IN THIS ISSUE: ENGINEERING | LAS
engineering
Horsing around
Janet Snyder, a graphic designer at Assembly Hall, recently was chosen as one of 10 finalists in the national art competition “America the Beautiful,” sponsored by The Trail of Painted Ponies. For the competition, artists transform 2-foot tall, marble-cast horse sculptures. Snyder’s design, “For Spacious Skies,” was selected as a finalist in The Spirit of America category. People may view the painted ponies and vote for their favorite through June 30 at www.trailofpaintedponies.com. The top three designers will receive cash prizes and their designs will be crafted into figurines.
Richard Buckius, professor of mechanical engineering, received the Charles Russ Richards Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The award recognizes outstanding achievement in mechanical engineering within 10 to 20 years of graduating.
Buckius’ many notable research contributions have enhanced fundamental knowledge in the thermal sciences, specifically in the areas of radiation heat transfer, convective transport and conduction.
In addition, Buckius is serving the National Science Foundation as assistant director of the Directorate of Engineering and has a key role in setting the agenda for engineering research and overseeing NSF’s nearly $600 million engineering research and education budget.
Huseyin Sehitoglu, C.J. Gauthier Professor and head of the department of mechanical science and engineering, received the 2007 Nadai Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Established in 1975, the Nadai Medal recognizes distinguished contributions to the field of engineering materials. Sehitoglu was honored “for outstanding contributions to a greater understanding of mechanical behavior of metals through the integration of mechanics and materials science.” Sehitoglu is the director of the Fracture Control Program, a consortium of ground vehicle companies.
Larry Hubert, the Lyle Lanier Professor of Psychology, has been elected as a foreign member of the Humanities and Social Sciences Division of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. The academy promotes the quality of scientific and scholarly work in the Netherlands and strives to ensure that scholars and scientists make the best possible contribution to the cultural, social and economic development of Dutch society.
Richard Jerrard and John Wetzel, professors emeriti of mathematics, are part of a four-person team that will be honored with the George Polya Award by the Mathematical Association of America, which honors excellence in exposition among articles published in the College Mathematics Journal in 2006.
The paper concerns an ambiguously worded problem in the 2003 New York State Regents examination, which asked for the longest straw that could fit into a 3-inch by 4-inch by 8-inch box. The authors pondered whether a literal interpretation of the problem might lead to a different answer. The article led readers through the many geometric, algebraic, numerical and computational twists and turns in seeking a more accurate solution to the problem.
The award will be presented at the MathFest Prize Session to be Aug. 4 in San Jose, Calif.
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