The Oregon State University Honors College is pleased to recognize its 2019 Eminent Professors, Dr. Bob Mason from the Department of Integrative Biology and Dr. Jim Liburdy from the School of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering.
Since 2002, Dr. Robert (Bob) Mason has served as chair of biology and since 2014 as associate head, acting head and director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Integrative Biology. In those roles, he has facilitated offering honors biology courses, including the popular Biology 21xH series and upper-division course options. He has also taught honors biology courses and was a thesis mentor to six honors students, a few of whom became co-authors on published papers.
Dr. Mason, the J.C. Braly Curator of Vertebrates at Oregon State, conducts research both in the laboratory and in the field that focuses particularly on the red-sided garter snake and bridges the gap between biochemistry and behavioral ecology, incorporating laboratory analysis of hormones or pheromones with animal behavior. In addition, he recently served as the president of the Oregon State Faculty Senate. In recognition of his many contributions to the Honors College and OSU communities, a committee of faculty peers selected Dr. Mason as the 2019 Sandy and Elva Sanders Eminent Professor in the Honors College.
Dr. James (Jim) Liburdy came to Oregon State in 1998 as the inaugural James R. Welty Professor of Mechanical Engineering. He has taught numerous honors courses, including engineering science, introductory fluid mechanics, experimental fluid dynamics in nature and heat transfer. In the classroom, he has been a leader in integrating multidisciplinary perspectives and experiential learning.
In his experimental fluid dynamics in nature course, for example, students explore how nature adapts and thrives within its moving fluid environment and how both plants and animals respond to their changing environment. He has mentored seven honors students through their thesis research involving thermal-fluid sciences. His own research currently focuses on developing and understanding the use of flapping airfoils for energy production. His work is a combination of experimental and theoretical methods in the development of models to predict power production based on biomimetic designs of wind turbines. He has served as Chair of the Fluid Dynamics Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering.
The Honors College Eminent Professor awards are made possible through the generosity of Honors College donors, particularly Ruth Beyer and Joseph (Sandy) and Cheryl Sanders. For a list of previous honorees, see http://honors.oregonstate.edu/faculty-awards.
By Kristi Quillen: Graduate Teaching Assistant, Honors College
CATEGORIES: All Stories Courses and Faculty