Yonggang Huang to Receive Prager Medal

Northwestern Engineering’s Yonggang Huang has been selected to receive the prestigious William Prager Medal from the Society of Engineering Science. The medal is given annually to a researcher for “outstanding contributions in theoretical or experimental solid mechanics.”

Huang is Walter P. Murphy Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, professor of mechanical engineering, and professor of materials science and engineering in Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering. He will officially receive the award next year at the society’s annual conference.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Prager Medal,” Huang said. “It is particularly meaningful to be named among Northwestern’s past recipients — Zdenek Bazant, Jan Achenbach, and Ted Belytschko.”

The award is named for William Prager, who was an applied mathematician and early leader in the field of theoretical and applied mechanics. Even though he never met Prager, Huang considers him as an “academic great-grandfather.” Huang’s PhD adviser at Harvard University was John Hutchinson, who was advised by Bernard Budiansky, who was advised by Prager.

Huang, who develops mechanical models for stretchable and flexible electronics, is already having a good year. In May, he was selected to receive the Nadai Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) — the society’s highest honor in its materials division. Earlier this month, he received Northwestern Engineering’s Cole-Higgins Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Huang’s other awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship, Young Investigator Medal from the Society of Engineering Sciences, and the International Journal of Plasticity Medal. An ISI Highly Cited Research in Engineering and Materials Science, he also received the Larson Memorial Award, Melville Medal, Richards Memorial Award, and Drucker Medal — all from ASME.