A team led by Vikram Gavini, professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at the College of Engineering, has won the Association for Computing Machinery’s Gordon Bell Prize. The team developed code that brought quantum mechanical accuracy for large systems into the range of today’s supercomputers. Other team members from U-M are: Sambit Das and Bikash Kanungo, assistant research scientists in mechanical engineering; Vishal Subramanian, a Ph.D. candidate in materials science and engineering; and Paul Zimmerman, professor of chemistry in LSA.
Richard Laine, professor of materials science and engineering and of macromolecular science and engineering in the College of Engineering, is one of six winners of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2023 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. Laine won in the academic category. His team has developed multiple ways of refining the rice hull ash to produce a compound called spirosiloxane that can then be used to produce high purity silica as well as lithium-ion conducting polymers, which have potential for use in solid state batteries. Laine is also working to turn the leftover silica-depleted ash into electrodes for lithium-ion supercapacitors.
Anthony Elliott, professor emeritus of music in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, was recognized by Chamber Music International as “Artist of the Season” at its recent concert in Dallas. In announcing the award, Artistic Director Philip Lewis cited Elliott “based upon extraordinary artistry over several seasons of performances with CMI,” plus “a career filled with chamber music performances.” Elliott was also hailed for his “continuing support for the mission of CMI.” This marks the second time Elliott has been selected by CMI as “Artist of the Season.”
Chris Taylor, media consultant lead with LSA Technology Services, is the recipient of the 2023 Adam Miller Staff & Faculty Award recognizing a faculty or staff member who makes, or has made, an outstanding contribution to the life of a student with a disability at U-M. The $1,000 award was established by Marlene and Alex Miller, parents of Adam Miller, a U-M student diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 2 at age 7 and who died in 1999. Taylor has gone above and beyond to help provide access for students, working with Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services Disability Access Coordinators, other U-M faculty, Communication Access Realtime Translation providers, and U-M staff to help ensure students have access to the university educational environment.
Robert D. Hanson, a professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering, has been awarded the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute’s George W. Housner Medal for 2024 in recognition of his contributions to earthquake hazard reduction through education, research, international cooperation and public service. The Housner Medal is awarded to recognize individuals who have made extraordinary and lasting contributions to public earthquake safety through the development and application of earthquake hazard reduction practices and policies. It is the most prestigious award of the institute. In his 40-year academic career, Hanson’s research focused on repair of reinforced concrete buildings and passive control of earthquake response of buildings.
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