Bashir, Dutta, and Hsia named AAAS Fellows

Three engineering faculty members--Rashid Bashir, Deba Dutta, and K. Jimmy Hsia--were among eight University of Illinois faculty member elected as Fellows in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

“These faculty members embody the spirit of excellence that characterizes Illinois scholarship,” said Phyllis M. Wise, the chancellor of the Urbana campus and a vice president of the university. “Such commitment to quality inspires their colleagues and students, and advances Illinois as a leader in academics, research and innovation.”
 

Bashir, a Bliss Professor of electrical and computer engineering and of bioengineering, was honored for distinguished contributions to the field of BioMEMS and biomedical nanotechnology, particularly development of miniaturized sensors for medical and biological applications. Bashir also directs the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory and is affiliated with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, the Institute for Genomic Biology and the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Lab.
  Dutta, the dean of the Graduate College and associate provost, was recognized for distinguished and sustained contributions to the field of product design automation and lifecycle management, and for leadership in interdisciplinary graduate education. He is the Gutgsell Professor of Mechanical Science and Engineering and a professor of industrial and enterprise systems engineering.


Hsia, a professor of mechanical science and engineering and of bioengineering, was chosen for contributions to applied mechanics including the understanding of crack propagation in brittle materials and the role of mechanics in biological materials. He is the associate vice chancellor for research for new initiatives, and is affiliated with the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory.

The Illinois researchers are among 539 new fellows chosen by their peers for their efforts toward advancing science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished. The new fellows will be honored at the AAAS annual meeting in February 2012.

AAAS is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing science around the world by serving as an educator, leader, spokesperson and professional association. Founded in 1848, AAAS serves some 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. AAAS is a global organization, with offices in Washington, D.C. and Cambridge, U.K., and award-winning news correspondents reporting from an array of countries. AAAS seeks to "advance science, engineering, and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people."
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Contact: Rashid Bashir, Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, 217/333-3097.

Deba Dutta, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, 217/333-6715.

Jimmy Hsia, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, 217/333-2321.

Writer: Liz Ahlberg, physical sciences editor, U of I News Bureau, 217/244-1073.

If you have any questions about the College of Engineering, or other story ideas, contact Rick Kubetz, editor, Engineering Communications Office, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 217/244-7716.