Shannon Named Bayne Professor

In an investiture ceremony held April 3, Mark Shannon was honored as the third James W. Bayne Professor in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Shannon has brought his expertise in nanoscale, microscale and mesoscale science to bear on problems related to homeland security, manufacturing, water purity and other areas. He is the director of the Center of Advanced Materials for Purification of Water with Systems (WaterCAMPWS).

Shannon has played a key role in developing an efficient electrostatic microcompressor, about the size of a quarter, which has since been patented. He has also been instrumental in the development of the Biological Intelligent Processor and molecular gate, which are able to detect toxins in amounts as low as 100 molecules. These devices will be critical components of nanomanufacturing facilities as well as next-generation water purification technologies.

The recipient of a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Development (CAREER) Award in 1997, Shannon was named a Kritzer Faculty Scholar by M&IE in 2003. The following year, he was named a Willett Faculty Scholar by the College of Engineering, and he received the College's Xerox Award for Faculty Research. He is a three-time recipient of the Engineering Council Award for Excellence in Advising and has also received the Accenture Award for Excellence in Advising. He completed BS and MS degrees in mechanical engineering in 1989 and 1991 and a PhD in applied mechanics in 1993, all at the University of California at Berkeley.

The professorship was endowed by Joanne and Alexander Rankin (BSME 1957) in honor of the late James W. Bayne, one of the most well-known and beloved professors in M&IE's history.