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Three MIT engineers named to the National Academy of Engineering

Several alumni also elected among 68 new members announced today
From left to right: Michael Cima, Linda Griffith and Amedeo Odoni, MIT's newest inductees to the NAE.
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From left to right: Michael Cima, Linda Griffith and Amedeo Odoni, MIT's newest inductees to the NAE.

Three current faculty members — Michael Cima, Linda Griffith, and Amedeo Odoni — are among the 68 new members and nine foreign associates elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) on Feb. 8. MIT President Emeritus Charles M. Vest, NAE president since 2007, announced the new members this week.

Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering research, practice or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature."

Michael J. Cima, the Sumitomo Electric Industries Professor of Engineering in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, was recognized for his innovations in rapid prototyping, high-temperature superconductors and biomedical device technology.

Linda G. Griffith, the MIT School of Engineering Professor of Teaching Innovation, who has dual appointments in the biological engineering and mechanical engineering departments, was honored for her contributions to 3-D functional biomaterials, engineered hepatic tissues and cell transplant devices. Griffith is also the director of the Biotechnology Process Engineering Center.

Amedeo R. Odoni '65, SM ’67, PhD '69, the T. Wilson Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and professor of civil and environmental engineering, was acknowledged for his contributions and global leadership in air traffic control and airport systems.

“I offer my congratulations to Michael, Linda, and Amedeo for this very well-deserved recognition of their exceptional contributions to their fields,” says Ian Waitz, dean of the School of Engineering. “It is truly a benefit to us all that we have such outstanding colleagues in our MIT community. I look forward to formally recognizing and celebrating their achievements.”

Including the newest electees, 162 members of MIT’s engineering community have been elected to the NAE, 119 of whom are still actively pursuing research projects on the MIT campus. With this week's announcement, NAE's total U.S. membership expands to 2,290 and the number of foreign associates to 202. 

A number of MIT alumni were also named to the NAE, including Stuart L. Cooper '63; Daniel M. Hancock SM '73; Chris T. Hendrickson PhD '78; Cato T. Laurencin PhD '87; Donald Liu SB/SM ‘66; Ralph D. Masiello ‘68, SM ‘69, EE ‘70, PhD ‘73; Donald A. Norman ‘57; John A. Rogers SM ’92, PhD '95; and Thomas J. Richardson, PhD ‘90.

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