Posted: February 19, 2008

Meyyappan, Director of NASA's Center for Nanotechnology, to receive 2008 IEEE Judith A. Resnik award

(Nanowerk News) The IEEE has named Meyya Meyyappan as the recipient of its 2008 Judith A. Resnik Award, recognizing his contributions and leadership in the emerging field of nanotechnology, particularly carbon nanotubes and their applications in sensors, instrumentation and nanodevices in both aerospace and industrial applications. The IEEE is the world’s leading professional association for the advancement of technology.
Sponsored by the IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems, IEEE Control Systems and IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Societies, the award recognizes Meyyappan for the development of nanoscience and technology in aerospace applications and leadership in nanotechnology. The award will be presented to Meyyappan on 3 March 2008 at the 2008 IEEE Aerospace Conference in Big Sky, Mont.
Meyyappan is director of the Center for Nanotechnology, NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., which he helped found, in 1991. The Center is considered the strongest nanotechnology research laboratory of any of the federal laboratories, and through his efforts, has become one for the largest and most creative in U.S. government. Meyyappan’s focus, carbon nanotubes, is a versatile technology that can produce metallic or semiconductor materials, enabling the substance to be used in a wide range of applications. Nanotubes’ unique mechanical properties, such as enhanced strength and conductivity, make them ideal for large scale manufacturing in the auto and aerospace industries, as well as in computer chips and sensors. Inorganic nanowires, Meyyappan’s other area of interest, allow materials traditionally used in applications like lasers, transmitters and sensors to be grown with structures smaller than present day materials.
An IEEE Fellow, Meyyappan is currently the association’s Distinguished Lecturer on Nanotechnology and president of its Nanotechnology Council. Meyyappan is the recipient of numerous awards, including NASA's Outstanding Leadership Medal; the Arthur Flemming Award from the Arthur Flemming Foundation and George Washington University; the U.S. President's Meritorious Award; and Engineer of the Year award from the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Meyyappan received his doctorate degree from Clarkson University, Potsdam, N.Y., and is a founding member of the Interagency Working Group on Nanotechnology established by the Office of Science and Technology Policy. The group is responsible for putting together the national nanotechnology initiative. He has authored or co-authored more than 150 articles and made over 200 speeches around the world on nanotechnology related subjects.
About the IEEE
The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.) is the world’s largest technical professional society. Through its more than 370,000 members in 160 countries, the organization is a leading authority on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Dedicated to the advancement of technology, the IEEE publishes 30 percent of the world’s literature in the electrical and electronics engineering and computer science fields, and has developed nearly 900 active industry standards. The organization also sponsors or co-sponsors over 450 international technical conferences each year. Additional information about the IEEE can be found at http://www.ieee.org
Source: IEEE