Panels

Synopsis: Nano/microscale heat transfer has become one of most active areas of research since 1992, when ASME organized the first special session on Fundamental Issues in Small Scale Heat Transfer during its Annual Winter Meeting held in Anaheim, California. Since then, physical devices have continuously shrunk from microns well into nanometers while ultrafast transient has shortened from pico-, femto- all the way to attoseconds. The rapidly expanding physical and mathematical contents to address the rapidly evolving new physical phenomena in this field have made effective transmission of knowledge in both research and education very challenging. To facilitate effective teaching and learning, this panel focuses on the educational aspects of nanoscale heat transfer at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. They include the development of textbooks, teaching tools, teaching methods, and mentorship. Panelists will share their experiences in an audience-centered discussion on approaches.

Panelists:
D. Y. "Robert" Tzou, University of Missouri
Gang Chen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Timothy Fisher, University of California Los Angeles
Liqiu Wang, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Chang-Ying Zhao, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

 

Synopsis: While the founder of this conference, Chang-Lin Tien, was dedicated to efforts focused on diversifying the field, this remains a challenge to this day. Panelists will discuss not only approaches for enhancing the recruitment of students/researchers from underrepresented populations, but also the need for enhanced retention. We must devote sustained and significant efforts to both recruitment and retention, with climate, in particular, as a focus. How do we make our workplaces and professional communities a place where women and underrepresented individuals enjoy working and want to continue to work. Panelists will share their experiences and the audience will participate in a discussion for audience-centered approaches.

MODERATOR
Pamela Norris
George Washington University
MNHMT 2024 General Conference Chair

Dr. Pamela Norris is the Vice Provost for Research at George Washington University and the Frederick Tracy Morse Professor Emerita of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at University of Virginia, where she previously served as Executive Dean and as Executive Associate Dean for Research and in the School of Engineering. She is recognized globally as a leading expert in nanoscale heat transfer, especially interfacial thermal transport with a focus on thermal management across a range of length scales. She holds patents for innovative thermal management techniques for jet-blast deflectors as well as for applications of aerogels in areas ranging from biological warfare detection to lab-on-a-chip to thermal insulation.

Dr. Norris is well-known for her mentoring skills and for her dedication to increasing diversity in the STEM disciplines. In 2016 she was honored with the Society of Women Engineers Distinguished Engineering Educator Award “for enduring, positive influence on students' lives as a gifted teacher, mentor, and role model; and for promoting greater diversity in STEM higher education. She is also well known for leadership in the field of nanotechnology education, chairing the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) National Nanotechnology Institute's Committee on Nanotechnology Education from 2003-2010 and organizing the first national Nano-Training Bootcamps, at the leading edge of the field. In 2021 she was elected as honorary member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers for international leadership in nano, micro and macroscale thermal science and engineering research; for tireless efforts to advance diversity in STEM fields; and for demonstrating engineering excellence as an outstanding mentor for students and faculty. She currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Nanoscale and Microscale Thermophysical Engineering. Dr. Norris received her Ph.D. from Georgia Institute of Technology and was a postdoctoral scholar at University of California, Berkeley.

 

PANELIST
Alexis Abramson
Thayer School of Engineering
Dartmouth

Alexis Abramson is the 13th dean of the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, where she has been since mid-2019. At Dartmouth, she leads an expansion of the school, putting human-centered engineering at the heart of engineering education, research, and practice. Alexis' research has focused broadly on thermal transport, from designing nanostructured materials to addressing building energy efficiency. Alexis also co- founded Edifice Analytics, a start-up that conducts virtual energy audits and manages building optimization. Prior to joining Dartmouth, she was the Maltz Professor of Energy Innovation at Case Western Reserve University and served as a director of the university's Great Lakes Energy Institute. During the Obama administration, Abramson held the role of chief scientist and manager of the Emerging Technologies Division at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Program. In 2018, she also served as technical adviser for Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a $1 billion effort launched by Bill Gates to combat human-driven climate. She received her BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University and her PhD from University of California, Berkeley.

 

PANELIST
Cynthia Hipwell
Texas A&M University

Cynthia Hipwell has been working in the area of technology development based upon nanoscale phenomena for over 25 years. She received her B.S.M.E. from Rice University and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Upon graduation, she went to work at Seagate Technology’s Recording Head Division in Bloomington, MN. During her nearly two decades at Seagate, she held multiple individual contributor and leadership roles including Executive Director of Advanced Mechanical Technology and Executive Director of Advanced Transducer (Electrical) Development, leading the electrical feasibility demonstration of heads for the radical new recording technology Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR). She was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering for "leadership in the development of technologies for areal density increase in hard disk drives" in 2016 as well as the National Academy of Inventors in 2018. In 2017, she joined the faculty of Texas A&M where she currently serves as the Oscar S. Wyatt, Jr. '45 Chair II in Mechanical Engineering and Director of INVENT Lab, conducting research in nanoscale heat transfer for electronics cooling and nano and microscale phenomena in the finger-device interface for haptics and dexterous robotics, as well as teaching classes in innovation and new product development.