By Josh Perry, Editor
[email protected]

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) recently awarded its prestigious Heat Transfer Memorial Award to Dereje Agonafer, a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a distinguished professor of mechanical engineering at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), according to a report from the university.

Dereje Agonafer, a UTA professor in the Department of
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. (UTA)

The ASME site described the award as being “based on achievement through publications, patents or inventions, in an area of heat transfer or through the application of science or art of heat transfer. One award may be made annually in each of the three following categories: the science of heat transfer, the art of heat transfer, or the general subject of heat transfer.”

It is awarded to individuals that have contributed to the field of heat transfer through teaching, research practice, and design, or a combination. It was established in 1959.

Agonafer was honored for his contributions in the fields of thermo/mechanical design of microelectronics systems, especially his use of CFD in the design process and the correlation of electrical and thermal design.

According to the school, he has graduated more than 220 students and has 13 doctoral and 15 master’s students currently working under him. Several of his current students have also been honored by the ASME. Agonafer holds nine U.S. and six foreign patents and published more than 230 papers, two books, and several chapters.

“Agonafer is site director for the Industry University Collaborative Research Consortium in Energy-Efficient Systems, a National Science Foundation consortium aimed at finding clean solutions to pressing energy problems,” the article said. “UTA is collaborating on the project with Binghamton University and Villanova University, along with 15 companies, including Facebook, Microsoft, General Electric, Verizon, Comcast and CommScope. Launched in 2011, the I/UCRC was recently awarded Phase II funding to continue through 2022.”

For more information about the award, visit https://www.asme.org/about-asme/get-involved/honors-awards/achievement-awards/heat-transfer-memorial-award.