ASME Honors Assembly Pays Tribute to Eleven Individuals for Engineering Achievement

NEW YORK, Oct. 18, 2011 – ASME will honor eleven individuals for exemplary contributions and service to the engineering profession at the 2011 ASME Honors Assembly on Nov. 14, beginning at 5:30 p.m., at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.

Included among the award recipients will be Thad W. Allen, Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard (Ret.) who led the environmental restoration of the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April 2010. Ioannis N. Miaoulis, Ph.D., the president of the Museum of Science in Boston, who has spearheaded numerous programs for advancing STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education nationwide, will also be honored.

This multimedia program titled “A Celebration of Engineering,” will showcase the work and contributions of some of today’s leading engineering innovators and educators, including those who have made extraordinary contributions to ASME. 

Among this group of distinguished honorees will be Yvonne C. Brill, inventor of a jet engine for low earth orbit communications satellites, and Clayton Daniel Mote Jr., Ph.D., creator of a comprehensive theory on the dynamics of flexible moving structures.  Thomas P. Pastor, a leader in the Society’s codes and standards programs, and the late Ranga Komanduri, Ph.D., who championed interdisciplinary research at Oklahoma State University, will be recognized for their achievements.

ASME will also bestow honorary memberships to Adrian Bejan, Ph.D., Joseph A. Falcon, Nathan H. Hurt, Junuthula N. Reddy, Ph.D., and Paul J. Torpey.  Falcon, Hurt and Torpey have served as past presidents of ASME.

The 2011 honorees are:   

Thad William Allen
Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard (Ret.) RAND Corporation
Award: Dixy Lee Ray Medal

Thomas P. Pastor
HSB Global Standards
Award: Melvin R. Green Codes and Standards Medal

Yvonne C. Brill
Aerospace Consultant
Award: Kate Gleason Award

Ranga Komanduri, Ph.D.
Oklahoma State University
Award: M. Eugene Merchant Manufacturing Medal

Loannis N. Miaoulis, Ph.D.
Museum of Science
Award: Ralph Coats Roe Medal

Clayton Daniel Mote Jr., Ph.D.
University of Maryland
Award: ASME Medal

Adrian Bejan, Ph.D.
Duke University
Award: Honorary Membership

Joseph A. Falcon
J.A. Falcon & Associates
Award: Honorary Membership

Nathan H. Hurt
Retired
Award: Honorary Membership

Junuthula N. Reddy, Ph.D.
Texas A&M University
Award: Honorary Membership

Paul J. Torpey
Retired
Award: Honorary Membership

The ASME honors and awards program is funded through the ASME Foundation by individual awards and endowment funds.

The Honors Assembly is held in conjunction with the 2011 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition.  The Congress will include technical sessions and presentations on aerospace technology, transportation, bioengineering, energy and the environment, fluid mechanics, and other subjects.  The conference runs Nov. 11-17.

About ASME

ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world. For more information visit www.asme.org.