Mitropoulos, Wonka earn NSF Career Awards


The number of ASU Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering faculty members winning highly sought-after National Science Foundation Career Awards has risen to five over the past year.

Panagiotis “Takis” MitropoulosRecent awards went to Panagiotis “Takis” Mitropoulos, an assistant professor in the engineering school's Del E. Webb School of Construction, and Peter Wonka, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

The awards recognize scientists and engineers who demonstrate the potential to be leaders in advancing knowledge in their fields. Those awarded to engineering faculty members have included grants of $400,000 to $500,000 over five years to fund research.

Mitropolous will use his grant to support research aimed at reducing the more than 1,200 fatalities and 400,000 serious injuries that occur each year in the United States during construction work.

Wonka is developing three-dimensional computer modeling techniques for use in such areas as urban planning, simulation and training programs, movie production techniques and computer games.

Peter WonkaWonka is one of three computer science and engineering faculty members who have received the award during the past year. Previous awards went to Assistant Professor Karamvir S. Chatha, who is working on next-generation microprocessors and Assistant Professor Hasan Davuclu, who is creating language and methodology for computer software that helps schedule and automate consumer tasks.

Another award went to Cody Friesen, an assistant professor in the School of Materials (part of the engineering school and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences). His grant is funding research and education outreach in nanomechanics.