William A. Sirignano Elected to National Academy of Engineering
UCI RESEARCHER ELECTED
TO NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING
William A. Sirignano is Fourth Engineering Professor Elected to Elite Engineering Society
Irvine, Calif., Feb. 21, 2002 - A UCI engineering professor whose work has helped to conserve energy and minimize pollution emitted by combustion engines has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, the nation's preeminent society of engineers.
William A. Sirignano, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and chemical engineering and materials science in The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, is the school's fourth engineering academy member. The others are Alfredo H.S. Ang, emeritus professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Masanobu Shinozuka, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Robert H. Liebeck, adjunct professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the same congressional charter as the prestigious National Academy of Sciences. The approximately 2,000 Academy members are selected through a rigorous peer-reviewed process based upon their pioneering and original contributions to the field. Election to the National Academy of Engineering is one of the highest professional distinctions accorded an engineer.
"Sirignano is a researcher of great distinction whose work has advanced scientific knowledge of combustion and propulsion," Chancellor Ralph J. Cicerone said. "His excellence in research has been widely recognized and contributes to the overall quality of the university." "With his innovative research in fluid dynamics, Sirignano is eminently deserving of election into this select group of engineers," said Nicolaos G. Alexopoulos, dean of The Henry Samueli School of Engineering.
"I am honored to be elected into the Academy," Sirignano said. "I intend to uphold the traditions of the national academy, providing public service in an advisory capacity and aiming for the highest quality in all ventures."
Sirignano's research employs mathematical and computational methods to better understand the behavior of liquid fuels in a variety of engine types, including rocket, turbojet, diesel and stationary gas turbine engines. His work is exceptional in its approach - he has studied the dynamics of minute fuel droplets in order to better understand the macroscale workings of the combustion engine. Sirignano's fundamental research findings appeared in his most recent book, "Fluid Dynamics and Transport of Droplets and Sprays," published in 1999 by Cambridge University.
The professor joined UCI in 1985 as dean of the engineering school, a role he held until 1994. He previously served as the George Tallman Ladd Professor and head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie-Mellon University, and as professor at Princeton University. Sirignano earned a doctorate in aerospace and mechanical sciences from Princeton in 1964.
Sirignano's research has been recognized by numerous professional societies. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Physical Society, American Society for Mechanical Engineering, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He has garnered national and international research awards, the most recent being the Alfred C. Egerton Medal in 1996 for his contributions in combustion research.
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering encompasses the departments of civil and environmental engineering, chemical engineering and materials science, electrical and computer engineering and mechanical and aerospace engineering. The school also is home to numerous research centers, including the Center for Pervasive Communications, National Fuel Cell Research Center, Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility and Center for Biomedical Engineering. In addition, the school is an integral part of the newly founded California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology, one of three California Institutes for Science and Innovation. Additional information is available at www.eng.uci.edu.
Contact: Nicole Knight, Director of Communications
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
University of California,
Irvine
(949) 824-3088
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE: A TOP-10 PUBLIC UNIVERSITY
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