Professor of Aeronautical Structures, Dr. John Argyris, FEng, FRS
Dr. Argyris was presented, by HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, with the Royal Academy of Engineering's highest award, the Prince Philip Medal on November 24th, 1997. The medal is not awarded every year, but meritously to honour the greatest engineering advances. Only three previous medals had been presented prior to Dr Argyris's award: Sir Frank Whittle (inventor of the jet engine), Sir Dennis Rooke (an eminent engineer, former President of the Royal Academy of Engineering and previous Chairman of BG plc.), and naturalised American and British educated Professor Charles Kao (inventor of the glass-fibre optic cable). Together with Professor Ray Clough (also awarded in 1997 with Professor Argyris) they are the only recipients of theis great honour; five medals in all. During the 1940's and early 50's, Professor John Argyris and Professor Ray Clough inependantly developed a mathematical technique known as 'finite element analysis', an epochal design tool in the history of science and engineering. Professor Argyris is a world authority in the analysis of aircraft structures. Amongst many projects he modelled the heat shield that protected the Apollo spacecraft on it's re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere. In John's own words, 'Computers were the key to using the technique ... At first we had manual electromagnetic calculating machines that couldn't cope with more than 64 unknowns. It took me nine hours to solve equations that take less than a second now!' Although in his early eighties, Professor Argyris is presently writing a new book on star collapse and black holes. Acknowledgement: Some of the above extracts are by kind permission of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Consultant Chartered Architect Dr. Arthur Quarmby, Dipl.Arch, FRIBA, Hon.DSc, PBESA, FRSA
Dr. Quarmby's early work is being re-discovered. Some of his early designes using innovative materials, such as plastics, are being exhibited by the Architectural League of New York, USA. Other work is due to be exhibited in Paris by the French architects' professional body, and a comprehensive selection of slides of Dr. Quarmby's work is to be included in the Royal Institute of British Architects' (RIBA) archives.
Professor of Information Management Dr. Michael Brittain BSc, MA, PhD, FinfSc
Dr. Brittain has been appointed to the new School of Communications and Information Studies at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. We wish Michael well with his new challenge and as the institute's representative in New Zealand and the Oceanic regions.
Council members are reminded to make contact with the institute when they feel that it is appropriate due to their own changing circumstances for inclusion within the newsletters. The institute is then able to keep members informed of news of it's Executive Council Members.
New Executive Council Members
Nobel Laureate Prof. Dr. Jerome Karle, BS, PhD, DR.h.c.mult.
Dr. Karle along with Dr. Herbert A. Hauptman developed mathematical methods for deducing the molecular structure of chemical compounds from the patterns fromed when X-rays are diffracted ny their crystals. He worked on the 'Manhattan Project' between 1943-44 and thereafter became chief scientist within the US government. Amongst his many eminent positions Dr. Karle has been the President of the American Crystallographic Association, Chairman of the US National Committee for Crystallography of the National Academy of Science and National Research Council and President of the International Union of Crystallography. He is a Charter Member of the Senior Executive Services, Fellow of the American Physics Society, Member of the NAS and was the joint-recipient of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1985 and has received many eminent international honours and awards. Dr. Karle is a visionary scientist of the first order.
Society President Dr. A. K. Banerjee, OBE, JP, MBBSCal, FRCPLond, FRCPEdin, FRCPGlasg, FRCPIrel
Dr Banerjee is a Consultant Physician and President of the British Geriatrics Society (1996-98). He has held medical appointments on two continents. Dr. Banerjee is consultant physician in early medicines at Bolton General Hospital and medical director of Bolton Hospital Trust. He is Honorary clinical lecturer in geriatryic medicine at the University of Manchester and was consultant to the NH Advisory Service, member NWRHA between 1987-94 becoming NWRHA's vice-chairman between 1992-94. Dr. Banerjee was a member of the geriatric committee, RCP London panel of experts for National Registered Homes together with being a member of CCSC between 1986-94. He has many authoritative medical publications to his name. Dr Banerjee's work is of the very highest significance as the average life-span age of the world's population increases by the year. Medicines for old age that prolong life and extend it will be in great demand. Dr. Banerjee's work is of fundamental imortance in enriching, enhancing and extending the life-span cycle of all humankind.
Architect, Industrial Designer, Inventor and Writer Xanthos Menelaou
Initially trained as an architect, but realising the gigantic needs that arise from the homelessness in the world, environmental problems caused by the wastefulness of huge amounts of energy by our present methods of construction (60% of all primary energy produced in developed nations is used in our buildings) turned to industrial design and the creation of low-cost housing systems that can be erected by semi-skilled and non-skilled people and systems that exploit solar energy in buildings. His theories and systems on jointing assisted NASA to redesign the joints of parts of their Apollo rockets, after the shuttle disaster of 1986. In 1992, and before the R10 Coference on the Environment, staged at Westminster University, London, and exhibition of his work entitled 'Thermodynamic Architecture, Energy and the Built Environment' relating to the conservation of energy in buildings and proposals for technological solutions. Amongst his publications include 'On aspects of Innovation', 'The Economics of Sisyphus (Greek Science)', 'The Energy Instinct due to Entropic Causes', 'Thermodynamic Architecture' and 'Nanostructures'. Mr Menelaou is presently collaborating with the institute for the purpose of turning some of his inventions into industrial bases as well as creating the basis for assisting other scientists and inventors to turn their ideas into 'real' industries and products.
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INEED, P.O. Box A60, Huddersfield HD1 1XJ, ENGLAND