Christensen named APS Fellow

MechSE professor Kenneth Christensen has been named a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), an honor bestowed to no more than one half of one percent of the society’s membership.

A Kritzer Faculty Scholar, Christensen also serves as MechSE's Associate Head for Undergraduate Programs and Associate Head for Mechanics Programs. He has been a member of APS since 1996. He received his PhD from Illinois in 2001 in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. Christensen has been a member of the department ever since, becoming a full professor in 2012. He has received numerous honors, including receiving the College of Engineering Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research in 2012. Christensen's research focuses on experimental fluid mechanics, including turbulence microfluidics, bio-fluid dynamics, and multiphase flows. He is the director of the Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Flow (LTCF), a center for the pursuit of fundamental experimental research in a variety of areas of fluid mechanics.

The criterion for election as an APS Fellow is exceptional contributions to the physics enterprise; e.g., outstanding physics research, important applications of physics, leadership in or service to physics, or significant contributions to physics education. Fellowship is a distinct honor signifying recognition by one's professional peers.

The American Physical Society (www.aps.org) is a non-profit membership organization working to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics through its outstanding research journals, scientific meetings, and education, outreach, advocacy and international activities. APS represents over 50,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories and industry in the United States and throughout the world. Society offices are located in College Park, MD (Headquarters), Ridge, NY, and Washington, DC.