Caltech's Ares Rosakis Named Foreign Member of the Royal Society

Ares Rosakis Joins the UK Scientific Academy: Ares Rosakis, Caltech’s Theodore von Kármán Professor of Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering, has been honored as a foreign member of the Royal Society, the United Kingdom’s national academy of sciences. Established in 1660 under the patronage of King Charles II, the Royal Society holds the distinction of being the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence. Rosakis is among 94 inductees this year, including 22 new foreign members. His election increases the number of Caltech faculty who are fellows or foreign members of the Royal Society to six.

Sir Adrian Smith, president of the Royal Society, expressed his delight in welcoming the new members. "I am pleased to welcome such an outstanding group into the Fellowship of the Royal Society," Smith stated. "This new cohort has already made significant contributions to our understanding of the world around us and continue to push the boundaries of possibility in academic research and industry. From visualizing the sharp rise in global temperatures since the industrial revolution to leading the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, their diverse range of expertise is furthering human understanding and helping to address some of our greatest challenges."

Pioneering Contributions to Engineering and Earthquake Science

Rosakis is celebrated for his interdisciplinary engineering work, particularly in developing high-speed diagnostic methods for studying failure phenomena across various scales. His research interests span the mechanics and physics of earthquake ruptures, the catastrophic failure of aerospace materials, and the reliability of microelectronic and optoelectronic structures and devices. Notably, in 1989, he was the first to observe intersonic shear delamination in impact-loaded composites and bi-materials. Additionally, in 2000, alongside Hiroo Kanamori, the John E. and Hazel S. Smits Professor of Geophysics, Emeritus, Rosakis experimentally discovered supershear earthquake ruptures, where the speed of the rupture exceeds the velocity of seismic shear waves. This groundbreaking work included studying the magnitude-7.8 earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023.

The Illustrious Academic Journey of Ares Rosakis

Rosakis’s academic journey began at the University of Oxford, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1978. He then proceeded to Brown University, obtaining his master’s and doctoral degrees in 1980 and 1982, respectively. After joining Caltech as an assistant professor in 1982, he climbed the academic ranks, becoming an associate professor in 1988 and a full professor in 1993. He was appointed the von Kármán Professor in 2004. Rosakis has also held significant administrative roles, including serving as the director of GALCIT from 2004 to 2009, chair of the Division of Engineering and Applied Science from 2009 to 2015, and Booth Leadership Chair from 2013 to 2015.

Recognition and Awards of Ares Rosakis

Throughout his career, Rosakis has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards and honors. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2016 and is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the historic Academy of Athens, the Indian National Academy of Engineering, and three European academies. He has received numerous honors, including the highest honor from each of these societies, the Timoshenko Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (2018), the Theodore von Kármán Medal from the American Society of Civil Engineers (2016), the Eringen Medal from the Society of Engineering Science (2011), and the William M. Murray Lecture from the Society of Experimental Mechanics (2005). In 2012, he was named Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the Republic of France. Additionally, Brown University awarded him the Horace Mann Medal in 2021, recognizing him as an outstanding alumnus.

A Legacy of Excellence

Rosakis’s election to the Royal Society is a testament to his significant contributions to engineering and science. His pioneering research and numerous accolades highlight a career dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what is possible and furthering human understanding. As a new foreign member of the Royal Society, Rosakis continues to inspire and lead in the fields of aeronautics and mechanical engineering, setting a high standard for future generations of scientists and engineers. Visit Education Post News for more such news from top universities around the world.