Alleyne, Sutherland elected to National Academy of Engineering

Two members of the MechSE family have been elected to the 2023 class of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE): adjunct professor Andrew Alleyne and alumnus John Sutherland.

One of the most prestigious professional distinctions given to an engineer, membership in the NAE honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.” The Academy elected 106 new members and 18 international members.

Alleyne was on the faculty of MechSE from 1994 to 2022 before becoming Dean of the University of Minnesota’s College of Science and Engineering (CSE) in January 2022. An accomplished researcher, educator and academic leader, while at Illinois he served as director of the Center for Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS), a multi-university research center sponsored by the National Science Foundation. At Illinois, Alleyne earned significant recognitions for his innovative research, his effective teaching, and his leadership in mentoring of junior faculty and in various administrative roles. He is widely recognized for his research to develop innovative systems and tools for energy and power systems, manufacturing systems, and transportation systems.  He was elected to the NAE based on his “contributions to modeling and control of dynamic thermal systems, with applications in aerospace, automotive systems, and buildings."

Sutherland, professor and the Fehsenfeld Family Head of Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University, was recognized “for research contributions to environmental sustainability in manufacturing and their implementation in industry.” He is a three-time department alumnus, earning his BS (1980) and MS (1982) in industrial engineering (at a time when the degree program was part of the MechSE department) and a PhD in mechanical engineering in 1987. He studied under Professor Emeritus Shiv Kapoor and the late Richard DeVor, both titans in the field of manufacturing research.  Sutherland is one of the world’s leading authorities on the application of sustainability principles to design, manufacturing, and other industrial issues.

Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during the Academy’s annual meeting on October 1, 2023.