C.W. Smith (engineer) explained

Charles  William Smith (January 1, 1926 — July 30, 2012) was an American engineer and professor.^{[1] [2]}

Education

Smith earned a BS in Civil Engineering in 1947 and an MS in Applied Mechanics in1950 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.^[3]

Research and career

Smith became a full-time instructor in 1948 while working on his master's degree. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1950 upon completing his degree. At the time Virginia Tech was strictly a teaching institution and Smith pushed for a stronger role of performing research. Following a seminar from George Rankine Irwin, Smith became interested in fracture mechanics and applying photoelasticity.^[4] He was one of the investigators on the 1969 Department of Defense Themis grant that served as the genesis of Virginia Tech's international leadership in composite and advanced materials.^[5] He retired in 1992 and became an Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Smith was named an Honorary Member of the Society for Experimental Mechanics in 2002, a position held until his death in 2012.

Awards and recognition

• Society for Experimental Mechanics Fellow (1977)^[6]
• Virginia Tech Alumni Award for Excellence in Research (1977)^[7]
• Society for Experimental Mechanics Frocht (1983)^[8]
• NASA's Langley Research Center Scientific Achievement Award (1986)^[9]
• American Academy of Mechanics Fellow (1991)^[10]
• Dan Pletta Engineering Educator of the Year Award from the Virginia Schools of Engineering (1991)
• Society for Experimental Mechanics Murray Lecture and Award (1993)
• Society for Experimental Mechanics Lazan (1995)^[11]
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers Fellow (1997)^[12]
• Society for Experimental Mechanics Tatnall (1997)^[13]
• Society for Experimental Mechanics Honorary Member (2002 to 2012)^[14]
• Virginia Tech Academy of Engineering Excellence (2006)^[15]
• Society for Experimental Mechanics Taylor (2010)^[16]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Charles William Smith Obituary (2012) Roanoke Times. 2021-12-29. Legacy.com.
2. Web site: Bill Smith - View Obituary & Service Information. 2021-12-29. Bill Smith Obituary. en.
3. Web site: C. William Smith. 2021-12-29. eng.vt.edu. en.
4. Web site: The Old and New…: A Narrative on the History of the Society for Experimental Mechanics. https://web.archive.org/web/20211221190043/https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8345204. dead. December 21, 2021. 2021-12-29. IEEE. en-US.
5. Web site: History of the Engineering Science and Mechanics Department Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University - PDF Free Download. 2022-01-06. docplayer.net.
6. Web site: Society for Experimental Mechanics. December 21, 2021. sem.org.
7. Web site: C. William Smith. 2021-12-29. eng.vt.edu. en.
8. Web site: Society for Experimental Mechanics. 2021-12-29. sem.org.
9. Web site: In memoriam: C.W. Smith, Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Engineering Science and Mechanics. 2021-12-29. vtx.vt.edu. en.
10. Web site: In Remembrance American Academy of Mechanics. 2021-12-29. en-US.
11. Web site: Society for Experimental Mechanics. 2021-12-29. sem.org.
12. Web site: Fellows. 2021-12-29. www.asme.org. en.
13. Web site: Society for Experimental Mechanics. 2021-12-29. sem.org.
14. Web site: Society for Experimental Mechanics. 2021-12-22. sem.org.
15. Web site: Academy of Engineering Excellence. 2021-12-29. eng.vt.edu. en.
16. Web site: Society for Experimental Mechanics. 2021-12-29. sem.org.