December 12, 2008 

MEDIA CONTACT: Michelle Sherrard
(202) 994-1423; mcs1@gwu.edu

GW PROFESSOR MICHAEL PLESNIAK NAMED A FELLOW OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY

WASHINGTON - Michael Plesniak, GW professor of engineering and applied science and chairman of the University's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, has been named a fellow of the American Physical Society. Each year, no more than one-half of 1 percent of the society's membership is recognized by their peers for election to the status of Fellow in the Society.

Dr. Plesniak was elected a fellow for "fundamental contributions to understanding complex turbulent shear flows including the effects of curvature, multiple strain rates, three-dimensional boundary layers, and non-canonical jets in crossflow," as stated in the organization's citation. Dr. Plesniak has made significant contributions to education and research in the discipline of fluid dynamics, specifically in the field of turbulent flow physics for applications ranging from gas turbine cooling to biological flows. His current research interests include: bio-fluid mechanics, turbulence transport and mixing enhancement, cavitation, three-dimensional boundary layers, gas turbine cooling, environmentally-benign consumer aerosol sprays, and entrainment control.
 
"All of us at GW's School of Engineering and Applied Science are very proud of Professor Plesniak being named a fellow of the American Physical Society," said David Dolling, dean of GW's School of Engineering and Applied Science and professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering. "This is a significant career achievement and a mark of the respect that his peers have for him and his work."

Dr. Plesniak holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, and B.S. and M.S. degrees from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He formerly was a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University, the Eugene Kleiner Professor for Innovation in Mechanical Engineering at Polytechnic University of New York, and the director of the Fluid Dynamics and Hydraulics Program at the National Science Foundation. He joins four other current GW faculty members who also are fellows of the American Physical Society.

"I am deeply honored to have been selected for this recognition by my colleagues in the American Physical Society," said Dr. Plesniak. "This achievement was made possible by the many excellent collaborators and supporters with whom I have worked. There are many people that I must thank and acknowledge for their contributions to my research program, primarily all my graduate students over the years. I share this honor with all of them, and I am proud to be among the ranks of the other distinguished faculty fellows of the American Physical Society at GW."

The American Physical Society Fellowship Program was created to recognize members who have made advances in physics through original research and publication, or made significant innovative contributions in the application of physics to science and technology. They may also have made significant contributions to the teaching of physics or service and participation in the activities of the society.

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