Engineering Professor Elected to ASME

Kimberly L. Turner, professor of mechanical engineering at UC Santa Barbara, has been elected to the post of Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). She is the sixth faculty from UCSB to receive the honor.

Turner’s research encompasses the topics of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), micromachines that function largely as sensors or devices that convert one form of energy to another. One current project involves the combination of MEMS and biomimicry, wherein a synthetic controllable adhesive is being developed using the gecko’s ability to stick to a variety of surfaces, as a model.

“I am honored to receive this recognition from ASME,” said Turner. ASME is a broad organization, and provides a lot of opportunities for young and future engineers. Being a founding member of the MEMS division of ASME, I'm honored to now be a fellow of an organization I have worked with for so long.”

In addition to being recognized for her major contributions in the area of MEMS, Turner’s service to her professional community has also been acknowledged for her extensive service to her professional community. She has served ASME in numerous leadership roles for technical committees, in the organization of conferences and also as chair of the ASME MEMS Division.

Turner was a recipient of the UCSB Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award in 2005, and became one of the youngest faculty members to be named chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2008. Last year, she received the Academic Senate Graduate Mentor Award.

An inventor on seven U.S. patents and an author of more than 80 peer-reviewed articles, Turner was also the recipient of the National Science Foundation’s CAREER award and is a member of the Society for Experimental Mechanics, the American Society for Engineering Education and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. She also serves as a consultant for leading micro-systems companies.