Profs Westmoreland, Velev and Haugh Honored for Career Accomplishments

Professors Phil Westmoreland, Orlin Velev and Jason Haugh have received awards and honors based on professional accomplishments throughout their careers.

Professor Westmoreland has been elected a member of the inaugural class of Fellows (a lifetime honorific title) of The Combustion Institute. The Institute is an international, non-profit, educational and scientific society that “promotes and disseminates research activities in all areas of combustion science and technology for the advancement of many diverse communities around the world.”

According to the Institute web site, “Fellows are recognized by their peers as distinguished for outstanding contributions to combustion, whether it be in research or in applications.” Phil’s election is based on his “innovative research in pollution control, pre-soot chemistry, and the development of Flame MBMS and mechanistic modeling.” MBMS refers to molecular-beam mass spectrometer.

Professor Velev was selected to receive a 2018 Langmuir Lecturer Award from the Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry of the American Chemical Society.

The Award is named in honor of Irving Langmuir, the renowned American chemist and physicist and 1932 Nobel Laureate. It seeks to recognize researchers who have demonstrated excellence in science and have made major innovative contributions to colloid science and surface science. With his award, he joins a distinguished group of prior Langmuir Lecturers.

Orlin is the INVISTA Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the 33rd recipient of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Award for Excellence in Teaching, Research and Extension. His many other awards include the Alcoa Foundation Distinguished Engineering Research Award, the Alumni Association Outstanding Research Award, and the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award.

He also has the distinction of being named a Fellow in two professional societies: the Materials Research Society and the American Chemical Society. Only small percentages of engineers and scientists are selected as Fellows of one technical society.

Professor Haugh (B.S. ’94) has been selected to receive the College of Engineering’s 2018 Alcoa Foundation Distinguished Engineering Research Award. The Alcoa Award, made to a senior faculty member for research achievements over a period of at least five years at NC State, is among the most prestigious awards bestowed by the College to recognize research achievements.

Professor Haugh’s primary research interest is in the area of mammalian cell biology, specifically, the field of signal transduction between cells. The topic deals with the biochemical mechanisms by which cells respond to external stimuli. Since 2000, his research laboratory has implemented a quantitative approach that combines biochemical measurements, live-cell fluorescence microscopy, and computational modeling to study signal transduction through analysis of its kinetics and spatial patterns in cells. The work has implications for cancer, immune regulation, and wound healing.

Professor Haugh’s other awards include selection as an NCSU Faculty Scholar, the Alcoa Foundation Engineering Research Achievement Award, the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

As an aside, this is the second time in the twenty-two year history of the Alcoa Foundation Distinguished Engineering Research Award that a CBE faculty member has been selected for the Award in three consecutive years of the annual competition. In total, CBE faculty members have received ten of the twenty-two Awards given (as researchers, CBE faculty members rock!).

Congratulations to Professors Westmoreland, Velev and Haugh for your career excellence and these well-deserved awards.