Frank P. Incropera (born 12 May 1939) is an American

mechanical engineer Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations of ...

and author on the subjects of

mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...

and

heat transfer Heat transfer is a discipline of thermal engineering that concerns the generation, use, conversion, and exchange of thermal energy (heat) between physical systems. Heat transfer is classified into various mechanisms, such as thermal conduction, ...

. Incropera is the Clifford and Evelyn Brosey Professor of

Mechanical Engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...

at the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, US. A Fellow of

American Society of Mechanical Engineers The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing ...

, Incropera is known for his contributions to the field of heat transfer, especially in the context of

radiation transfer In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. This includes: * ''electromagnetic radiation'', such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visib ...

scattering Scattering is a term used in physics to describe a wide range of physical processes where moving particles or radiation of some form, such as light or sound, are forced to deviate from a straight trajectory by localized non-uniformities (including ...

- absorbing media and

double diffusive convection Double diffusive convection is a fluid dynamics phenomenon that describes a form of convection driven by two different density gradients, which have different rates of diffusion. Convection in fluids is driven by density variations within them u ...

. He has been listed as an ISI Highly Cited Author in Engineering by the ISI Web of Knowledge, Thomson Scientific Company.ISI Highly Cited Author - Frank P. Incropera
/ref> Incropera was elected a member of the

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy ...

in 1996 for research on the science and practice of heat transfer and for contributions to engineering education.

Education and career

Born in

Lawrence, Massachusetts Lawrence is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Merrimack River. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and Nort ...

in United States on 12 May 1939, Incropera received his bachelor's degree mechanical engineering from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

in 1961 and M.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

in 1962. From 1962 to 1964 he has worked for the Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Sunnyvale, California. He came back to Stanford and earned his Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering in 1966. Incropera began his academic career in 1966 as an assistant professor in Mechanical Engineering department at

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

. In 1969, he was promoted to associate professor and became full professor in 1973. He was chairman of the Heat and Mass Transfer Area of Mechanical Engineering from 1976 to 1985. Incropera also served as Head of the School of Mechanical Engineering from 1989 to 1998. In 1998, he left Purdue to join

as the Clifford and Evelyn Brosey Professor of Mechanical Engineering. At the University of Notre Dame, he also served as Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of Engineering until 2006.

References

1939 births American mechanical engineers Stanford University alumni MIT School of Engineering alumni Purdue University faculty University of Notre Dame faculty Living people Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering {{US-academic-stub