Theodore von Kármán Prize | SIAM
 

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Major Prizes & Lectures

Theodore von Kármán Prize

This prize was established in 1968 to commemorate Theodore von Kármán and his work in aerodynamics. It is awarded every five years for a notable application of mathematics to mechanics or engineering in the five to ten years preceding the award.

Next Call for Nominations Opens: May 1, 2028

Prize Description


Prize Description

The Theodore von Kármán Prize is awarded for a notable application of mathematics to mechanics and/or the engineering sciences made during the five to ten years preceding the award. The award may be given for a significant achievement by one individual or a significant body of work that could have been produced by multiple contributors.


Eligibility Criteria

There are no restrictions on eligibility beyond those specified in the prize description. Preference will be given to a SIAM member.


Required Materials

  • Nominator’s letter of recommendation for candidate
  • Candidate’s CV
  • Two or three letters of support from experts in the field

Attend the Meeting

The prize will next be awarded at the 2024 SIAM Annual Meeting (AN24) in Spokane, Washington, United States.

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Prize Details

Prize Details

Read the full prize specifications.

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Nomination Deadline Calendar

See all prizes with open calls for nominations.

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Selection Committee

Selection Committee

Chair

Fadil Santosa
University of Minnesota

Members

Penny Davies
University of Strathclyde
Timothy Davis
Texas A&M University

About the Award


About the Theodore von Kármán Prize


The Theodore von Kármán Prize includes a $2,000 monetary award and a certificate. A lecture is requested and is to be publicized in meeting announcements. SIAM will reimburse the recipient for reasonable travel expenses incurred in attending the award ceremony and giving the lecture.

Award Date

The Theodore von Kármán Prize will next be awarded in July 2024 at the SIAM Annual Meeting.


Award Presentation

The prize will be presented by the SIAM President at the Prizes and Awards Luncheon. The announcement of the award will appear in SIAM News, the SIAM website, and appropriate electronic media.


Award Fund

The initial funds for this prize were contributed by friends, colleagues, and students of Theodore von Kármán.

Prize History



Prize History

Citation

The 2024 Theodore von Kármán Prize is awarded to Karen E. Willcox for a notable application of mathematics to mechanicsand/or the engineering sciences made during the five to ten years preceding theaward. The award may be given for a significant achievement by one individualor a significant body of work that could have been produced by multiplecontributors.

Selection Committee

Fadil Santosa (Chair)
Penny Davies
Timothy Davis

Citation

The 2020 Theodore von Kármán Prize is awarded to Kaushik Bhattacharya for his major mathematical and computational contributions to materials science.

Selection Committee

L. Pamela Cook (Chair)
Phillip Colella
Fabio Nobile

Citation


The 2014 Theodore von Kármán Prize is awarded to Richard D. James, whose contributions to materials science and mathematics have shaped a vibrant community. Starting from his own experiments, he has forged a path from rational mechanics, via the calculus of variations, deep into elliptic regularity theory and back. In particular, the prize honors his seminal work with John Ball on shape memory alloys, his more recent work with Gero Friesecke and Stefan Müller on a nonlinear Korn inequality that played an essential role in the successful rigorous derivation of nonlinear plate theories, and his very recent discovery and analysis of low-hysteresis shape memory alloys.


Selection Committee

Felix Otto (Chair)
David Kinderlehrer
Mary F. Wheeler

Citation


The 2014 Theodore von Kármán Prize is awarded to Weinan E for his deep mathematical contributions to fundamental questions in physics ranging from the structure of matter to turbulence, to a rejuvenation of numerical analysis in the light of multiple scales, and for his eclectic and ingenious solutions in scientific computing.


Selection Committee

Felix Otto (Chair)
David Kinderlehrer
Mary F. Wheeler

Selection Committee

Charles Doering (Chair)
Clint Dawson
Charbel Farhat

Selection Committee

J. Tinsley Oden (Chair)
Thomas R. J. Hughes
Richard James

Selection Committee

Jerrold E. Marsden (Chair)
Philippe Ciarlet
Joseph B. Keller

Selection Committee

Julian D. Cole (Chair)
Stuart S. Antman

Selection Committee

Marshall P. Tulin (Chair)
Hirsh Cohen
Julian D. Cole

1984 Julian D. Cole

Selection Committee

Joseph B. Keller (Chair)
George F. Carrier
Marshall B. Tulin


1979 George F. Carrier and Joseph B. Keller

Selection Committee

Richard C. DiPrima (Chair)
Julian D. Cole
Herbert B. Keller


1972 Sir Geoffrey Taylor

Selection Committee

George F. Carrier (Chair)
Lester Lees
C.C. Li

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