1997 Buessem Award Recipient
Robert E. Newnham is Alcoa Professor Emeritus of Solid State Science at the Pennsylvania State University. He served as Chairman of the Solid State Science program for 18 years.
Prior to joining the Penn State faculty, Dr. Newnham taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a staff member of the Laboratory for Insulation Research. A native of upstate New York, he is a graduate of Hartwick College (B.S., Mathematics), Colorado State University (M.S., Physics), Penn State (Ph.D., Physics and Mineralogy), and University of Cambridge, U.K. (Ph.D., Crystallography).
Professor Newnham’s research interests are in structure-property relations, electroceramics, and composite materials for electronic applications. He is the author of four books, more than 400 research papers, and 20 patents on ferroelectric and piezoelectric sensors and actuators. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, past president of the American Crystallography Association, and Distinguished Lecturer for the Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Section of IEEE. Professor Newnham has served as Program Chairman for the International Symposium on Applications of Ferroelectrics (ISAF) and as Secretary of the International Meeting on Ferroelectrics (IMF-5). He has been an invited speaker at many meetings, especially those concerned with composite transducers and smart materials.
Dr. Newnham has been the recipient of many honors and awards in his field. Among them are: Ceramic Educator of the Year, Ceramic Education Council (1990); the John Jeppson Medal for “distinguished, creative, and inspiring contributions to ceramic science, technology, and education in the area of electronic ceramic materials” (1991); the First International Ceramics Prize, Academy of Ceramics “for distinguished, creative, and exceptional interdisciplinary contributions to the advancement of ceramic science and culture, especially in composite electroceramics, including intelligent ceramics” (1992); the Humboldt Senior Scientist Award (1994); the Albert Victor Bleininger Memorial Award “for distinguished achievement in the field of ceramics” (1995); the Turnbull Lecture of the Materials Research Society and Life-time membership in the American Ceramic Society (1996).
The Center for Dielectric Studies presented Dr. Newnham with the Wilhelm R. Buessem Award at the CDS Awards Dinner on November 19, 1997.