Sofronis named Bayne Professor

The MechSE Department has announced that Professor Petros Sofronis will become the new James W. Bayne Professor. This professorship will become effective August 16, 2013, followed by an official investiture during the Fall 2013 semester.

Professor Petros Sofronis is the director of the International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I²CNER), a joint project on energy between Kyushu University and the University of Illinois, with a large number of participating institutions from all over the world. Professor Sofronis’ education and research orientation are in the area of mechanics of materials. His research methodology involves solid mechanics and computational techniques, and in particular, linear and nonlinear finite element analysis. Professor Sofronis and his I²CNER team are currently developing and verifying a lifetime prediction methodology for failure of materials used in gaseous hydrogen environments. This work, coupled with strategies to avoid material degradation, is essential for the rapid assessment of using the available alloy systems and for the development of new alloys tailored for use in hydrogen related applications. His collaborators include Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and companies such as ExxonMobil Research and Engineering. Professor Sofronis holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Theoretical & Applied Mechanics from the University of Illinois and a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Aristotelian University in Greece.

The professorship's namesake, Professor James W. Bayne, instructed, inspired, and led students of mechanical and industrial engineering for more than 50 years. He was a beloved member of the department both because of his ability to instruct in the classroom and for his personal dedication and interest in the lives of so many students.

Even after he retired as Associate Head of Undergraduate Programs, Professor Bayne continued to serve the department by building up its Alumni Board. His list of honors and awards is long and distinguished, and it is an important legacy for the current and the future holders of the Bayne Professorship to uphold his standards of commitment to his students.

Alexander Rankin V (BSME '57) and his wife, Joanne, established the Bayne Professorship in 2000.