G. Wayne Clough to Receive the ASME Ralph Coats Roe Medal

NEW YORK, October 28, 2013 — G. Wayne Clough, P.E., Ph.D., a resident of Washington, D.C., and secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, will be honored by ASME. He is being recognized for numerous contributions to both higher education policy and U.S. technology policy; and for demonstrating, through distinguished leadership of the Smithsonian Institution, that an accomplished engineer can be the guardian and primary advocate for preserving and promoting our national cultural heritage. He will receive 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 will be presented to Dr. Clough at the Society's annual Honors Assembly, Nov. 18, in conjunction with the 2013 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in San Diego, Nov. 15 through 21.

Since becoming secretary in July 2008, Clough has taken the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum and research complex, in new directions. A comprehensive strategic plan—the first of its kind for the Smithsonian—provides a new cross-disciplinary framework for goals, enterprises and operations, with a focus on four grand challenges: unlocking the mysteries of the universe, understanding and sustaining a biodiverse planet, valuing world cultures and understanding the American experience.

The Smithsonian includes 19 museums and galleries, 20 libraries, the National Zoo and numerous research centers. It has activities in nearly 100 countries and reaches Americans in all 50 states through traveling exhibitions, media and the Internet.

Clough has emphasized the development of collaborations with universities and other organizations including the Global Tiger Initiative with the World Bank, accessioning of the Space Shuttle Discovery with NASA and the Haiti Cultural Recovery Project with the State Department. In 2012, the Smithsonian opened the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation in Front Royal, Va., in partnership with George Mason University; as part of a degree program, students conduct research on endangered species with Smithsonian scientists.

Before his appointment to the Smithsonian, Clough was president of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta (1994-2008). In 2012, Georgia Tech opened the G. Wayne Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons Building to honor his commitment to undergraduate students. Earlier, he was a member of the faculty at Duke University (Durham, N.C.) and Stanford University, California, before joining Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg. He was head of the department of civil engineering and dean of the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech before serving as provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Clough has served as chair of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE)/National Research Council Committee on New Orleans Regional Hurricane Protection Reconstruction, a six-year term as member of the National Science Board, and seven years as a member of President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. He currently serves on the American Academy of Arts and Sciences' (AAAS) Commission on the Future of Humanities and Social Sciences.

He has published more than 130 papers and reports. His most recent publication is Increasing Scientific Literacy: A Shared Responsibility, a 2011 monograph on the nation's urgent need to improve the scientific literacy of its citizens and the key role the Smithsonian can play toward that goal.

Clough received his bachelor's and master's degrees in civil engineering from Georgia Tech in 1964 and 1965, respectively. He earned his Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1969. Clough has received nine honorary doctorates from universities in the U.S. and abroad. He is a registered professional engineer in California.

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.