Two engineering faculty members were part of the second class of Presidential Impact Fellows, which were recently announced by Texas A&M University President Michael K. Young and Provost and Executive Vice President Carol Fierke. The 2018 honorees from the College of Engineering are Dr. Diego Donzis and Dr. Jodie L. Lutkenhaus.
The 2018 class of Presidential Impact Fellows includes 21 faculty members across Texas A&M’s 16 colleges and schools, two branch campuses and comprehensive university libraries. Each recipient will receive an annual stipend of $25,000 for the next three fiscal years to accelerate their teaching, research and service efforts. The honorarium helps foster opportunities to dialogue and collaborate with other leading scholars and create new partnerships. The award also confers the lifetime title of Presidential Impact Fellow.
“Texas A&M University is proud to invest in our amazing faculty who continue to make significant impacts through teaching, research and service efforts,” Young said. “These rising stars are meeting the challenges in their field and demonstrating what influence they have toward creating a better world.”
Donzis is an associate professor and co-director of the Graduate Studies Program in the Department of Aerospace Engineering. His research interests are large-scale, high-performance computing, fluid dynamics, turbulence and turbulent mixing.
Lutkenhaus is holder of the William and Ruth Neely Faculty Fellowship and an associate professor in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering. Her research interests focus on polymer thin films, coatings, electroactive polymers, polyelectrolytes and energy storage. Lutkenhaus’ ultimate research goal is to create a 100-percent polymer battery.
The award winners were identified by their college and dean and confirmed by the academic leadership. Each is considered to be a candidate for continued, or new, national and international acclaim.
“This honor is clear recognition of the excellence of these faculty in their scholarly endeavors,” Fierke said. “They are among the nation’s very best and will continue for many years to make transformational impacts that reach far beyond the walls of Texas A&M.”
The 2018 Presidential Impact Fellows were formally recognized in a ceremony Oct. 25.