Congratulations to Professors Jan Achenbach, Zdenek Bazant, Pol Spanos, Zhigang Suo and Wei Yang for receiving the ASME awards

In addition to the ASME awards related to the Applied Mechanics Division, some prestigious society awards will be given to mechanicians at the IMECE, Houston, Texas, in November 2012.

Professor Jan Achenbach  of Northwestern University will receive the ASME Medal.  [ASME Medal, established in 1920, is the highest award that the Society can bestow and is to recognize “eminently distinguished engineering achievement.”  Only one ASME Medal may be awarded annually.]

Professor Zdenek Bazant  of Northwestern University will become an ASME Honorary Member.  [An Honorary Member shall be a person who has made “distinctive contributions” to engineering, science, industry, research, public service, or other pursuits allied with and beneficial to the engineering profession. Honorary Membership was first awarded in 1880, the founding year of the Society.  The roster of Honorary Members contains the names of leaders of world renown who have been selected under carefully drawn procedures rigorously maintained by the Society over the years.  In 1962, the ASME further defined this statement as “distinguished service that contributes significantly to the goals of the engineering profession”.  While this definition may sometimes imply career-long dedicated activity, that alone is not adequate for this highest level of Society Membership.  The Board of Governors may elect up to five Honorary Members each year.]

Professor Pol Spanos  of Rice University will receive the Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award.  [The Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award is presented to the engineering graduate who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in mechanical engineering twenty years or more following graduation.]

Professor Zhigang Suo  of Harvard University will receive the Robert Henry Thurston Lecture Award.  [The Robert Henry Thurston Lecture, presented annually at the International Mechanical Engineering Congress, provides an outstanding leader in pure or applied science or engineering with the honor of presenting to the Society a lecture that encourages stimulating thinking on a subject of broad technical interest to engineers.]

Professor Wei Yang , President of Zhejiang University, China, will receive the Calvin W. Rice Lecture Award.  [The Calvin W. Rice Lecture was founded in 1934 to honor the man who served as Secretary of the Society from 1906 to 1934. It is intended to continue the effort for which Calvin W. Rice was known, to increase understanding among engineers of various countries.]