VCU news

By Sathya Achia Abraham and Katharine Zambon

Two Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Alenka Luzar, Ph.D., a professor in the VCU Department of Chemistry, was recognized for distinguished contributions to the field of computational and theoretical chemistry, particularly for theoretical modeling and new applications of modern condensed matter science to confined liquids. Ramana M. Pidaparti, Ph.D., a professor in the VCU Department of Mechanical Engineering, was recognized for distinguished contributions to the field of computational mechanics and materials through multidisciplinary approaches, particularly for structural/material durability, biomaterials and nanoscience applications.

Luzar and Pidaparti were among 503 individuals honored by the AAAS on the basis of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science and its applications. The election as a fellow is an honor be2stowed upon AAAS members by their peers.
 
Luzar’s research interests include dynamics and structure of condensed matter, using theory and simulation techniques in statistical mechanics on a molecular and coarse-grained level, as well as neutron scattering. Her work in these areas offered fundamental advances and basic understanding of interfacial liquids and self-assembly, resulting in a number of highly cited publications over the last two decades. Confined liquids are ubiquitous in materials science, biology, engineering and geology. Understanding the changes in liquids dynamics and structure due to interactions with confining surfaces has far-reaching implications for fundamental science, as well as technological applications. Some examples include the design of self-cleaning surfaces, biological self-assembly and development of lab-on-a chip technologies.

“The honor of being selected an AAAS Fellow represents recognition by the broadest, most diverse scientific society in the world. It is an honor that goes beyond accomplishments in an individual field. I am delighted to receive this honor for my cited contributions, which I very much enjoyed working on. I am also thankful to my collaborators during all these years, to my research group and support from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy,” said Luzar.

Luzar has received a number of honors for her research accomplishments, including the 2010 Institute of Advanced Study Distinguished Fellowship from the University of Durham. She has been an elected fellow of the American Physical Society in the area of chemical physics since 2008. In 1997 she received the visiting Libra Professorship award from the University of Maine, and in1998, Luzar was awarded the National Science Foundation career development grant for outstanding women scientists. She is a member of the American Physical Society, American Chemical Society, Royal Society of Chemistry, Australian Chemical Society and the Virginia Academy of Sciences.

Pidaparti’s research interests are in MEMS, biological composites, multi-scale modeling methods, computational intelligence methods, and smart materials and structures. His work aims to develop models and analysis methods to better understand the basic mechanical and failure behavior of various material and structural systems. The developed engineering models will help designers to create better engineering products and avoid failures in many applications. His current research focuses on nature-inspired engineering research and education. Pidaparti’s research is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the Navy and other agencies.

“Being named an AAAS fellow is indeed a great honor any engineer can achieve, and represents a significant professional achievement for me, and a growing recognition that VCU is a great environment for interdisciplinary and collaborative research”, said Pidaparti.

He has published more than 180 technical papers in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings in the areas of computational mechanics related to composites, fracture mechanics, and biomechanics. In 2007, he published a book titled “Design Engineering and Mechanisms” by Pearson Publishing company.

In 1992, Pidaparti received a Young Investigator Award from the Whitaker Foundation and a Research Initiation Award from the National Science Foundation in 1991. He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics, and a member of the American Society of Engineering Education, and Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

New fellows will be recognized in February at the AAAS Fellows Forum during the 2011 AAAS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

The tradition of AAAS fellows began in 1874. The AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal, Science. AAAS was founded in 1848, and includes approximately 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals.