Jan D. Achenbach

Jan D. Achenbach
Jan D. Achenbach receiving the 2005 National Medal of Science from president George W. Bush
Born	20 August 1935 Leeuwarden, Netherlands
Citizenship	U.S.
Fields	Solid mechanics
Institutions	Columbia University; Northwestern University
Alma mater	Delft University of Technology; Stanford University
Doctoral advisor	Chi-Chang Chao
Doctoral students	Lambert B. Freund; Jianmin Qu
Known for	Wave Motion
Notable awards	William Prager Medal (2001) National Medal of Technology National Medal of Science Theodore von Karman Medal (2010) ASME Medal (2012) Timoshenko Medal

Jan Drewes Achenbach (born 20 August 1935) is a professor emeritus (Walter P. Murphy Professor and Distinguished McCormick School Professor) at Northwestern University. Achenbach was born in the northern region of the Netherlands, in Leeuwarden. He studied aeronautics at Delft University of Technology, which he finished with a M.Sc. degree in 1959. Thereafter, he went to the United States, Stanford University, where he received his Ph.D. degree in 1962. After working for a year as a preceptor at Columbia University, he was then appointed as assistant professor at Northwestern University.^[1]

Achenbach has developed methods for flaw detection and characterization by using contact transducers, imaging techniques and laser-based ultrasonics. He has also developed methods for thin-layer characterization by acoustic microscopy. Work is both analytical and experimental in nature, with extensive cooperation with investigators from other universities and from industrial organizations on theoretical experimental projects. Work in fracture mechanics has been primarily on dynamic fracture. He also carries out research on structural acoustics and on the mechanical behavior of composite materials.

Achenbach is the founding editor-in-chief of Wave Motion. He was editor in chief from the journal's establishment in 1979, until 2012.

Honors and awards

Awards

• 2012 – ASME Medal by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers^[2]
• 2010 – Theodore von Karman Medal by the American Society of Civil Engineers^[3]
• 2005 – National Medal of Science^[4]
• 2003 – National Medal of Technology^[5]
• 2001 – William Prager Medal by the Society of Engineering Science^[6]
• 1997 – Outstanding Service Award by the American Academy of Mechanics^[7]
• 1996 – McDonnell-Douglas Aerospace Model of Excellence Award by McDonnell-Douglas Aerospace^[8]
• 1992 – Timoshenko Medal by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers^[9]
• 1975 – Curtis W. McGraw Research Award by the American Society of Engineering Education^[10]

Memberships and fellowships

• Member of the National Academy of Sciences
• Member of the National Academy of Engineering
• Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Honorary Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1994)^[11]
• Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
• Corresponding Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences since 1999^[12]
• Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America
• Fellow of the American Academy of Mechanics

Books

• Achenbach, J. D. (2003). Reciprocity in elastodynamics. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-81734-9.
• ——; Gautesen, A. K.; McMaken, H. (1982). Ray methods for waves in elastic solids. Pitman Advanced Pub. Program. ISBN 0-273-08453-4.
• —— (1975). A theory of elasticity with microstructure for directionally reinforced composites. Springer. ISBN 978-3-211-81234-1.
• —— (1973). Wave propagation in elastic solids. North-Holland Series in Applied Mathematics and Mechanics. North-Holland. ISBN 0-7204-0325-1.

References

Footnotes

1. "Professor Achenbach, Research". Northwestern University. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
2. "ASME Medal". ASME. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
3. "Theodore von Karman Medal". ASCE. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
4. "President to Award 2005–2006 National Medals of Science and National Medals of Technology Honoring Nation's Leading Researchers, Inventors and Innovators". National Science Foundation. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
5. "Achenbach Awarded National Medal of Technology by President Bush". Northwestern University. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
6. "Jan D. Achenbach receives William Prager Medal". Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 110 (5): 2238–2238. 2001. Bibcode:2001ASAJ..110.2238.. doi:10.1121/1.4734372.
7. "AAM outstanding service award recipients". American Academy of Mechanics. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
8. "Team Wins Model of Excellence Award" (PDF). Center for Nondestructive Evaluation News 7 (2): 8. 1996. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
9. "Timoshenko Medal". ASME. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
10. "Past National Award Winners – Curtis W. McGraw Research Award". American Society of Engineering Education. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
11. "Book of Members, 1780-2010: Chapter A" (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
12. "J.D. Achenbach" (in Dutch). Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 14 July 2015.

Other

• Harris, J. G. (2002). "Editorial – A biographical note on Jan D. Achenbach with a foreword to the special issue". Wave Motion 36 (4): 307–309. doi:10.1016/S0165-2125(02)00026-4.
• Bazant, Zdenek P.; Qu, Jianmin (2002). "Preface". International Journal of Solids and Structures 39 (21–22): 5375–5378. doi:10.1016/S0020-7683(02)00353-0. – A volume in honour of Jan D. Achenbach
• "Contributors". IEEE Transactions on Sonics and Ultrasonics. SU-27 (3): 137–138. 1980. doi:10.1109/T-SU.1980.31164.

External links

• Jan D. Achenbach at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
• "Jan D. Achenbach". Mechanical Engineering – Department directory. Northwestern University. Retrieved 10 December 2010.