news from the Congress 11/20/03

ASME Acknowledges the Contributions of Nine Engineering Leaders at its Annual Honors Assembly

WASHINGTON — Last night, ASME paid tribute to nine leaders of the engineering profession at the Honors Assembly at the Congress. ASME's highest honor — Honorary Membership — was conferred upon three ASME members at the lavish audio-visual ceremony. Six additional engineers were honored with other ASME awards.

Richard Rosenberg, Karl J. Springer and John A. Swanson became ASME Honorary Member grade at the event. Honorary Membership is bestowed upon individuals for distinguished service that contributes significantly to the attainment of the goals of the engineering profession.

Richard Rosenberg was named an Honorary Member for his eminent contributions to the development of nuclear technology, in particular groundbreaking work in the design, development, testing, quality control, and servicing of mechanical components and systems, and for more than a half century of distinguished service to ASME. Rosenberg, who is an ASME Fellow and former president, has been a member of ASME for 50 years and has held leadership positions for most of that time. He was president of ASME in 1987.

Karl J. Springer was named an Honorary Member for developing test methodologies for measuring emissions of smoke, odor and particulate matter from internal combustion engines and advancing this understanding via an extensive publishing activity. Springer, an ASME Fellow, is now retired. He was vice president of Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. This is not his first Society honor; he has already been presented both the Honda Medal and ASME's Dedicated Service Award. He has been an ASME member since 1957.

ASME Fellow John A. Swanson received his Honorary Membership for his pioneering work in the application of finite-element methods to engineering, including the development of the ANSYS computer code used widely in the computer-aided engineering industry. Swanson is president of Swanson Analysis Services Inc., of Moneta Va. He has been a member of ASME since 1963.

Also at the honors celebration, Norman R. Augustine received the ASME Medal for his outstanding leadership in engineering, particularly as a teacher and mentor for the next generation of engineering leaders. The ASME Medal is given to individuals for eminently distinguished engineering achievement. Augustine, an ASME member, is the retired chairman and chief executive officer of Lockheed Martin Corp. He has been a member of ASME since 1998 and received the Ralph Coats Roe Medal in 1996.

James A. Perry was awarded the Melvin R. Green Codes and Standards Medal at the assembly for his distinguished leadership and professionalism in the development, advancement and international recognition of ASME Codes and Standards; and for his pioneering efforts in the development, understanding and standardization of quality programs for application in power plants and other facilities. The award is given to individuals for their outstanding contributions to codification, standardization and certification. Perry, a retired ASME Fellow, has been an ASME member since 1978 and has held a number of society leadership positions, including post on the Council on Codes and Standards and the Board on Nuclear Codes and Standards. He received ASME's Dedicated Service Award last year and the B.F. Langer Nuclear Codes and Standards Award in 1999.

Inés R. Triay was honored at the ceremony with the Dixy Lee Ray Award for her outstanding scientific, engineering, and managerial contributions to the solution of high-level radioactive and transuranic wastes, in particular her pioneering research establishing criteria for acceptability of disposal sites, which has led to substantial increases in the disposal rate of transuranic wastes nationwide and to significant reductions of the risk of mishaps and subsequent human and environmental dangers. The award is given to people for significant achievements and contributions in environmental protection. Triay is the manager of the U.S. Department of Energy's Carlsbad Field Office in Carlsbad, N.M.

The Ralph Coats Roe Medal was conferred upon Vernon J. Ehlers for his outstanding contributions toward a better public understanding and appreciation of the engineer's worth to contemporary society as exemplified by excellence in teaching, research, writing, or increasing public awareness of engineering accomplishments. The award is given to individuals for significant contributions to understanding the engineer's worth to society. Ehlers is the U.S. Congressional Representative, Third District-Michigan. Ehlers' list of accomplishments in Congress is long and varied. Throughout his eight-year tenure, he has helped rewrite U.S. science policy, led efforts to computerize the House and build a more efficient Internet structure, and introduced many bills to ensure conditions for economic prosperity and quality education.

Peretz P. Friedmann, the Francois Xavier Bagnoud Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan, received the Spirit of St. Louis Medal for his seminal contributions to aeroelasticity and structural dynamics, particularly as applied to analysis, design optimization, and vibration reduction in helicopters which have had exceptional impact on the understanding of aeromechanical behavior and the design of rotorcraft systems. The medal is given to individuals for meritorious service in the advancement of aeronautics and astronautics. Friedmann, who is also director of the university's FXB Center for Rotary and Fixed Wing Air Vehicle Design, is a world-renowned leader in aeroelasticity and structural dynamics. He has held a number of leadership posts in the Society since he became a member in 1974.

The M. Eugene Merchant Manufacturing Medal of ASME/SME was presented to Branimir F. Von Turkovich for his significant influence on the advancement of the art and practice of machining in industry through fundamental research on dislocation mechanics and application of thermodynamics to machining; and for the development of hard coatings on high-speed steel tools, design of machine tools and milling cutters for high-speed machining and machining of hard materials. The award is given to engineers who have had significant influence and responsibility for improving the productivity and efficiency of manufacturing operations. Turkovich is professor emeritus of the mechanical engineering department at University of Vermont, Jericho, Vt. As director of the National Science Foundation's division of design and manufacturing, von Turkovich was able to influence the development of manufacturing research in the United States. His work there had much to do with increasing the prominence of that division.




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