Peter T. Cummings Named Recipient of the ASME Yeram S. Touloukian Award

NEW YORK, July 2, 2012 – Peter T. Cummings, Ph.D., a resident of Nashville, Tenn., and John R. Hall professor of chemical engineering at Vanderbilt University, was honored by ASME. He was recognized for distinguished and broad scientific contributions to the theoretical description of the thermophysical and structural properties of water, aqueous solutions and non-polar fluids, in bulk, at interfaces and under nano-confinement; and for national leadership in the emerging field of computational and theoretical nanoscience. He received the Society’s Yeram S. Touloukian Award.

The triennial award, initially bestowed in 2000, recognizes outstanding technical contributions in the field of thermophysical properties.  It was presented to Dr. Cummings during the Symposium on Thermophysical Properties, which was held in Boulder, Colo., June 24 through 29.

Cummings is also the principal scientist in the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee, as well as founding director of the Nanomaterials Theory Institute, the theory program within the CNMS.

Among his prior experience, Cummings was distinguished professor of chemical engineering, chemistry and computer science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (1994-2002); and a member of the chemical engineering faculty at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville (1983-93).

Cummings’ research interests include statistical mechanics, molecular simulation, computational materials science, computational and theoretical nanoscience, and computational biology.

He is the founder of the FOMMS (Foundations of Molecular Modeling and Simulation) conference series, held triennially since 2000.  He is also a member of the Basis Energy Sciences Advisory Committee, which provides independent advice to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Cummings is the author of more than 330 refereed journal publications, and has given countless invited seminars and conference presentations. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics and the Journal of Theoretical and Computational Nanoscience, and is associate editor of the AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) Journal.

An ASME member, Cummings has participated in Society-sponsored conferences as an invited speaker or presenter of contributed papers.  He has presented a paper at each of the triennial Symposium on Thermophysical Properties since 1985.

He is the recipient of many honors including AIChE’s Alpha Chi Sigma Award (1998) for outstanding chemical engineering research contributions during the previous decade, Nanoscale Science and Engineering Forum Award (2007) and Founders Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Chemical Engineering (2010); and the Vanderbilt University Chancellor’s Award for Research (2007).

Cummings earned his B. Math (first class honors, University Medal) at the University of Newcastle, Australia, in 1976; and his Ph.D. in applied mathematics at the University of Melbourne, Australia, in 1980.

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.