A multimedia exhibition this summer at the University of Newcastle’s museum includes graduates who have helped shape the university’s global recognition through their distinguished careers.
The exhibition will include a profile of Peter Cummings, associate dean for research in the School of Engineering and the John R. Hall Professor of Chemical Engineering.
The exhibition is part of the university’s anniversary celebration. The University of Newcastle, in New South Wales, Australia, turns 50 this year.
Cummings graduated from Newcastle in 1976 earning first honors in mathematics and a University Medal. He also holds a special distinction as the inaugural recipient in 1988 of the Gold Medal for Professional Excellence by the Convocation of the University of Newcastle.
After earning a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Melbourne, Cummings held postdoctoral positions in Canada and New York. He joined the faculty of the University of Virginia in 1983 as an assistant professor. In 1994 he was recruited to a joint position as both Distinguished Professor at the University of Tennessee and Distinguished Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He joined the Vanderbilt engineering faculty in 2002.
Cummings research interests include statistical mechanics, molecular simulation, computational materials science, computational and theoretical nanoscience, and computational biology.
Cummings is the author of more than 380 refereed journal publications and the recipient of many national awards in the United States. The most recent awards include the 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Founders Award for outstanding contributions to the field of chemical engineering, the 2012 Yeram S. Touloukian Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the 2013 John Prausnitz award, a prestigious honor presented triennially to recognize an outstanding researcher in the field of chemical engineering thermodynamics.
He is a fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers; the latter honored him in 2010 with its most prestigious award, the Founder’s Award.
Contact:
Brenda Ellis, (615) 343-6314
Brenda.Ellis@Vanderbilt.edu
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