May 14, 2007

Zikry, Hawari Garner Alcoa Foundation Engineering Research Awards

The Alcoa Foundation Engineering Research Awards for 2007 were presented to Dr. Mohammed A. Zikry, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and Dr. Ayman I. Hawari, associate professor of nuclear engineering and director of the Nuclear Reactor Program, at the spring faculty meeting for the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University. Zikry received the Alcoa Foundation Distinguished Engineering Research Award, made to a senior faculty member for research achievements over a period of at least five years at NC State. Hawari was awarded the Alcoa Foundation Engineering Research Achievement Award, intended to recognize young faculty who have accomplished outstanding research achievements during the preceding three years.

Zikry is a leading expert in computational modeling and mechanics, failure models of heterogeneous ductile and brittle systems, dynamic behavior of structures and materials, experimental solid mechanics, micromechanics, and active materials. His broad knowledge of solid mechanics, materials science, and mathematics has enabled him to advance the mechanics of materials research. He is particularly celebrated for his seminal research in developing physically based models of plastic deformation by incorporating continuum dislocation descriptions directly into crystal plasticity and elucidating the roles of high angle grain boundaries and triple point junctions on the propagation of cracks in materials. He has written 49 refereed journal articles and 32 refereed conference papers; has made 86 invited research presentations at conferences; and has one patent pending. Named an ASME Fellow in 2004, Zikry received the Ralph Teetor Educational Award in 2001 and a Senior Fulbright Research Award in 2006. He received his Ph.D. in applied mechanics from the University of California-San Diego in 1990 and joined the faculty the same year.

Recognized as a leader in the areas of Generation IV nuclear power reactors and fundamental neutron physics, Hawari has succeeded in establishing the NC State PULSTAR reactor as one of the top university research reactors in the country. Among his most notable achievements are his introduction of innovative methods for calculating the neutron scattering law for materials of importance to Generation IV reactor design, research in the area of neutron slowing down and thermalization, development of accurate methods for simulating filter effects in the design of thermal neutron beam experiments, and development of the only high-intensity positron beam for nanoporosity at a U.S. reactor. Hawari has written 42 refereed journal articles and 17 refereed conference papers and has made 9 invited research presentations at conferences. He received his Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in December 1995 and joined the faculty in 2002.

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