For release: March 3, 2008

Contacts: 
R. Bruce Thompson, 515-294-8152
Robert Mills, Public Affairs, 515-294-1113

AMES LABORATORY’S THOMPSON WINS EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING EFFORTS

AMES, Iowa – R. Bruce Thompson, director of the Nondestructive Evaluation program at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory, has won the Sustained Excellence Award from the American Society for Nondestructive Testing’s Research Council.

Thompson, who is also director of Iowa State University’s Center for Nondestructive Evaluation and Distinguished Professor of materials science and engineering and aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics at Iowa State University, was nominated by Kevin Smith of Pratt & Whitney. The nomination included supporting letters from Robert Green, Johns Hopkins University; James Malas, U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory; and Alex Schwarzkopf, National Science Foundation. Aquil Ahmad of Eaton Corp. provided a letter of support on behalf of the Industrial Advisory Board for the Center for Nondestructive Evaluation. In Smith’s nomination, he commented that Thompson has demonstrated sustained excellence in research in the field of nondestructive testing through a long career filled with achievements leading to significant advancements in the state of the art. In addition to highlighting Thompson’s research achievements, mentoring of students and excellent academic credentials, he was also recognized for his exceptional capability to perceive the possibilities for how theoretical

concepts can be applied to industrial concerns. “Few individuals possess the depth of knowledge and the ability to transform that knowledge into useful information as Bruce Thompson,” Smith said in his nomination.

Thompson received his Ph.D. in applied physics from Stanford University in 1971. From 1970 to 1980 he served as a member of the technical staff and group leader of ultrasonic applications at the Rockwell International Center before coming to Ames Laboratory and ISU. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

ASNT, with a membership of over 9,000, is the world’s largest technical society for nondestructive testing professionals. The organization promotes the discipline of nondestructive testing as a profession and facilitates research and technology applications. The Center for Nondestructive Evaluation is a member of the Institute for Physical Research and Technology at ISU.

Ames Laboratory is operated for the Department of Energy by Iowa State University. The Lab conducts research into various areas of national concern, including the synthesis and study of new materials, energy resources, high-speed computer design, and environmental cleanup and restoration.

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