Brian Lattimer named a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Brian Lattimer, professor and interim department head of mechanical engineering, has been named a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Lattimer is the director of the Extreme Environments and Materials Lab, which focuses on safety in extreme environments primarily related to fire. Over his 26-year career in industry and academia, he has been a principal investigator or co-principal investigator on more than 50 projects totaling over $28 million in funding. These projects have included a multitude of applications including building design, ship construction, electric vehicles, passenger rail transportation, environmentally friendly fire suppression, and robotic firefighting.

He was the principal investigator in the development of full-size humanoid robots for the U.S. Navy to perform watch and fire suppression on ships. His research also has provided scientific understanding of physical processes in fires and material behavior, such as burning and ignition of building materials when exposed to firebrand showers in wildfires.

“My passion for engineering has always been about how you can use it to improve society through research, design, and education,” said Lattimer. “I am humbled and honored by my selection as fellow in ASME for my work related to fire safety and am thankful to the students, collaborators, mentors, sponsors, and my family who have helped make it possible. ”

Recently, Lattimer collaborated with two colleagues to develop firefighting foams that are not harmful to the environment. This research is being funded by the Department of Defense for $1.2 million.

His work has been cited more than 3,400 times, and he currently carries an H-index of 34 and i10-index of 81. He also has mentored 42 graduate students and over 55 undergraduate students in research.

His research has been supported by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, Strategic Environmental Research and Development, Environmental Security Technology Certification Program, Office of Naval Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and various industry sponsors. He has authored and co-authored more than 169 peer-reviewed journal articles and refereed papers in conference proceedings.

Lattimer is one of 15 faculty members in the Department of Mechanical Engineering to have held the title of ASME fellow.

Established in 1880, ASME aims to “advance engineering for the benefit of society.” It currently has more than 85,000 members from 140 countries. In order to be selected as a fellow — a “membership grade of distinction” recognizing “significant engineering achievements” — an ASME member must have been in active practice for at least 10 years and have been an active corporate member of ASME for at least a decade as well.