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Adrian Bejan
J.A. Jones Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Professor Bejan was awarded the Benjamin Franklin Medal 2018 and the Humboldt Research Award 2019. His research covers engineering science and applied physics: thermodynamics, heat transfer, convection, design, and evolution in nature.
He is ranked among the top 0.01% of the most cited and impactful world scientists (and top 10 in Engineering world wide) in the 2019 citations impact database created by Stanford University’s John Ioannidis, in PLoS Biology. He is the author of 30 books and 700 peer-referred articles. His h-index is 108 with 87,000 citations on Google Scholar. He received 18 honorary doctorates from universities in 11 countries.
Appointments and Affiliations
- J.A. Jones Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering
- Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
- Faculty Network Member of The Energy Initiative
Contact Information
- Office Location: 148A Engineering Bldg, Box 90300, Durham, NC 27708
- Office Phone: (919) 308-9930
- Email Address: abejan@duke.edu
- Websites:
Education
- Sc.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1975
- Sc.M. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1972
- S.B. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1972
Research Interests
Thermodynamics, applied physics, life & evolution in nature, constructal law.
Awards, Honors, and Distinctions
- Kimberly-Clark Distinguished Lectureship Award 2023. . International Society for Porous Media.. 2023
- Honorary Member. Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA). 2020
- Prize in Basic and Engineering Sciences. Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA). 2020
- The paper “Discipline in Thermodynamics” made the cover of the journal “Energies”. Energies, MDPI. 2020
- Knight of the French Order of Academic Palms, Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques. French Republic. 2020
- Humboldt Research Award. Humboldt Foundation. 2019
- Corresponding Member. Academy of Engineering of Mexico. 2018
- Benjamin Franklin Medal. The Franklin Institute. 2018
- Corresponding Member. Mexican Academy of Sciences. 2017
- Ralph Coats Roe Medal. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 2017
- Doctor of Engineering honoris causa. University of Pretoria, South Africa. 2015
- Visiting Chair Professor of Engineering Science under the Distinguished Chair Professor Scheme. Hong Kong Polytechnic University. 2015
- Docteur Honoris Causa. Institut National des Sciences Appliquées, Lyon, France. 2014
- Member. Academy of Europe. 2013
- Honorary Member. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 2011
- Honorary Member. Romanian Academy. 2011
- Doctor Honoris Causa. University of Rome I, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. 2009
- Professor Catedrático Convidado. University of Évora, Portugal. 2009
- Donald Q. Kern. American Institute of Chemical Engineers. 2008
- Fluid Science Research Award. Tohoku University, Japan. 2008
- Extraordinary Professor. University of Pretoria, South Africa. 2007
- James P. Hartnett Memorial Award. International Center of Heat and Mass Transfer. 2007
- Doctor Honoris Causa. Technical University of Varna, Bulgaria. 2006
- Luikov Medal. International Center of Heat and Mass Transfer. 2006
- Doctor Honoris Causa. Technical University of Gabrovo, Bulgaria. 2004
- Edward F. Obert Award. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 2004
- Honorary Member. Academy of Technical Sciences of Romania. 2004
- Doctor Honoris Causa. University of Évora, Portugal. 2003
- Doctor of Science Honoris Causa. ETH - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich, Switzerland. 2003
- Distinguished Lecturer. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 2002
- Docteur Honoris Causa. Université Henri Poincaré, Nancy, France. 2001
- Highly Cited Researcher. Thomson Reuters. 2001
- Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 2001
- Doctor Honoris Causa. Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil. 2001
- Doctor Honoris Causa. Technical University of Moldova, Chisinau, Moldova. 2001
- Honorary Member. Academy of Sciences of Moldova. 2001
- Honorary Doctor of Science. Azerbaijan Technical University, Baku, Azerbaijan. 2000
- Ralph Coats Roe Award. American Society of Engineering Education. 2000
- Doctor Honoris Causa. Odessa State Academy of Refrigeration, Odessa, Ukraine. 1999
- Doctor Honoris Causa. Technical University of Civil Engineering, Bucharest, Romania. 1999
- Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering (honoris causa). University of Durban-Westville, South Africa. 1999
- Max Jakob Memorial Award. American Institute of Chemical Engineers & American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 1999
- Robert Henry Thurston Lecture. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 1999
- Doctor Honoris Causa. Gh. Asachi Technical University, Iasi, Romania. 1998
- TEPCO Endowed Chair. Keio University, Yokohama, Japan. 1998
- Doctor Honoris Causa. Ovidius University, Constanta, Romania. 1997
- The Legacy of Adrian Bejan: Three Generations of Brazilian Scientists. Pontificial Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil. 1997
- Honorary Citizen. City of Galati, Romania. 1996
- Worcester Reed Warner Medal. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 1996
- Doctor Honoris Causa. University of the Lower Danube, Galati, Romania. 1995
- Heat Transfer Memorial Award. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 1994
- Doctor Honoris Causa. Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Romania. 1992
- James Harry Potter Gold Medal. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 1990
- J.A. Jones Chair. Duke University. 1989
- Gustus L. Larson Memorial Award. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 1988
- Fellow. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 1987
- Croft Professorship. University of Colorado, Boulder. 1981
- Miller Fellow. University of California, Berkeley. 1976
- Honors Course. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1970
- De Florez Award for Ingenuity in Engineering Design. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1969
Courses Taught
- ME 438: Constructal Theory and Design
- ME 531: Engineering Thermodynamics
- ME 532: Convective Heat Transfer
In the News
- Why Perfection Is the Enemy of Evolution (May 23, 2023 | Pratt School of Engineering)
- Spring Books from Duke Authors from Wittgenstein to Capoeira (Feb 14, 2023 | Duke Today)
- The Physics Behind Tumor Growth (Jan 28, 2021 | Pratt School of Engineering)
- December Books: Adrian Bejan: "Freedom and Evolution: Hierarchy in Nature, Society and Science" (Dec 1, 2020)
- French Ambassador to Visit Duke, Discuss State of Europe, Feb. 20 (Feb 17, 2020)
- It's Spring Already? Physics Explains Why Time Flies as We Age (Mar 22, 2019 | Pratt School of Engineering)
- In the Race of Life, the Tortoise Beats the Hare Every Time (Aug 27, 2018 | Pratt School of Engineering)
- Adrian Bejan to Receive 2018 Benjamin Franklin Medal (Apr 16, 2018 | Pratt School of Engineering)
- Bejan Named 2018 Franklin Institute Award Laureate (Nov 7, 2017 | Pratt School of Engineering)
- Bejan Wins 2017 Ralph Coats Roe Medal (Sep 20, 2017)
- Campfires, explained (Jul 21, 2016 | Vox)
- Adrian Bejan: What's the meaning of life? Physics (May 31, 2016 | National Geographic)
- Adrian Bejan: You can use physics to describe almost anything in life (May 2, 2016 | Quartz)
- Why do stars and planets come in different sizes? Adrian Bejan claims our universe follows a 'law of hierarchy' that stops it tearing apart (Mar 2, 2016 | The Daily Mail)
- How gravity created the universe’s wide variety of body sizes (Mar 1, 2016)
- Adrian Bejan: Why rolling stones and elephants live longer and travel farther (Feb 18, 2016 | Forbes)
- Adrian Bejan quoted: 133 years later, Gaudí's cathedral nears completion (Nov 6, 2015 | National Geographic)
- Taking a Cue from Nature to Improve Energy Storage (Aug 27, 2015)
- Building a fire scientifically: There’s no better way than the caveman’s (Jul 27, 2015 | The News & Observer)
- Adrian Bejan: How to build the perfect fire (Jun 9, 2015 | The Daily Mail)
- The Shape of a Perfect Fire: As Tall as Wide (Jun 8, 2015)
- Adrian Bejan comments: With five pitchers over 6-foot-7, Yankees have some tall tales (Apr 27, 2015 | The Wall Street Journal)
- Adrian Bejan: ‘Growth is not evolution’ (Apr 23, 2015 | The Huffington Post)
Representative Publications
- Bejan, A; Gunes, U; Sahin, B, University Rankings: Quality, Size and Permanence, European Review, vol 28 no. 4 (2020), pp. 537-558 [10.1017/S106279872000006X] [abs].
- Bejan, A; Errera, MR; Gunes, U, Energy theory of periodic economic growth, International Journal of Energy Research, vol 44 no. 7 (2020), pp. 5231-5242 [10.1002/er.5267] [abs].
- Bejan, A, Discipline in thermodynamics, Energies, vol 13 no. 10 (2020) [10.3390/en13102487] [abs].
- Bejan, A, Freedom and evolution: Hierarchy in nature, society and science (2019), pp. 1-151 [10.1007/978-3-030-34009-4] [abs].
- Bejan, A, Why the Days Seem Shorter as We Get Older, European Review, vol 27 no. 2 (2019), pp. 187-194 [10.1017/S1062798718000741] [abs].
- Bejan, A; Gunes, U; Errera, MR; Sahin, B, Social organization: The thermodynamic basis, International Journal of Energy Research, vol 42 no. 12 (2018), pp. 3770-3779 [10.1002/er.4093] [abs].
- Bejan, A, Evolution in thermodynamics, Applied Physics Reviews, vol 4 no. 1 (2017) [10.1063/1.4978611] [abs].
- Bejan, A; Almerbati, A; Lorente, S, Economies of scale: The physics basis, Journal of Applied Physics, vol 121 no. 4 (2017) [10.1063/1.4974962] [abs].
- Bejan, A, The Physics of Life The Evolution of Everything (2016) [abs].
- Bejan, A, Why humans build fires shaped the same way., Scientific Reports, vol 5 (2015) [10.1038/srep11270] [abs].
- Bejan, A, Maxwell's demons everywhere: evolving design as the arrow of time., Scientific Reports, vol 4 (2014) [10.1038/srep04017] [abs].
- Bejan, A, Why we want power: Economics is physics, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, vol 55 no. 19-20 (2012), pp. 4929-4935 [10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2012.05.046] [abs].
- Bejan, A; Lorente, S, The physics of spreading ideas, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, vol 55 no. 4 (2012), pp. 802-807 [10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2011.10.029] [abs].
- Bejan, A, Why the bigger live longer and travel farther: animals, vehicles, rivers and the winds., Scientific Reports, vol 2 (2012) [10.1038/srep00594] [abs].
- Clausse, M; Meunier, F; Reis, AH; Bejan, A, Climate change, in the framework of the constructal law, International Journal of Global Warming, vol 4 no. 3-4 (2012), pp. 242-260 [10.1504/IJGW.2012.049449] [abs].
- Bejan, A; Lorente, S, The constructal law origin of the logistics S curve, Journal of Applied Physics, vol 110 no. 2 (2011) [10.1063/1.3606555] [abs].
- Bejan, A, The constructal-law origin of the wheel, size, and skeleton in animal design, American Journal of Physics, vol 78 no. 7 (2010), pp. 692-699 [10.1119/1.3431988] [abs].
- Bejan, A; Jones, EC; Charles, JD, The evolution of speed in athletics: Why the fastest runners are black and swimmers white, International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics, vol 5 no. 3 (2010), pp. 199-211 [10.2495/DNE-V5-N3-199-211] [abs].
- Bejan, A, Shape and Structure, from Engineering to Nature (2000) [abs].
- Bejan, A, Entropy generation through heat and fluid flow (1982) [abs].