CRISTINA AMON'S BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Research Areas | Education | Professional Experience | Honors and Awards
Professional Association | Biographical Listings

Biography Editorship & Conferences Education & Outreach Research Group Projects Publications Service

Cristina Amon BioSketch PDF

Research Areas

  • Fluid Dynamics, Heat Transfer and CFD

  • Micro and Nano Scale Thermal Transport, Micro Fuel Cells

  • Thermal Engineering of Microelectronics: Heat Transfer Enhancement Techniques, Transient Thermal Management of Portable Electronics and MEMs-based Heat Removal of High Heat Flux Electronics

  • Hemodynamics and Mass Transport in Biological Systems with Applications to: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms, Endovascular Grafts and Intravenous Blood Oxygenators

  • Multidisciplinary Engineering Design and Education

Education

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (MIT) Cambridge, MA

Doctor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, May 1988
Thesis under Professors Bora Mikic and Anthony Patera on "Heat Transfer Enhancement and Three-Dimensional Transitional Flows by a Spectral Element-Fourier Method". Minor in Applied Mathematics.
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, June 1985
Thesis under Professor Bora Mikic on "Experimental Study on the Effect of Oscillatory Flow on Heat Removal from Electronic Devices".

UNIVERSIDAD SIMON BOLIVAR (USB) Caracas, Venezuela

Mechanical Engineering Degree, August 1981
Thesis on "Analysis and Simulation of a Solar Grain Drier".

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Professional Experience

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO (UofT), Toronto, Canada

Dean, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering (2006-present).
Alumni Chair Professor, in BioEngineering, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, (2006-present).

CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY (CMU), Pittsburgh, PA

Raymond J. Lane Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering (2001-present).
Director, Institute for Complex Engineered Systems (ICES) (1999-2006).
Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering (1997-2001).
Associate Director, Institute for Complex Engineered Systems (ICES) (1998-99).
Associate Professor (1993-97), Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering (1988-93).

Conducted and directed research, developed new courses, created and conducted outreach programs. Fostered and led multidisciplinary research initiatives.
Courses Taught: Fundamentals of Mechanical Engineering, Fluid Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Mathematical Techniques in Mechanical Engineering, Advanced Fluid Dynamics, Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer, Turbulent Flow and Transport, Multi-disciplinary Design Project Course (team taught), and Preparing for a Faculty Career Seminar.
Carnegie Bosch Institute, Thermal Management of Electronic Systems and Components, Summer Course in Advanced Program for Technical Managers.
Visiting Professor, Technical University of Munich, Germany (summer 1990).
Visiting Researcher, NASA Glenn, (LEWIS) Heat Transfer Branch, Cleveland (summer 1991).

Honors and Awards

  • Engineering Institute of Canada, Fellow, 2008.

  • Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineers, Fellow, 2007.

  • Royal Academy of Spain, elected foreign corresponding member, 2006.

  • NAE, elected member, 2006.

  • ASEE, Fellow, 2005.

  • Named One of America’s Most Important Hispanics in Technology and Business, Hispanic Engineer
    and Information Technology Magazine, 2005, 2006.

  • 2004 ASME Journal of Electronic Packaging Best Paper Award, "Influence of Pulsating Submerged
    Liquid Jets on Chip-Level Thermal Phenomena," Vol. 125(3).

  • EPPD Thermal Management Award for Outstanding contributions in Thermal Management Applications
    to the Field of Electronic and Photonic Packaging, ASME 2004.

  • IEEE-ASME ITherm 2004 Best Paper Award, "Lattice Boltzmann Modeling of Sub-continuum
    Energy Transport in Silicon-on-Insulator Microelectronics Including Phonon Dispersion Effects," 2004.

  • ASME Electronics and Photonics Packaging Division Clock Award for Outstanding Contributions to the
    Engineering and Science of Thermal Management of Electronics, 2003.

  • AAAS, Fellow, 2003.

  • HENAAC Hispanic Engineer National Achievement, Education Award, 2003.

  • ASEE Ralph Coats Roe Award, for Outstanding Contributions to the Engineering Profession, 2002.

  • Japan-American Frontiers of Engineering Alumna, Invited Delegate, National Academy of Engineering, Japan, 2002.

  • Raymond J. Lane Distinguished Chair of Mechanical Engineering, 2001.

  • Honorific Paper Award "Secondary Flow and Wall Shear Stress in Three-Dimensional Steady Flow AAA
    Hemodynamics," ASME IMECE, Bioengineering Division, 2001.

  • IEEE, Fellow, 2001.

  • ASME Heat Transfer Division, Appreciation Award for Advancing the Engineering Profession as K-3
    Honors and Awards Committee Chair, 2001.

  • Honorific Paper Award “On the Calculation of Hemodynamics Shear Stresses at the Wall of Dilated Large Arteries:
    Application to 3D Computational Models,” ASME IMECE, Bioengineering Division, 2000.

  • ASME/PiTauSigma Gustus L. Larson Memorial Award, for Outstanding Achievements in Mechanical
    Engineering, 2000.

  • SWE CMU Chapter, elected Professor of the Year, 2000.

  • ASME Electrical and Electronic Packaging Division, Service Award for Advancing the Engineering
    Profession as K-16 Chair, 2000.

  • SWE Distinguished Engineering Educator Award, 1999

  • ASME, Fellow, 1999.

  • ASME Engineer of the Year, Pittsburgh, 1999.

  • CMU (Carnegie Mellon University) Benjamin Richard Teare Award for Excellence in Engineering
    Education, 1998.

  • AIAA elected Associate Fellow, 1998.

  • ASME Heat Transfer Division, Dedicated Service Award, 1998.

  • ASEE George Westinghouse Award, 1997.

  • ASEE NCS and Zone II, Outstanding Campus Rep Awards 1996.

  • ASEE NCS Outstanding Teacher Award, 1995.

  • PiTauSigma (Mechanical Engineering Society) elected Honorary Member, 1995.

  • SAE Teetor Educational Award, 1994.

  • CIT (Carnegie Institute of Technology) George Tallman Ladd Research Excellence Award, 1991.

  • NSF Research Initiation Award, 1989.

  • Venezuelan Society of Mechanical and Electrical Engineers Ladislao Andara Award, 1983.

  • Mechanical Engineering Degree: Summa Cum Laude, 1981.

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Professional Association

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Life Fellow

  • AAAS, elected ENC of Section M, Engineering, 2006-2009.

  • Chair, Session M Engineering, Electorate Nominating Committee, 2006-2007.

  • Chair-elect 2004, Chair 2005-2006, Retiring Chair, 2006-2007, AAAS Engineering.

  • AAAS Fellow Nominations Steering Group, Member, 2004-2006.

  • Chair, Session M Engineering, Electorate Nominating Committee, 2003-2004.

  • Elected Electorate Nominating Committee on Engineering, 2001-2004.

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Life Fellow

  • Kraus Award Committee, 2008-2011.

  • Technical Program Chair, Heat Transfer Conference, 2005.

  • Associate Editor, ASME Journal of Heat Transfer, 2001-2004.

  • Executive Board Member, Electronic and Photonic Packaging Division (EPPD), 2000-present.

  • Chair, ASME HTD K-16 Committee on Heat Transfer in Electronic Equipment, 2000-2003.

  • Chair, ASME HTD K-3 Honors and Awards Committee, 2000-2001.

  • Chair, ASME HTD Committee on Membership Development and Honors Nominations, 1996-1998.

  • Vice-Chair, ASME K-16 HTD Committee on Heat Transfer in Electronic Equipment, 1997-2000.

  • Member, ASME K-3 Honors and Awards Committe, 1998-2001.

  • Chair, ASME HTD Committee on Membership Development and Honors Nominations, 1996-1998.

  • Member, ASME K-8 Committee on Theory and Fundamental Research, 1994-2000.

  • ASME K-16 Committee on Heat Transfer in Electronic Equipment, 1991-present.

  • ASME HTD Committee on Visualization, 1999-2002.

  • ASME K-20 Committee Computational Heat Transfer, 1994-1999.

  • Member, ASME Board on Minorities and Women, 1997-present.

Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering, Fellow

National Academy of Engineering (NAE), Member

  • NAE Mechanical Engineering Peer Committee, 2008-2011.

  • NRC Panel, 2006-2007.

American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), Fellow

  • Committee on Multidisciplinary Engineering Member, 2003-present.

  • Roe Award Selection Committee Member, 2002-present.

  • Women In Engineering Division WIED Member, 2002-present.

  • CMU Campus Representative, 1993-1997.

  • Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC), Fellow.

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), Fellow

  • IEEE Transaction Components and Packaging Technology, Associate Editor, 1995-present.

  • Member, IEEE CPMT Society, TC-9 Committee on Thermal Management & ThermoMechanical
    Design, 1996 - present.

  • General chair, ITherm 2002, IEEE/ASME Eighth Intersociety Conference on Thermal, and
    Thermomechanical Phenomena and Emerging Technologies in Electronic Systems, San Diego, CA

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Associate Life Fellow

  • AIAA Thermophysics Technical Committee Member, 2000-present.

  • AIAA Awards TTC Member, 2001-present.

Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Senior Life Member

  • President, SWE Pittsburgh Chapter, 2004-2005, Past President 2005-2006.

  • Adviser CMU Team, 1999 Boeing Team Tech National Student Competition.

  • Engineering Your Future, SWE two-week summer workshop for middle and high school female
    students, Workshop Instructor and Co-founder, every July since 1993.

Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), Member

Pi Tau Sigma, Honorary Member

  • Judge, 5th to 10th Annual Research Symposium for Undergraduates and Meeting of the
    Minds, Sigma Xi CMU Chapter, 1995-2000.

  • Nominating Committee, 1994-1995.

  • Faculty Adviser, CMU Chapter, 1994-1995.

Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE), Member

  • Judge, Eighth to Tenth Annual SAE Robotic Walking Machine Decathlon.

Society of Hispanic Mechanical Engineers (SHPE), Life Member

American Physical Society (APS), Member

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Professional, Corporate, and Government Committees,
Board Memberships



  • Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC), Executive Committee, Chair, 2008-2010.

  • Engineering Deans Council (ECD), Executive Board Director, ASEE 2007-2009.

  • National Council of Deans of Engineering and Applied Science (NCDEAS) of Canada, Research Committee Chair, 2008-2011.

  • MKS Instruments Inc., Board of Directors, 2007-present.

  • External Review Chair, University of Pennsylvania's Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, February 2008.

  • External Visiting Team Member, UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Mechanics, January 2008.

  • Stanford University's Mechanical Engineering Department, Advisory Board Member, 2006-present.

  • National Research Council, The National Academies Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology, 2006-2007,
    Panel Report entitled 'Benchmarking the Research Competitiveness of the U.S. in Mechanical Engineering,' The National Academies Press, 2007.

  • Bombardier ETrain, Executive Committee Member, 2008-present.

  • Advisory Board Member, Purdue University qHUB, 2007-present.

  • External Review Committee, School of Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 2005-2007.

  • National Science Foundation, "Fundamentals of Complex, Engineered, Organizational and Natural Systems," AB member 2005-present.

  • National Research Council, The National Academies, Space Studies Board, Committee on Microgravity Research CMGR,
    sub-committee on Emerging Technologies, 2001-2004, Committee Report entitled "Assessment of Directions in Microgravity and Physical Sciences Research at NASA," The National Academies Press, 2004.

  • Visiting Committee, Engineering Division of the Colorado School of Mines, 2004-present.

  • Advisory Board and External Reviewers, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, American Univ. of Beirut, Lebanon, 2005-present.
    Review of proposed Ph.D. report to New York State Department of Education, 2005.

  • The City University of New York, The City College, NSF CREST Center for Mesoscopic Modeling and Simulation (CMMS),
    External Advisory Board Member, 2001-present.

  • Chair, External Review Committee of Mechanical Engineering Centers in Portugal, FCT, Department of Science and Post-Secondary Education,
    Portugal, October 1997, September 1999, January 2003, April 2008.

  • International Centre of Heat and Mass Transfer Scientific Council Board Member, 2002-2006.

  • The Executive Women's Council of Pittsburgh, 2002-2007.

  • University of Texas, Arlington, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, External Advisory Board Member, 2001-present.

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