Theodore M. Farabee Honored by ASME for Noise Control and Acoustics Achievements

NEW YORK, October 22, 2012 —Theodore M. Farabee, Ph.D., a resident of Reston, Va., and a chief scientist in the Signatures Department of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD) in West Bethesda, Md., will be honored by ASME. He is being recognized for significant accomplishments in fluid mechanics, aero-hydrodynamics, complex propulsor fluid mechanics flow interactions and platform structure-elastic interactions; particularly leadership in the understanding and control of induced sound, and work on ship and submarine flow-noise reduction. He will receive the Per Bruel Gold Medal for Noise Control and Acoustics.

Established in honor of Dr. Per Bruel, who pioneered the development of sophisticated noise and vibration measuring and processing equipment, the medal recognizes eminent achievement and extraordinary merit in the field of noise control and acoustics. It will be presented to Dr. Farabee during ASME’s 2012 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, which is being held in Houston, Nov. 9 through 15.

Farabee is the U.S. Navy’s senior research scientist/technical consultant (ST) for radiated flow noise signature control. In this position, he is responsible for the conduct of broad-based, multidisciplinary research, integrating all aspects of acoustic signatures and related mitigation technologies for application to ships and submarines.

Prior to his appointment to the ST position in 2009, Farabee served as a senior scientist in the Acoustic Signature Technology Division of the Ship Signatures Department at NSWCCD, where he provided technical oversight and scientific direction to a wide range of ship silencing programs including design and build initiatives for both the Seawolf and Virginia class submarines. He began his research career at NSWCCD in 1971 as a cooperative education student from Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, and continued on at NSWCCD upon graduation.

An ASME Fellow, Farabee is currently associate editor of the Journal of Vibrations and Acoustics. He was chair of the Noise Control and Acoustics Division (1998-99, 2007-08), and served on the division’s Executive Committee (1994-99, 2007-09) and as chair of the Flow Induced Noise and Vibration Technical Committee (1989-96). He also served on the Environmental and Transportation Technical Group Operating Board (1998-2002). He presented the Rayleigh Lecture, “Acoustics From External Flow-Structure Interactions,”at the 2010 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition.

Farabee earned his bachelor’s degree in ocean engineering at Florida Atlantic University in 1973. He earned his master’s in engineering and his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., in 1976 and 1986, 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.