The National Academy of Engineering has named University of Michigan professors Ellen Arruda and Mark Daskin among its newest members. Additionally, Noboru Kikuchi, emeritus professor, was selected. Induction into the NAE is one of the highest honors bestowed on engineers in the United States.
“This signature accomplishment by these esteemed faculty members represents the leadership and excellence we value at Michigan Engineering,” said Alec D. Gallimore, the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Richard F. and Eleanor A. Towner Professor of Engineering, and professor of aerospace engineering.
Arruda, professor of mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, and macromolecular science and engineering, was commended for her pioneering research in polymer and tissue mechanics and their application in innovative commercial products.
Among her recent projects is a shock-absorbing material that could be used in protective gear including helmets. While current helmets are good at spreading the impact of a blow spatially so as not to damage the skull, they will need to also diffuse the force over time if they are going to be effective at protecting the brain. Her polymer structures can provide that kind of protection.
Daskin, Clyde W. Johnson Collegiate Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering, chair and professor of industrial and operations engineering, and professor of operations and management science, was recognized for leadership and creative contributions to location optimization and its application to industrial, service and medical systems.
His current research focuses on supply chain design under uncertainty, humanitarian logistics, and drug shortages.
Daskin is known for his involvement in INFORMS, a society for operations research, management and analytics, serving as its president in 2006. He also has served as an editor in many capacities, often for the Institute of Industrial Engineers, now the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers.
Noboru Kikuchi, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Central R&D Labs Inc. in Aichi, Japan, and the Roger L. McCarthy Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering, was credited for his contributions to theory and methods of computer-aided engineering and leadership in their applications in the automotive industry worldwide. He served on the College of Engineering’s faculty from 1980 to 2015.
These professors are among the 84 new members and 22 foreign members of the NAE, bringing the organization’s total U.S. membership to 2,281 and the number of foreign members to 249. They join 27 other NAE members at U-M.
