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March 20, 2006 Vol. 77, no. 10S
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ME professor Van Carey received his B.S. in ME from Cornell University
in 1974 and his M.S. and Ph.D. in ME from State University
of New York at Buffalo in 1976 and 1981, respectively. He joined
the Berkeley faculty in 1982. His research interests include
non-equilibrium thermodynamics of phase-change phenomena, statistical
thermodynamics, computational modeling of micro-scale thermophysics
and transport in multiphase systems, molecular dynamic simulation
of interfacial region thermophysics, biothermodynamics and
computer-aided thermal design, among others.
(Peg Skorpinski photo)
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Professor Minute with ME professor Van Carey
What first inspired
you to go into engineering?
I grew up during the space race of the 1960s. It was exciting to see
the new space vehicles developed in the race to the moon and watch
the missions on TV. My father was an aerospace engineer working on
rocket propulsion, and the possibility of contributing to that type
of exploration led me to pursue engineering as a career.
To date, what has been
the most memorable moment in your career?
In 2004, I was presented an award by the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers for achievement in the science of thermodynamics in mechanical
engineering. I consider it a privilege to work in applied thermodynamics
and thermophysics, and I was honored to receive this recognition for
my contributions to the field.
If you had a few extra
hours, what would you do?
My favorite recreational activities are cycling and running, so I would
probably go for a long bike ride in the Berkeley hills, go for a long
run in Tilden Park, or catch a Cal track meet.
What are you currently
reading?
Feynman’s lecture on “Reversible Computation and the Thermodynamics
of Computing.” It’s chapter five in The Feynman Lectures
on Computation, by Richard P. Feynman.
What is one thing you would like to learn how to do?
Rebuild a turbocharged Porsche engine.
If you would like us
to feature your favorite professor, please e-mail his or her name to
engnews@coe.berkeley.edu.
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