June 7, 2024
By Ashley Ritchie

Seven faculty members in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering have been awarded various endowed professorships, effective July 1, 2024. Recipients include:

• Brandon Dixon, associate chair for undergraduate studies and professor, awarded a Woodruff Professorship
• Marta Hatzell, associate professor, awarded a Woodruff Professorship
• Satish Kumar, professor, awarded the Frank H. Neely Professorship
• Michael J. Leamy, director of graduate studies and professor, awarded a Woodruff Professorship
• Jerry Qi, professor, awarded a Woodruff Professorship
• Ankur Singh, professor, awarded the Carl Ring Family Professorship
• W. Hong Yeo, associate professor and Woodruff Faculty Fellow, awarded the Harris Saunders, Jr. Professorship

These professorships recognize each of the recipients for their outstanding research accomplishments, leadership in their fields, and the contributions they have made to Georgia Tech and the Woodruff School.

Each faculty member will hold their position for a five-year term and receive discretionary funding to support their students, and for activities that will enhance the School's culture and strategic plan. The endowed professorships were made possible by the families of Georgia Tech alumni Frank H. Neely, Carl Ring, Harris Saunders, Jr., and George W. Woodruff.

"We are fortunate to have exceptional faculty in the Woodruff School and I could not have asked for a better group for this endowed professorship search," said Devesh Ranjan, Eugene C. Gwaltney, Jr. School Chair and professor.

This brings the number of endowed chairs and professorships awarded under Ranjan's leadership to 17. Recognition of the outstanding contributions of students, faculty, and staff and supporting their continued growth has been a top priority for Ranjan during his two and half years as school chair.

"We are grateful to our dedicated alumni who continue to support the growth of the School," he said.

About the Research

Dixon’s research is centered on developing engineered approaches to understanding and treating diseases of the lymphatic system.

Hatzell’s research is focused on exploring sustainable catalysis and separations, with applications spanning from solar energy conversion to desalination.

Kumar’s research is centered on investigating energy transport and conversion in electronic materials and devices at different length scales.

Leamy’s research interests are in emerging and multidisciplinary areas of engineering science, with an emphasis on nonlinear dynamical behavior in structures, materials, and complex systems.

Qi's research is focused on the mechanics and 3D printing of soft active materials to enable 4D printing methods and the recycling of thermosetting polymers.

Singh’s research is focused on creating biomaterials-based immune tissues to mimic the structure and function of lymph nodes to study interactions between cells and cell decision-making.

Yeo’s research is centered on developing new biomedical devices to enhance human healthcare through advanced health monitoring, disease diagnosis, therapeutics, and persistent human-machine interfaces.