Sidney A. Bernsen Honored by ASME for Contributions to Codes and Standards

NEW YORK, November 19, 2013 — Sidney A. Bernsen, Ph.D., a resident of San Diego, and consultant, was honored by the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers). He was recognized for distinguished leadership and professionalism in the development, advancement, promotion and acceptance of ASME codes and standards; and for pioneering efforts in the development and standardization of quality assurance and nuclear risk management programs for application in power plants and other facilities. He received ASME's Melvin R. Green Codes and Standards Medal.

 

The medal honors the memory and extraordinary contributions of Melvin R. Green, an ardent supporter of industrial standards and longtime employee of the Society. It recognizes outstanding contributions to the development, promulgation or management of documents, objects or devices used in ASME programs of technical codification, standardization and conformity assessment. The award will be presented to Dr. Bernsen at the Society's annual Honors Assembly held in conjunction with the 2013 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Nov. 15 through 21, in San Diego.

For 60 years Bernsen has made outstanding contributions as a leader in research, development, design, licensing, quality assurance and management of nuclear and other high technology facilities, including a number of unique and first-of-its-kind projects and programs.

After receiving his Ph.D. from Purdue University in 1953, he joined Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, where he had a major role in the development of the boiling water reactor. Subsequently he was a project manager at General Atomic, San Diego; and manager of the Nuclear Division of Advanced Technology Laboratory, Mountain View, Calif. In 1963 he joined the Bechtel Corporation, San Francisco, where he held numerous management positions including project and engineering manager, as well as the first corporate quality assurance manager and corporate chief nuclear engineer. He was named a Bechtel Fellow in 1985.

Since retiring from Bechtel in 1993 Bernsen has been a consultant providing quality assurance management services to two engineering companies: ANATECH Corp. in San Diego and Hopper Engineering Associates in Redondo Beach, Calif.

Bernsen has been a leader in the development and application of nuclear quality assurance and nuclear risk management standards. He has also been a leader in national and international standards activities, including serving on the Executive Standards Council of the American National Standards Institute, chairing the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) Committee on Nuclear Facilities and serving as a member of the initial Selection Committee for the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

An ASME Fellow, Bernsen was the first chair of the ASME Standards Committee on Nuclear Quality Assurance; he served on the committee for 30 years and is now an honorary member. He also served on the ASME Nominating Committee and the Codes and Standards' Redesign Team. He is a founding member of the ASME Board on Nuclear Codes and Standards and has served continuously for more than 38 years. In 1998 Bernsen was appointed the first chair of the ASME Standards Committee on Nuclear Risk Management, and he continues as a member and serves on the Executive Committee. He is also a member of the ASME Standards Board on New Development and has served as vice chair. He received an ASME Dedicated Service Award in 1989 and the Bernard F. Langer Nuclear Codes and Standards Award in 2000.

Bernsen is an Honorary Member of ASME and past director of the American Nuclear Society.

Along with his doctorate, he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from Purdue University (West Lafayette, Ind.) in 1950 and1951, respectively.

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. For more information visit www.asme.org.