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Bejan Named 2018 Franklin Institute Award Laureate
November 7, 2017
Awards have recognized accomplishments in science and technology since 1824
Adrian Bejan, the J.A. Jones Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Duke University, has been named a recipient of the 2018 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Mechanical Engineering.
Bejan was cited for “his pioneering interdisciplinary contributions in thermodynamics and convection heat transfer that have improved the performance of engineering systems, and for constructal theory, which predicts natural design and its evolution in engineering, scientific, and social systems.”
Bejan joins seven other recipients of the prestigious Franklin Institute Awards, who join a long list of great men and women whose revolutionary discoveries and innovations have significantly transformed our world. These scientists and engineers have made enormous strides in their fields, improving the lives of billions of people across the world, and paving the way for a better future.
The Franklin Institute Awards has publicly recognized and encouraged outstanding accomplishments in science and technology since the Institute was founded in 1824. The 2018 recipients join those who came before them—including Nikola Tesla, Marie and Pierre Curie, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Jane Goodall and Bill Gates—in the Institute’s unparalleled history of honoring the greatest minds of the last 194 years. To date, 118 Franklin Institute Awards laureates have also been honored with a Nobel Prize, including one in 2017.
“Philadelphia has long been known for leading the way in science, technology, and innovation—from the historic legacy set forth by Benjamin Franklin to the many great accomplishments and successes of today,” said Larry Dubinski, President and CEO of The Franklin Institute. “The Franklin Institute Awards Program brings to light some of the greatest minds of our time, and they are proudly recognized right here in the birthplace of science and innovation for accomplishments that will transform our world.”
The Franklin Institute Awards Ceremony and Dinner is the culmination of a week-long sequence of events and programs designed to shine an important spotlight on advancements in science and technology, as well as extraordinary business leadership. In addition to an array of events and symposia throughout the week, public and educational programs are designed to provide direct and unprecedented access to the laureates.
On Thursday, April 19, 2018, The Franklin Institute will celebrate the enormous impact of science, technology, and business leadership by honoring these pioneers for their critical achievements.