Richard Skalak (February 5, 1923 – August 17, 1997) was an American pioneer in

biomedical engineering Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare applications (e.g., diagnostic or therapeutic purposes). BME also integrates the logica ...

. He is known for his groundbreaking work in the mechanics of blood flow, bone growth, white blood cell response to infections, and biological implications and responses to implants.Skalak, T.C. (1999
''A Dedication in Memoriam of Dr. Richard Skalak''
Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering 1, 1-18.''Richard Skalak, Bioengineer 74''
The Record of

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

23(2), 1997. He won numerous significant scientific honors over his career, including election to the National Academy of Engineering in 1988.Hilchey, T. (1997
''Richard Skalak, 74, Pioneer In Bioengineering, Is Dead''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

.Chien, S. (2001
''Richard Skalak''
Memorial Tributes of the National Academy of Engineering 9, 254-259. He is the namesake of the

ASME The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing edu ...

br>Richard Skalak Award

Awards and honors

*Chair

Applied Mechanics Division The Applied Mechanics Division (AMD) is a division in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The AMD was founded in 1927, with Stephen Timoshenko being the first chair. The current AMD membership is over 5000, out of about 90,000 me ...

, 1979 *

Theodore von Karman Medal The Theodore von Karman Medal in Engineering Mechanics is awarded annually to an individual in recognition of his distinguished achievement in engineering mechanics, applicable to any branch of civil engineering. This award was established and endo ...

, 1987 *

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American Nonprofit organization, nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. It is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), along with the National Academ ...

, 1988 * Ted Belytschko Applied Mechanics Award, 1997 *Poiseuille Medal of the International Society of Biorheology *Fellow,

American Society of Mechanical Engineers The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing edu ...

*Fellow, American Academy of Mechanics *Fellow,

American Society of Civil Engineers The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is a tax-exempt professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, it is the oldest national engineering soci ...

*Fellow, New York Academy of Medicine *Fellow,

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...

References

1923 births 1997 deaths American bioengineers American Presbyterians Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science faculty 20th-century American engineers {{US-engineer-stub