Outstanding Achievement Award Recipients 2005-2006

Thomas Lundgren

Citation:
· Distinguished Graduate of the University of Minnesota
· Retired professor of Aersopace Engineering and Mechanics, University of Minnesota
· Inspiring teacher, adviser and mentor for a generation of leading fluids mechanics researchers
· World leader in the theory of turbulence and theoretical fluid mechanics
· Internationally renowned research and developer of theoretical methods that are used extensively in the study of high Reynolds number turbulence, combustion and other applications

Biography:
Tom Lundgren is one of the most important figures in fluid mechanics in the past 40 years. He has made major contributions to turbulence, magneto-hydrodynamics, free molecular flow, shock structure, rotating fluids, vortex dynamics, drop dynamics, and solid-liquid flows. His work is characterized by mathematical rigor and attention to detail.
Tom spent his entire career at the University of Minnesota. He received a B.S. in 1954, a M.S. 1956 and a Ph.D. in 1960. He joined the faculty in the Department of Aeronautical Engineering (now Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics) as an Assistant Professor and, after being quickly promoted, served as full Professor from 1966 to 2000. Tom has about 70 publications to-date.
Recently, Tom derived Kolmogorov’s Laws from the Navier-Stokes equations without recourse to the many assumptions and hypotheses used by Kolmogorov himself; this will lead to a new wave of research. In addition to his own research Tom has been a mentor and teacher to many well-known researchers in fluid mechanics.