News Release

Professors Raphael Haftka and C. T. Sun to receive AIAA-ASC James H. Starnes Jr. Award

Grant and Award Announcement

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

March 23, 2009 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the American Society for Composites (ASC) congratulate the winners of the inaugural AIAA-ASC James H. Starnes, Jr. Award, Raphael T. Haftka, Distinguished Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida, and C. T. (Chin-Teh) Sun, Neil A. Armstrong Distinguished Professor of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at Purdue University.

Hafkta and Sun will receive the award at an awards luncheon at noon on May 6, as part of the 50th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, held May 4-7, 2009, at the Palm Springs Convention Center/Wyndham Palm Springs, Palm Springs, Calif.

The AIAA-ASC James H. Starnes, Jr. Award is presented to recognize continued significant contribution to and demonstrated promotion of the field of structural mechanics over an extended period of time emphasizing practical solutions, to acknowledge high professionalism, and to acknowledge the strong mentoring of and influence on colleagues, especially younger colleagues. The award commemorates James H. Starnes Jr., a leader in the fields of structures and materials.

Haftka is being recognized for pioneering work on optimization techniques for composite structures, mentoring of countless undergraduate and graduate students, and exemplary service to the profession. He completed his education at The Technion, Israel, and the University of California, San Diego. Prior to joining the University of Florida faculty, he was with Israeli Aircraft Industries, NASA, The Technion, Illinois Institute of Technology, and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He has written two textbooks and several hundred papers on structural and multidisciplinary optimization, and has coauthored papers with hundreds of his students and his peers.

Sun is being recognized for four decades of unparalleled contributions to composite materials research, scholarly publications, and professional activities, and for his mentoring of students. He received his undergraduate education at the National Taiwan University, obtained a Ph.D. in 1967 from Northwestern University, and joined the faculty at Purdue University in 1968. His research interests include composite materials, fracture mechanics, and nanostructured materials.

###

For more information on the AIAA-ASC James H. Starnes, Jr. Award, or the AIAA Honors and Awards Program, please contact Carol Stewart 703.264.7623 or at carols@aiaa.org.

ASC is a group of dedicated professionals in academia, industry, national laboratories and federal agencies. Their mission is to provide a communication forum for the engineering and scientific community in composites, to expedite the growth of knowledge gained from interdisciplinary engineering and scientific research, and to promote the exploitation of the unique properties of composite materials in emerging applications. For more information, visit www.asc-composites.org.

AIAA advances the state of aerospace science, engineering, and technological leadership. Headquartered in suburban Washington, D.C., the Institute serves over 35,000 members in 65 regional sections and 79 countries. AIAA membership is drawn from all levels of industry, academia, private research organizations, and government. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org.

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Suite 500, Reston, VA 20191-4344
Phone: 703.264.7558 Fax: 703.264.7551 www.aiaa.org


Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.