A professor at NC State University’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering was recently selected as the inaugural recipient of a new prestigious award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
MAE’s Andrew A. Adams Distinguished Professor and Associate Department Head for Research and Faculty Advancement Yong Zhu was chosen by ASME’s Applied Mechanics Division for the Zdeněk P. Bažant Medal, established in 2022 to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of mechanics through research, practice, teaching and outstanding leadership. The award will be presented during the 2024 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE) in Portland, Oregon this November.
“I am deeply honored to be selected as the inaugural recipient of the Zdeněk P. Bažant Medal. Professor Bažant is a legend and an inspiring leader in the field of applied mechanics,” Zhu said.
The award was named for Dr. Zdeněk P. Bažant, McCormick School Professor and Walter P. Murphy Professor of Civil Engineering and Materials Science in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University’s Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.
“Bažant is well-known for his definitive analyses of the collapse of the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001, and the excessive deflection and consequent tragic collapse of the Koror-Babeldaob Bridge of record span length in Palau in 1996,” a news release on the McCormick School’s website states, “His work has been implemented at structural engineering firms and companies such as Boeing, Chrysler, and Ford, and has improved the safety, sustainability, and efficiency of structures such as bridges, dams, buildings, aircraft, cars, ships, sea ice, and nuclear containments.”
Prof. Zhu’s research is focused on mechanics and engineering applications of nanomaterials. He has pioneered in developing microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) for in-situ electron microscopy mechanical testing of nanomaterials. He has made important contributions in understanding the size effects and deformation mechanisms of crystalline nanowires. A few notable examples include recoverable plasticity in twinned nanowires, anelasticity driven by point defect diffusion, detwinning under tension, hydrogen embrittlement in nanowires, and brittle to ductile transition in Si nanowires. Zhu has creatively employed nanomaterials for emerging applications such as stretchable electronics and soft robotics. His group has developed a variety of soft wearable sensors for human and plant health monitoring.
Zhu’s work has been recognized with numerous honors and awards. Recent recognitions include James R. Rice Medal from the Society of Engineering Science, Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and Gustus L. Larson Memorial Award from ASME and Pi Tau Sigma. He was named a University Faculty Scholar at NC State and received the Alcoa Foundation Engineering Research Achievement Award from the College of Engineering. He is a Fellow of ASME and Society for Experimental Mechanics (SEM).