Dean of Engineering Amir Faghri, who is the United Technologies Endowed Chair Professor of Thermal-fluids Engineering, was presented the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ (ASME’s) James Harry Potter Gold Medal for “significant and innovative research contributions to the field of thermodynamics of multiphase systems, with application to heat pipes, fuel cells and phase-change energy storage systems.” Dr. Faghri received the award during the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition in November 2005. ASME has 120,000 members and is the oldest professional engineering society in the world.
The medal is the most prestigious award presented in thermodynamics. It recognizes eminent achievement or distinguished service in the science of thermodynamics in mechanical engineering and is awarded for sustained research and teaching in thermodynamics.
His research has been concentrated in the areas of heat and mass transfer and fluid analysis in solidification and melting, enhanced heat transfer, boiling and condensation, two-phase flow and liquid impingement related to advanced transfer systems, heat pipe technology and thermal manufacturing. Dr. Faghri’s most profound contributions relate to his development of the fundamental theories that have enabled today’s widespread deployment of miniature and micro heat pipes in portable electronic components, including laptop computers.
Dr. Faghri has over 250 publications, including 150 journal articles, in the area of heat transfer and is the sole inventor of six U.S. patents. He has published two books, Heat Pipe Science and Technology (1995, Taylor & Francis) and Thermal Science Measurements (1991, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company). His third book, Transport Phenomena in Multiphase Systems with Phase Change, will be published by Elsevier in 2006. He has consulted with several major research centers, including Los Alamos, Oak Ridge National Laboratories and Intel Corporation. As principal investigator, he has received more than $12 million in funding support for research into heat and mass transfer and thermodynamics.
Dr. Faghri serves on the editorial boards of eight scientific journals. In addition to the James Harry Potter Gold Medal, he has received the 1998 ASME Heat Transfer Memorial Award (Art) and the 1998 AIAA Thermophysics Award. He is a Fellow of ASME.
