TAU Engineer Awarded Prestigious Benjamin Franklin Medal
Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Prof. Zvi Hashin honored for work on composite materials

On April 26, Prof. Zvi Hashin of Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Engineering was awarded the Benjamin Franklin Medal at a ceremony in Philadelphia. The award, which is distributed by the storied Franklin Institute, is considered the oldest and most comprehensive science and technology honor in the U.S. and around the world.

Prof. Hashin, who established TAU's mechanical, materials and structural engineering department, is one of the world's leading experts in composite materials and mathematical models. According to the award citation, he was honored for his "groundbreaking contributions to the accurate analysis of composite materials, which have enabled practical engineering designs of lightweight composite structures, commonly used today in aerospace, marine, automotive, and civil infrastructure."

The Medal, which was established in 1824 and named after the great American inventor and diplomat, honors excellence in fields of science and technology including chemistry, computer and cognitive science, environmental and earth sciences, life sciences, electrical engineering and physics. Past honorees include Alexander Graham Bell, Marie and Pierre Curie, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, and Bill Gates.

Each year, prize laureates are invited to Philadelphia for a week-long series of events and activities that celebrate their achievements and broaden public awareness of their advancements.

For the full story on Prof. Hashin's Franklin Medal, see the Jerusalem Post story:
http://www.jpost.com/Health/Article.aspx?id=266613

For more American Friends of Tel Aviv University news, click here.

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