Ioannia N. Miaoulis Received the ASME Ralph Coats Roe Medal

NEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2011 – Ioannis N. Miaoulis, Ph.D., a resident of Sherborn, Mass., and president and director of the Museum of Science, Boston, was honored by ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) for seminal and leadership contributions to numerous governmental advisory panels, institutions of higher education, and professional and civic organizations devoted to helping people of all ages enhance their knowledge of engineering and technology and to inspiring the next generation of engineers, inventors and scientists.  He received the Society’s Ralph Coats Roe Medal.

The medal, established in 1972, recognizes an outstanding contribution toward a better public understanding and appreciation of the engineer’s worth to contemporary society.  It was presented to Dr. Miaoulis during ASME’s 2011 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, held in Denver, Nov. 11 through 17.

Miaoulis has been president and director of the Boston’s Museum of Science since 2003.  He came to the museum after a distinguished association with Tufts University (Medford, Mass.), where he served as dean of the School of Engineering, associate provost, interim dean of the university’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and professor of mechanical engineering.  At Tufts, Miaoulis founded the Thermal Analysis of Materials Processing and Comparative Biomechanics laboratories, and created the Center for Engineering Educational Outreach and the Entrepreneurial Leadership Program.

An innovative educator with a passion for science and engineering, Miaoulis championed the introduction of engineering into the Massachusetts science and technology public school curriculum in 2001, making the Commonwealth first in the nation to develop statewide curricular frameworks and assessments for technology/engineering at all levels K-12.  He is positioning the Museum of Science to take the lead in bringing together all interested parties in government, industry and education to advance the goal of a scientifically and technologically literate citizenry.

In 2004, Miaoulis spearheaded the creation of the National Center for Technological Literacy® (NCTL®) at the museum.  Supported by corporate, foundation and federal funds, the NCTL will introduce engineering as a new discipline in schools, and will foster lifelong learning about technology and engineering by presenting technology as a partner equal to science in museums and science centers.  The NCTL is helping states to modify their educational standards and assessments, designing K-12 engineering materials, and offering teachers professional development, and has worked with educators in all 50 states and representatives of government at many levels.

A frequent speaker on science and technology literacy, Miaoulis has testified before U.S. Senate and House committees, and served as keynote speaker at numerous education reform conferences nationwide.  He has published more than 100 research papers and holds two patents.

As a student member of ASME in 1984, Miaoulis was honored with first prize at the regional student competition for the Old Guard.  In 1988, as a faculty member of Tufts University, he was the advisor of the national winning project of the Old Guard competition.

Miaoulis is a Fellow of the Massachusetts Academy of Sciences and a member of the American Society for Engineering Education; the Association of Science and Technology Centers; Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society; and Tau Beta Pi, the Engineering Honor Society.

Among his numerous research-, teaching- and community-related honors, Miaoulis received the National Science Foundation’s Presidential Young Investigator Award (1991); the Allan MacLeod Cormack Award for Excellence in Collaborative Research (1995) from Tufts University; the William P. Desmond Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Education (1996) from The Clinton Forum; an Outstanding Young Leader Award (1999) from the Boston Jaycees (Junior Chamber of Commerce); an Outstanding Career Award (2006) from Tufts University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the university’s Outstanding Achievement in Mechanical Engineering Practice Alumni Award (1997); and NASA’s Exceptional Public Service Medal (2010).

Miaoulis received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, summa cum laude, at Tufts University in 1983.  He earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, in 1984.  In 1986 and 1987, respectively, he earned a master’s degree in economics and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at Tufts University.

About ASME ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world.