket Scientist, I decided I would pull out one of my big guns- so I grabbed a 12” wrench and threw it in my wife’s purse. You can check out what happened in my videos here.
Just as I am getting ready to bend the wrench someone says “This is something that you are never going to see anybody else do.” Well … while I am grateful for the compliment, that is just simply not so. The fact is I have an elite group of students around the world who have successfully bent steel wrenches. While it is true that there are only a handful of individuals (to my knowledge) who have bent 12” wrenches, that doesn’t mean that you can’t be the next. That is up to you.
Wrench bending, like all types of bending takes strong wrists, fingers and thumbs- plus you need to know exactly how to apply maximum pressure if you’re going to have a successful bend. I know wrenches like the back of my hand and I think if you look at my hand you can tell that wrenches know me.
NASA needs direction? Call Norm Augustine!
Fox News.com's Taylor Dinerman (5/10), in an article tiled, "NASA Approves Partial Privatization of the Space Program," wrote, "For the first time, after nearly a half century of building its own rockets and orbiters," NASA "has approved the outsourcing of some of the equipment that enables its manned space missions to private contractors." Last week, acting administrator Chris Scolese testified to Congress that NASA "plans to give $150 million in stimulus-package money to private companies that design, build and service their own rockets and crew capsules -- spacecraft that could put astronauts in orbit while NASA finishes building the space shuttle's replacements." Dinerman adds, "On Thursday, the White House ordered a top-to-bottom review of the entire manned space program, one that will be led by former Lockheed Martin CEO Norman Augustine, long considered a friend of private space ventures. Both developments show that the once-reluctant space agency and the Obama administration are ready to support commercial human spaceflight. It's a dramatic change, one that could reduce America's dependency on Russia for the next half-decade after the space shuttle program ends, and one that could kick-start a space program that some see as having stalled for 40 years."
Marshall Acting Director Lightfoot Optimistic About White House Spaceflight Panel. The Huntsville (AL) Times (5/10) reported, "Robert Lightfoot took over as acting director of Marshall Space Flight Center after Dave King departed last month. Lightfoot has two decades of experience with NASA, chiefly in propulsion. Huntsville Times aerospace writer Shelby G. Spires recently spoke with Lightfoot about the future of Marshall Space Flight Center and its Ares rocket development program." Asked for his "take on the panel the White House established to review NASA's spaceflight program," Lightfoot said, "It's a wide, far reaching review. It will cover the next 30 years of NASA and chart that course. I feel it will be a very fair study. We are fortunate in the fact that Norm Augustine is leading it. He's one of the most experienced leaders and managers in the aerospace community."
Augustine wins American Chemical Society's 2009 Public Service Award
WASHINGTON, May 6, 2009 – Congressmen Mike Honda (D-CA) and Phil Gingrey (R-GA), and Norman R. Augustine, retired Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corp., are recipients of the American Chemical Society's 2009 Public Service Award for their vision and leadership in science and engineering policy.
In presenting the awards at a Capitol Hill ceremony, ACS President Thomas H. Lane, Ph.D., said:
"Our nation is facing an unprecedented series of complex challenges that require innovative discoveries and highly-skilled workers. Sustainable solutions will not come without an unwavering commitment to science education, research and technology development. Our awardees have been tireless champions of that commitment, and in making clear the connection between a strong scientific foundation and future economic vitality.
"We thank you for your leadership, your vision, and for promoting science and technology as the means to a higher standard of living and a sustainable planet for us all."
Norman R. Augustine, a former chief executive of Lockheed Martin Corp., and a Princeton University professor, is widely known for chairing the National Academies committee that produced the report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future. He has held prominent positions in government, industry, academia and the nonprofit sector. He has been chairman of the National Academy of Engineering, the Defense Science Board, and the American Red Cross and was a 16-year member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. His honors include the National Medal of Technology and the National Science Board's Vannevar Bush Award. He is a five-time recipient of the Defense Department's Distinguished Service Medal.
Ju Shneider Miles Part of $7.5M MURI Team
In response to the FY-2009 Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) Topic 11, “Chemical Energy Enhancement by Nonequilibrium Plasma Species,” we have assembled an interdisciplinary team with extensive background in chemistry, plasma physics, spectroscopy, and fluids-based core disciplines central to advancing scientific understanding, and for developing experimentally-validated predictive tools, advanced plasma sources, and diagnostic methods for nonequilibrium plasma assisted combustion spanning a broad range of temperature, pressure, and flow conditions. The principal goal of the proposed program is to develop validated computational models that are capable of predicting the impact of nonequilibrium plasmas on reacting processes, particularly on combustion and power generation for in-flight vehicles. Four principal research thrusts will be coordinated and directed toward this goal: (1) Experimental studies of nonequilibrium air-fuel plasma kinetics using advanced non-intrusive diagnostics to establish the basic physics, with emphasis on measurements above 1 bar; (2) Kinetic model development and validation; (3) Experimental and modeling studies of fundamental nonequilibrium discharge processes; and (4) Studies of diffusion and transport of active species in representative two and three-dimensional reacting flow geometries. The proposing team members and their affiliations are:
i. Walter R. Lempert, who will serve as program PI, Igor V. Adamovich, J. William Rich,
Jeffrey Sutton (Ohio State University – Program Lead Institution).
ii. Yiguang Ju, Richard B. Miles, and Mikhail Shneider (Princeton University).
iii. Andrei Starikovskii, Alexander Fridman (Drexel University).
iv. Richard Yetter (Penn State University).
v. Vigor Yang (Georgia Tech University)
DOE to Establish Energy Frontier Research Center at Princeton University
DOE to Establish Energy Frontier Research Center at Princeton University
Princeton University will be home to one of 46 new multi-million-dollar Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) announced on Monday, April 27 by the White House in conjunction with a speech delivered by President Barack Obama at the annual meeting of the National Academy of Sciences. The EFRCs, which will pursue advanced scientific research on energy, are being established by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science at universities, national laboratories, nonprofit organizations, and private firms across the nation.
“As global energy demand grows over this century, there is an urgent need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and imported oil and curtail greenhouse gas emissions,” said Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. “Meeting this challenge will require significant scientific advances. These Centers will mobilize the enormous talents and skills of our nation’s scientific workforce in pursuit of the breakthroughs that are essential to make alternative and renewable energy truly viable as large-scale replacements for fossil fuels.”
The 46 EFRCs, to be funded at $2-5 million per year each for a planned initial five-year period, were selected from a pool of some 260 applications received in response to a solicitation issued by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science in 2008. Selection was based on a rigorous merit review process utilizing outside panels composed of scientific experts.
Of the 46 EFRCs selected, 31 are led by universities, 12 by DOE national laboratories, two by nonprofit organizations, and one by a corporate research laboratory. Sixteen of the EFRCs are funded through the Recovery Act, based on the criterion of job creation as they provide the most employment for postdoctoral associates, graduate students, undergraduates, and technical staff, in keeping with the Recovery Act’s objective to preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery.
EFRC researchers will take advantage of new capabilities in nanotechnology, high-intensity light sources, neutron scattering sources, supercomputing, and other advanced instrumentation, much of it developed with DOE Office of Science support over the past decade, in an effort to lay the scientific groundwork for fundamental advances in solar energy, biofuels, transportation, energy efficiency, electricity storage and transmission, clean coal and carbon capture and sequestration, and nuclear energy.
“We applaud the vision and boldness of the administration in instituting this substantial and comprehensive investment in energy science,” said Chung Law, Robert H. Goddard Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and the Director of the EFRC for Combustion Science anchored at Princeton University. “We are excited to be part of the team to tackle the immensely challenging problems of energy sustainability and global warming.”
The goal of the EFRC for Combustion Science is to develop a validated, predictive, multi-scale, combustion modeling capability to optimize the design and operation of evolving fuels in advanced engines for transportation applications. The investigation will cover all the myriad time and length scales that are involved in combustion, from the scale of the electron to those of the largest turbulent motion in engines. The focus will be on the science underlying the development of non-petroleum-based fuels, including biofuels, and their optimum use in transportation. The Center, selected for funding at $4M/year for five years, consists of fourteen principal investigators from seven academic institutions and the Sandia National Laboratories, with expertise in quantum chemistry, chemical kinetics, combustion theory and modeling, and corresponding experimentation. In addition to Law, other Princeton participants are Arthur W. Marks ’19 Professor Emily Carter, and Professors Frederick Dryer and Yiguang Ju, all of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Carter further serves as the Co-director of the Center.
Undergraduate Summer Research in Sustainable Energy
Arnold Receives E-Council Award
Craig Arnold received an E-Council (student nominated)teaching award on Wednesday, April 22nd at 12:30 pm in the Friend Center Convocation Room.
Entrepeneurial Engineering Inventions
Princeton, NJ: Teams of students from Princeton’s Entrepreneurial Engineering course competed for their invention concepts to be brought to market by TeleBrands, via its “As Seen On TV” Direct Response Marketing process. Inventions had names such as Exer-Slide, The Faster Filter, LeanSleeves, VitaSmile and AccuSoothe.
Professor Dan Nosenchuck teaches the one semester course MAE 445/EGR 445. He was joined by AJ Khubani, CEO of TeleBrands who chaired a panel of expert advisors, testing all concepts. Additional feedback was provided by well-known national pitchmen, Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan, hosts of the new Discovery Channel show, “Pitchmen,” as well as Tom McLinden, founder of EVO Design, attorney Peter Murray, and advertising executive Steve Rivkin. Based in the results of its consumer research, TeleBrands will create and bring the most promising product or two to market.
Product 1, the AccuSmoothe form fitting glove applies the needed pressure between thumb and pointer on acupressure point LI4, to relieve stress headaches; A marketable product for sure. The panel recommended gathering more scientific evidence behind its effectiveness as well as improving its visual impact by researching sports glove designs and fabrics.
Wearing Product 2 all day will burn off as many calories as running two miles. LeanSleeves are adjustable sleeves with weights sewn in to fit comfortably on arms and calves. Discretely worn under everyday clothes they provide exercise without the effort. We all can buy into that! A similar product called BodyTogs is on the market, and as LeanSleeves are form-fitting, they would be a perfect product to market to them. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H8pRkcgsZs)
Product 3 is Vita-Smile, both a new packaging and product idea. The vitamin-enriched toothpaste kills two birds with one stone: It is five times more efficient to absorb your vitamins through your gums so as you brush, you are getting your daily vitamin intake.. The toothpaste tube has two storage areas and caps at either end so you can use AM brand Vita-Smile in the, well, AM, and the PM, yes then. AM has a citrus flavor and includes vitamins B-2 B-6 and B-12 to get you going in the morning. PM is a chamomile flavor, and melatonin and increased sodium fluoride calm you before bed. This clever team also proposed Memory, Immunity, and Multivitamin toothpastes for Adults and kids. (buyvitasmile.com/)
Product 4 is The Faster Filter, a French press water filter in a Nalgene size bottle. I immediately thought of its use in 3rd world countries, or for us here in the EQuad for fountain water. The press filter allows the convenience of filtering in only 3 seconds. Recommendations included also offering a camping filter that eliminates parasites, bacteria and water-born diseases, designing a sexier bottle and showing lots of clean water in the ads.
Product 5 is the ExerSlide, a sheet of heavy plastic that rolls out of its handy carrying case to lengths up to ten feet. One can skate left and right on it or exercise in a variety of ways demonstrated in the accompanying pamphlet . Microridges on the sliding surface prevent slippage while cushions left and right prevent over-sliding. Check out the product at www.exerslide.com.
AIAA Recognizes Brown and Choueiri
Professors Garry Brown and Edgar Choueiri of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering have been elected as 2009 Fellows of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Presentation of the new Fellows will take place at the Aerospace Spotlight Awards Gala on May 13, 2009 in Washington, DC. The distinction of Fellow is conferred by AIAA and its Board of Directors upon those members of the Institute who have made notable and valuable contributions to the arts, sciences, or technology of aeronautics or astronautics.
Garry Brown, Robert Porter Patterson Professor in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, was selected for his research in turbulent flows; turbulent flow control using electromagnetic tiles, compressible flow transition, and the fluid mechanics of a radiatively driven hypersonic wind-tunnel (numerical predictions and experiments). Brown earned his Ph.D. from Oxford University in 1967, and returned to the University in 1989 after serving on the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for several years. He was a contributing author to one of the special reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the group that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Vice President Al Gore.
Edgar Choueiri is Chief Scientist and Director at Princeton University's Electric Propulsion and Plasma Dynamics Lab (EPPDyL). He is a tenured Professor in the Applied Physics Group at the MAE Department and Associated Faculty at the Astrophysical Sciences Department/Program in Plasma Physics. He is also Director of the Engineering Physics Program at Princeton. He holds a PhD in Plasma Science (1991) from Princeton University. Prof. Choueiri is the author of numerous papers on plasma physics, instabilities and turbulence in collisional plasmas, plasma accelerator modeling, space physics and applied mathematics. He is presently working on 3-D audio and human hearing. His other distinctions include a Knight of the Order of Cedars and President of the Lebanese Academy of Sciences.
Welcome Teaching Fellow Sznitman
MAE welcomes Teaching Fellow Josué Sznitman who will be working with the department for three years. Sznitman will conduct research in the laboratory of a Lex Smits, Eugene Higgins Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and MAE Chair, and Smits will mentor him to improve his teaching skills.
In 1997, the Council of Science and Technology launched the Princeton University Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship Program to attract to Princeton postdoctoral fellows in science and engineering who wish to develop skills that will allow them to pursue careers in both research and teaching.
Sznitman joins Lisa M. Manning who has been working in MAE with Mikko Haataja since last September and will continue here until August, 2013. Past fellows in MAE have included: Berit Hinnemann, (MAE Carter 07/05-08/06) from Topsoe,Denmark and Gary Kunkel, (MAE Smits 09/03-08/06) and now with Seagate Technology.
Climate Change WORKSHOP
PRINCETON, NJ: The Princeton University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, a government lab located at the Princeton University Forrestal Campus, sponsored a workshop on “Science and Technology Related to Climate Change” on October 29th on the University Campus.
Speakers drawn from GFDL and SEAS, as well as other parts of the university discussed ways in which the two entities could work together. Seventy five faculty, staff and students from Princeton and GFDL attended the day-long workshop.
McAlpine awarded Air Force Young Investigator Grant
10/17/2008 - ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Air Force Office of Scientific
Research today announced it will award approximately $12.1 million in
grants to 39 scientists and engineers who submitted winning research
proposals through the Air Force's Young Investigator Research Program
(YIP).
The YIP is open to scientists and engineers at research institutions across the United States who have received Ph.D. or equivalent degrees in the last five years and show exceptional ability and promise for
conducting basic research. Dr. Michael McAlpine, Princeton University, will study biomimetic nanosensor arrays for selective small molecule detection.
The objective of this program is to foster creative basic research in science and engineering, enhance early career development of outstanding young investigators, and increase opportunities for the young investigators to recognize the Air Force mission and the related
challenges in science and engineering.
According to AFOSR officials, competition for the YIP award is intense. This year AFOSR received 210 proposals in response to the AFOSR broad agency announcement solicitation in major areas of interest to the Air Force. The areas of interest include: aerospace, chemical and material
sciences; physics and electronics; and mathematics, information and life
sciences. AFOSR officials select proposals based on the evaluation
criteria listed in the broad agency announcement.
Those selected will receive the grants over a 3-year period. For further information see
http://www.afmc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123119933
BP and Princeton renew partnership to tackle climate problem
Energy company BP has committed to a five-year renewal of a joint research partnership with Princeton University that identifies ways of tackling the world's climate problem. It will support Princeton to at least its current level of funding for the years 2011 to 2015.
The grant reflects the success of the Carbon Mitigation Initiative (CMI), which has had a significant impact on the climate change debate, according to Princeton faculty and company officials. Launched in 2000, the project has produced new practical approaches to managing the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming.
PRINCETON, NJ: The Princeton University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, a government lab located at the Princeton University Forrestal Campus, sponsored a workshop on “Science and Technology Related to Climate Change” on October 29th on the University Campus.
Speakers drawn from GFDL and SEAS, as well as other parts of the university discussed ways in which the two entities could work together. Seventy five faculty, staff and students from Princeton and GFDL attended the day-long workshop.
NAE's Grand Challenges in Engineering
The Grand Challenges in Engineering report of the National Academy of Engineering (not to be confused with the Grand Challenges initiative at PEI) is now getting a lot of publicity. Panelists on the Challenge included Robert Socolow, MAE Professor and Co-Director of The Carbon Mitigation Initiative, and Wes Harris and Jackie Ying, both of whom have Princeton Ph.D.'s. Read what the Society of Women Engineers has to say.
'Young filmmakers' produce videos about School of Engineering
Two recent MAE graduates, Taofik Kolade and Michael E. Wood, took part this summer in a "young filmmakers" program in the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Princeton Combustion Reunion
A Princeton Combusion Reunion/Irvin Glassman Surprise Birthday party was held at the 32nd Internation Combustion Symposium at McGill University in Montreal August 4th. Of the 97 attendees, only three were invited guests while all others were former Princeton Alumns, staff, post docs, and their spouses.
All attendees donned special Princeton t-shirts commemorating the event as they dined at the exquisite Stephens Club. (http://www.clubmountstephen.net)
Irv was presented with a letter of commendation signed by more than sixteen alumns at United Technologies Research Center,(UTRC) where he chaired a Science Advisory Board for many years. UTRC supported costs of the cake and sparkling wine toast.
2008 MAE Chili Throwdown a Heated Contest!
Princeton, NJ: It was a heated competition last night in the EQuad courtyard as contestants vied for the First Annual MAE Chili Throwdown Belt of Honor. Following an exhaustive tasting by judges Maureen Hickey, Jeremy Kasdin and Alexander Smits, Steve Brunton and his wife, Bing, rose as the 2008 Throwdown champions and keepers of the Belt of Honor. Steve will be walking the MAE halls and labs today donning his prize Belt - which incidentally was exquisitely fabricated by our own Glenn Northey - so make sure to congratulate Steve and thank Glenn!
The Brunton’s winning chili was a delicious, traditional, red sauce and ground beef, with a medley of fresh peppers, onions, grated cheese and sour cream on the side giving the discerning eater many flavor options. Their recipe may be disclosed at a later date or for a small fee to assist their meager Graduate Student lifestyles.
The Chili Throwdown was the brainchild of native Texans Mac Haas and Steve Brunton. Mac and Mike Burke worked tirelessly to recruit cooks, then setup, cleanup, and play under sunny skies last evening. Mac was sporting a plaid shirt, Wrangler jeans, boots and hat and fashionable “Don’t Mess with Texas” belt buckle and a cup of Sierra Nevada. Mike was attired in an “I Mess with Texas” apron and fetching cowboy hat. Mac and Mike’s chili entry was a collection of meats in a red sauce accompanied by their flaming BBQ Sauce – literally flaming in a teapot fired by a propane tank.
Runners up winning special prize ribbons were Milos Ilak, for his Serbian Grilled meats, and Stephanie Goldfarb for delicious S’mores with Lindt CHILI chocolate – both new, inventive, and surprising complements to the traditional chili meal. There was a host of other fabulous dishes which must be mentioned:
Adele Lim’s International Vegetarian Chili with chick peas a little taste of curry; Megan Leftwich’s red beans and rice, Paul Michniewicz’s Amish style chicken corn stew; Eric Cady’s beautiful and scrumptious pies; Christina Peabody’s Mac and cheese and cornbread; Marcos Chaos’ Tortilla de Patates; Jenna Ombrello’s beer bread and Mike Vocaturo’s homemade jalapeño poppers.
There were lasso roping, dog wrestling, beer swizzling, and baby kissing events throughout the evening adding to a festive and very fun mood. We hope more people will join us next year and add to the silliness. Our congratulations again, to Steve and Bing Brunton – Keepers of the BELT OF HONOR!
Choueiri Elected President of the Lebanese Academy of Sciences
Edgar Choueiri, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Director of the Engineering Physics Program, was elected President of the Lebanese Academy of Sciences.
The election took place on June 27 at the academy's first meeting in Paris under the aegis of the French Academy of Sciences, which has overseen the creation of the Lebanese Academy of Sciences (LAS) over the past two years.
Professor Choueiri is one of the founding members of the LAS, which was officially founded in July of 2007 with Mr. Fouad Saniora, Prime Minister of Lebanon, as its Honorary President. The Paris meeting was presided by Sir Michael Atiyah, the British Mathematician, who was also elected to the Executive Committee of the LAS.
The LAS is an independent learned society, modeled after the French Academy of Sciences, with members from inside and outside Lebanon, and with the mission of enhancing the growth of scientific research in Lebanon and advising the Lebanese nation on science.
Professor Choueiri joined the Princeton faculty in 1996 and works on problems in astronautics, spacecraft propulsion and plasma physics.
He heads the Electric Propulsion and Plasma Dynamics Lab, and is also Associated Faculty at the Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Program in Plasma Physics.
Harold Willis Dodds Prize Awarded to Thomas Lipp '08
The Harold Willis Dodds Prize was awarded to Thomas Lipp of New Haven, Conn. The award recognizes seniors who best embody the qualities of Princeton's 15th president, Harold Dodds, "particularly in the qualities of clear thinking, moral courage, a patient and judicious regard for the opinions of others, and a thorough devotion to the welfare of the University and to the life of the mind." Lipp, a mechanical and aerospace engineering major, was a peer educator on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues and served as president and vice president of the Pride Alliance. He was a member of the engineering honors association Tau Beta Pi and the University Film Organization, and served as a Mathey College undergraduate fellow
From: News at Princeton
Naomi Leonard named the Wilsey Professor
Naomi Leonard has been named the Edwin S. Wilsey Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering as of 1 July 2008.
Professor Chung K. (Ed) Law has received the 2006 Alfred Egerton Gold Medal
Professor Szymon Suckewer awarded the APS 2007 Arthur Schawlow Prize
Professor Szymon Suckewer has been awarded the 2007 Arthur Schawlow Prize in Laser Science by the American Physical Society.
Satellite system may give ecologists a bird's-eye view
Jeremy Kasdin usually designs space systems to search for distant planets, but his latest endeavor is on the lookout for creatures close to Earth. Kasdin and Martin Wikelski, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, have collaborated with faculty colleagues and students to develop an innovative satellite system to track the migratory patterns of small birds. The researchers are now seeking support to launch the project.
Professor Wole Soboyejo has been named a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science.
Professor Wole Soboyejo has been named a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science. The Nigerian Academy of Science, established in 1977, is the top non-governmental honorific scientific society in Nigeria with the objective of promoting science and scientific activities. Its field of scientific activities comprises two main divisions of biological and physical sciences in their broadest sense. Its membership, currently at 99, consists of scientists elected as Fellows of the Academy in recognition of their contributions to science. The Academy is administered by a Council of 18 Fellows. It publishes learned journals in addition to its discourses, and proceedings, and arranges conferences, symposia, etc. It is an advisory body to the Government and, in collaboration with industries and other bodies, makes awards to scientists and scientific organizations.
The Department’s second Chair, Courtland D. Perkins, Doctor of Science h.c. 2001, died on Sunday, 6 January 2008.
The Department’s second Chair, Courtland D. Perkins, Doctor of Science h.c. 2001, died at his home in California on Sunday, 6 January 2008.
Emily Carter, elected a Member of the National Academy of Sciences.
Emily Carter, Arthur W. Marks '19 Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Applied and Computational Mathematics has been elected a Member of the National Academy of Sciences. She has also been made a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Memorial Resolution on the Death of Courtland D. Perkins
Philip Holmes named Eugene Higgins Professor
Philip Holmes has been named the Eugene Higgins Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering as of 1 July 2008.
Kolemen awarded Jacobus Fellowship
Egemen Kolemen, a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering has been awarded a top University prize, a Jacobus Fellowship. He received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from Boğaziçi University in Turkey. With the aim of imaging extra-solar planets, his research focuses on providing the dynamical framework for the next generation space-telescopy consisting of a formation of spacecraft.
Luke Uribarri awarded a Wallace Memorial Fellowship
Luke Uribarri has been awarded a Wallace Memorial Fellowship in Engineering for the 2007-08 academic year. Honorific fellowships recognize outstanding performance and professional promise, and represent high commendation from the Princeton University Graduate School.
The Wallace Memorial Fellowship was founded in 1930 by Bonnie Wallace LeClear and reconstituted in 1963 as one of the highest awards conferrable in the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Albert Lee *90 is Program Officer at NIH
Albert Lee *90 is Program Officer at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the National Institutes of Health. His work with other federal agencies is designed to stimulate researchers in the physical and engineering sciences to work on biomedical problems.
Alyssa Sandrowitz *02 has joined a DC Law Firm
Alyssa Sandrowitz *02 has joined the law firm of Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein and Fox based in Washington, DC. After graduating from Princeton, she earned her law degree from Washington College of Law at American University. Alyssa graduated in 2002 with a MSE under the direction of Professor Judy Wornat.
Craig A Woolsey *01 awarded the SAE Teetor Award
Craig A Woolsey *01, an Associate Professor at Virginia Tech. in Aerospace and Ocean Engineering has been awarded the Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award of the SAE. At Princeton, Craig obtained his Ph.D. under the mentorship of Prof. Naomi Leonard.
Peter Norgaard has received an SAES Teaching award
Peter Norgaard has received an Excellence in Teaching award from the School of Engineering and Applied Science for his contributions as an Assistant in Instruction for MAE 303 during the spring term of 2008.
Emily Carter elected to National Academy of Sciences and American Academy of Arts and Science
Emily Carter, Arthur W. Marks '19 Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Applied and Computational Mathematics has been elected a Member of the National Academy of Sciences. She has also been made a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
MAE Departmental Representative, Michael Littman was featured in a Daily Princetonian article " Cars, K'NEX and Clocks" written by Maxwell Weidmann, "Littman brings hands-on approach to his field."
Marlan O. Scully has been elected to Fellowship in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Smits named chair of American Physical Society division of Fluid Dynamics
Alexander Smits, chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, was named the chair of the Division of Fluid Dynamics of the American Physical Society at the society's annual meeting in November. The appointment is for a one-year term.
Socolow- National Academy
Robert Socolow has served on a National Academy of Engineering panel charged with identifying the greatest technological challenges facing society in the 21st century. The panel's activities can be accessed at: http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/default.aspx and you may also contribute your own ideas on the problems involved. Socolow's comments on this process can be found at: http://engineering.princeton.edu/news/socolow_08
Prof. Mun Y. Choi, Chair of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics at Drexel University , will become Dean of Engineering at UCONN
University of Connecticut will announce that Prof. Mun Y. Choi, Chair of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics at Drexel University , will become Dean of Engineering at UCONN, effective January 2008. Dr. Choi, MAE class of 1992, was a member of the Fuels and Combustion Research Laboratory, headed by Prof Frederick Dryer, while obtaining his degree, performing both experiments and numerical calculations related to isolated droplet combustion under microgravity conditions. His work was critical to developing the glove box (Fiber Supported Droplet Combustion, FSDC) and full facility (Droplet Combustion Experiment, DCE) experiments flown on STS-73, STS 83, and STS 94 shuttle missions in years following his departure from Princeton . Dr. Choi and Prof. Dryer have students whom have co-authored several archival papers and a book chapter on droplet combustion and sooting effects on isolate droplet burning over the past ten years. Currently, Dr. Choi and Prof. Dryer are collaborating as members of a team of University and NASA scientists involved in an experiment scheduled for operation on the International Space Station, addressing fire safety criteria for low gravity habitats and manned spacecraft missions.
Need for speed: Engineering propels champion cyclist
Jim Graf '72 now NASA's Deputy Director of the Earth Science and Technology Directorate
Jim Graf '72 who graduated from MAE after completing a senior thesis in Electric Propulsion is now NASA's Deputy Director of the Earth Science and Technology Directorate. Prior to this position he was the project manager for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter which is now returning high resolution photographs of Mars and acting in concert with the Mars reconnaissance rovers.
Kevin Bowcutt, chief scientist of hypersonics and a senior technical fellow at the Boeing Aircraft Company runs Junior Aircraft Design course
In the NOTEBOOK section of the 18 July 2007 Princeton Alumni Weekly there is a feature article about the junior year "Aircraft Design" course and the student project to design a plane that can fly at Mach 10 between Tokyo and New York in three hours for less that #100,000 per ticket! The course instructor was Kevin Bowcutt, chief scientist of hypersonics and a senior technical fellow at the Boeing Aircraft Company.
Nick Frey, MAE undergrad class of 2009, wins the US U-23 Time Trial Cycling Championship
Nick Frey, MAE undergrad class of 2009, won the US U-23 Time Trial Cycling Championship last week, and with that won an automatic bid to the U-23 world championship!
Martin was presented with the Alfred Rheinstein '11 Faculty Award
At the School of Engineering and Applied Science Class Day exercises, Professor Pino Martin was presented with the Alfred Rheinstein '11 Faculty Award. The award is intended to recognize and assist promising junior faculty members and carries a certificate and unrestricted funding of $30,000.00
Haataja was presented with the Howard B. Wentz, Jr. Junior Faculty Award
At the School of Engineering and Applied Science Class Day exercises, Professor Mikko Haataja was presented with the Howard B. Wentz, Jr. Junior Faculty Award.
The award is intended to recognize and assist promising junior faculty members and carries a certificate and unrestricted funding of $30,000.
Augustine '57, *59, Primary Speaaker at Congressional Briefing
Mr. Norman Augustine,'57, *59, Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lockheed Martin Corporation, was the primary speaker at a Congressional briefing entitled, "America, We Have a Problem." In 2005, Mr. Augustine chaired the National Academies' Committee that produced the highly regarded "Rising Above the Gathering Storm" report. Having recently authored a follow-up report entitled "Is America Falling Off the Flat Earth?," Augustine discussed America's competitiveness challenges and actions that have been taken to address concerns raised in the "Gathering Storm" report. Dr. Charles Vest, President of the National Academy of Engineering, served as the briefing moderator, while Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) provided opening remarks.
Moss '71 Running MIT's Media Lab
Frank Moss '71, a graduate from MAE who went on to obtain his Ph.D. from MIT is now running MIT's Media Lab. This is reported in the March 7, 2007 edition of the Princeton Alumni Weekly., together with a conversation with Moss.
Zhen Xia worked at the IBM corporate offices
Zhen Xia worked at the IBM corporate offices in Somers, N.Y., with senior marketing executives, including Florence Hudson who also earned a Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering degree from the Department in 1980. A full account can be found in EQuad News 20 #1 Winter 2007.
Konialian '09 Awarded SINIS Fellowship
Michael Konialian '09 is one of six juniors who were awarded a Scholars in the Nation's Service Initiative (SINIS) fellowship. Michael is combining his MAE studies with a Wilson School certificate. The Robertson Foundation will approve the selected scholars in its spring board meeting.
News@Princeton
Professor Clancy Rowley is participating in an efficient solar power project .
Professor Clancy Rowley is participating in an efficient solar power project , and is hoping to inspire a team of undergraduates to consider this arena for their Senior Thesis projects
Professor Emily Carter is to receive the 2007 American Chemical Society award for Computers
Professor Emily Carter is to receive the 2007 American Chemical Society award for Computers in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research.
Dr. Eli Harari *72 the CEO of SanDisk awarded CEO of the Year recognition by "Electronic Buisness."
Dr. Eli Harari *72 the CEO of SanDisk has been awarded CEO of the Year recognition by "Electronic Buisness." Dr. Harari is a member of the Departmental Advisory Committee and has provided the department with an endowed graduate fellowship -- The Britt and Eli Harari Fellowship.
Smits receives ASME and Pendray awards
Professor Alexander Smits has recieved the American Society of Mechanical Engineers 2007 Fluid Mechanics award, and the 2007 Pendray Aerospace Literature award for "his outstanding and significant contributions to the aerospace literature..".
Harvard University invites Prof. Marlan Scully as Morris Loeb Lecturer in Physics the fall term of 2007.
Harvard University has invited Prof. Marlan Scully to be a Morris Loeb Lecturer in Physics the fall term of 2007.
The Loeb Lectureship has a long and distinguished tradition. Phillip Anderson, Hans Bethe, Felix Bloch, James Cronin, Hans Dehmelt, P.A.M. Dirac, Enrico Fermi, Murray Gell-Mann, Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, Stephen Hawking, Werner Heisenberg, Gerard t'Hooft, Edwin Land, T.D. Lee, I.I. Rabi, Robert Schrieffer, Julian Schwinger, Jack Steinberger, Eugene Wigner, Edward Witten, Ken Wilson, and C.N. Yang have all been Loeb lecturers.
Linteris '79 *90 flies on Shuttle STS-83 mission
Dr. Greg Linteris, '79 *90, on leave from the National Institute of Standards and Testing, flew the shuttle STS-83 mission launched on April 4, 1997 as a Payload Specialist for the Microgravity Science Laboratory-1 (MSL-1) package carried aboard the orbitor.
Littman celebrated the 25th anniversary of Microprocessors in a Real-World
Professor Michael Littman celebrated the 25th anniversary of his course on microprocessors in a real-world environment by demonstrating his model train system to Alumni and their children.
Augistine awarded honorary Doctor of Laws
At the Commencement ceremonies on June 5th, Norman Augustine, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws. He obtained his undergraduate and master's degrees in Aeronautical Engineering from Princeton in 1957 and 1959, respectively. After spending nearly 20 years as an engineer at aerospace companies and serving twice as undersecretary of the Army, he joined the Martin Marietta Corp., a leading aerospace and defense manufacturer, in 1977, and became chairman and CEO. He then served as president of the Lockheed Martin Corp. upon its formation in 1995 and was named its CEO and chairman before retiring in 1997.
Professor and Departmental Chair Alexander Smits was recognized by receiving a President's Award
Professor and Departmental Chair Alexander Smits was recognized by receiving a President's Award for Distinguished Teaching at the Commencement ceremonies on 5 June 2007.
As noted in the citation: "He has supervised 27 Ph.D. and 21 MSE students and 14 postdoctoral researchers, who now participate in leading academic and industrial research groups around the world." "Working in the Smits group was an inspirational experience," wrote one former graduate student. "He affords his students a great freedom to explore fluid mechanics and begin to understand the research process, while sharing his extensive experience in a way that helps one pull the pieces of the field together."
Pino Martin presented with the Alfred Rheinstein '11 Faculty Award
At the School of Engineering and Applied Science Class Day exercises, Professor Pino Martin was presented with the Alfred Rheinstein '11 Faculty Award. The award is intended to recognize and assist promising junior faculty members and carries a certificate and unrestricted funding of $30,000.00
Mikko Haataja presented with the Howard B. Wentz, Jr. Junior Faculty Award
At the School of Engineering and Applied Science Class Day exercises, Professor Mikko Haataja was presented with the Howard B. Wentz, Jr. Junior Faculty Award. The award is intended to recognize and assist promising junior faculty members and carries a certificate and unrestricted funding of $30,000.
American Physical Society recognized four members of the MAE Department
In its Spring 2007 announcement of Prizes and Awards, the American Physical Society recognized four members of the MAE Department.
Professor Garry L. Brown was elected a Fellow "For seminal contributions to the understanding of structure and mixing in turbulent shear flows."
Professor Phillip John Holmes was elected a Fellow "For fundamental contributions to the theory of non-linear dynamics and the development of ground-breaking applications inclassical, solid and fluid mechanics, neuro-science, and cognitive pscylogy."
Professor Chung King Law was elected a Fellow "For sustained and outstanding contributions to the fundamentals of combustion, notably those on the dynamics and combustion of droplets, the dynamics, structure, extinction, and stability of flames, and flame chemistry."
Professor Szymon Suckewer was awarded the Arthur L. Schawlow Prize in Laser Science "For pioneering contributions to the generation of ultra-short wavelength femtosecond lasers and x-ray microscopy."
Smits Awarded President's Award for Distinguished Teaching
Professor and Departmental Chair Alexander Smits was recognized by receiving a President's Award for Distinguished Teaching at the Commencement ceremonies on 5 June 2007.
As noted in the citation: "He has supervised 27 Ph.D. and 21 MSE students and 14 postdoctoral researchers, who now participate in leading academic and industrial research groups around the world." "Working in the Smits group was an inspirational experience," wrote one former graduate student. "He affords his students a great freedom to explore fluid mechanics and begin to understand the research process, while sharing his extensive experience in a way that helps one pull the pieces of the field together."
Martinelli leads Airfoil Workshop
Professor Luigi Martinelli participated in the 2006 summer workshops for MAE students and led the students through the theoretical, computational and experimental processes needed to evaluate the characteristics of airfoils.
Professor Naomi E. Leonard is co-leader of a project involving undersea robots
Professor Naomi E. Leonard is co-leader of a project involving undersea robots for use in marine research.
Green skies: Engineer's work may reduce jet travel's role in global warming
Princeton Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Fred Dryer has a lofty goal: end the nation's reliance on oil for jet travel. With potentially major benefits for energy security and the environment riding upon his success, Dryer is advancing the fundamental knowledge of jet fuels while developing practical, innovative energy sources.