Epureanu, Ulsoy Earn Outstanding Achievement Awards
Bogdan Epureanu
Assistant Professor Bogdan Epureanu and Professor A. Galip Ulsoy earned Outstanding Achievement awards from the ME department for their significant contributions to the area of Dynamics, Systems and Controls.
Epureanu explores non-linear dynamics and fluid-structure interactions, in cutting-edge applications such as structural health monitoring, aerodynamics and aeroelasticity, computational and bio-dynamics. For example, he has developed a novel concept, nonlinear feedback excitation, to interrogate with high performance dynamical systems. This innovative method can increase the sensitivity of sensors or damage detection by two orders of magnitude. Working with colleague, Associate Professor Edgar Meyhöfer, he developed an original and advanced mechanistic model of the cooperation of molecular motor proteins, such as kinesin.
Epureanu has received an NSF CAREER Award, the American Academy of Mechanics' 2004 Junior Achievement Award, the 2003 ASME-Pi Tau Sigma Gold Medal Award and the ASEE 2004 Outstanding New Mechanics Educator Award. He recently completed a summer faculty research program at the Air Force Research Laboratory at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He serves as faculty advisor of Pi Tau Sigma and conducts outreach activities with the Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum.
Of the Outstanding Achievement Award Epureanu said, "I was deeply honored to be a co-recipient with Professor Ulsoy--I hold him in such high esteem. I was also surprised to be chosen. There are so many fine researchers and teachers in the department, so it means that much more to me."
A. Galip Ulsoy
Ulsoy's research centers on the adaptive control of machining operations and the modeling and theory of axially translating elastic materials. His group also developed the first theoretical modal analysis of rotating shafts.
Ulsoy, who has been on the U-M faculty since 1980, was the founding deputy director of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center on Reconfigurable Manufacturing. He is credited, along with colleague and ME professor Yoram Koren, with developing the concept of reconfigurable manufacturing systems. Their papers on the subject are widely cited.
Ulsoy, currently the William Clay Ford Professor of manufacturing, has earned several best paper awards and has advised over 30 PhD students. He founded the College's Program in Manufacturing and has served in nearly every leadership role within the department, including as chair from 1998 to 2001. He has served as a leader off campus as well, most recently as director of the NSF's Civil and Mechanical Systems division. He will be inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in October.
Honored by the Outstanding Achievement recognition, Ulsoy says it is "rewarding to see that the basic work we do gets used and has an impact on engineering practice and the economy."
