Micromechanics pioneer wins ASME engineering medal

Bernard Budiansky, professor emeritus of engineering at Harvard University, has won the ASME Medal of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. ASME, based in Washington, DC, established the medal in 1920 for "eminently distinguished engineering achievement." Budiansky's many accomplishments include a leading role in founding micromechanics, a relatively new branch of solid mechanics. Micromechanics examines the way microstructural features of materials affect the overall mechanical deformation and strength of solid bodies. Budiansky's early work in the field continues to assist physicists, material scientists, and design engineers.