Rodica A. Baranescu ( ro, Bărănescu; born 1940) is a

Romanian-American Romanian Americans are Americans who have Romanian ancestry. According to the 2017 American Community Survey, 478,278 Americans indicated Romanian as their first or second ancestry, however other sources provide higher estimates, which are most ...

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 ...

known for her research in automotive

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...

s. Specifically she focuses on

alternative fuels Alternative fuel, known as non-conventional and advanced fuels, are any materials or Chemical substance, substances that can be used as fuels, other than conventional fuels like; ''fossil fuels'' (petroleum (oil), coal, and natural gas), as wel ...

and optimization in emissions and performance of the engines. Baranescu 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 2001 for research leading to effective and environmentally sensitive diesel and alternative-fuel engines and leadership in automotive engineering.

Early life and education

Baranescu earned her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the

French Institute of Petroleum The IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) also known as French Institute of Petroleum (in French: ''Institut Français du Pétrole, IFP'') is a public research organisation in France founded in 1944 as Institute of Oil, Fuels and Lubricants (''Institut d ...

in Rueil-Malmaison, France. She earned her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (1961) and her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (1970) from Politehnica University in Bucharest, Romania.

Career and research

After her formal education Baranescu taught as an assistant, and then associate professor at Politehnica University from 1964 to 1978. In 1980 she moved to the United States to work for the

International Truck and Engine Corporation Navistar, Inc is an American holding company created in 1986 as the successor to International Harvester. Navistar operates as the owner of International-branded trucks and diesel engines. The company also produces buses under the IC Bus br ...

where she eventually became Chief Engineer for Engine Performance Analysis. She also became a manager in the Fuels and Lubricants and Engine group for the same company. In 2005 she became a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the

University of Illinois at Chicago The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a Public university, public research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its campus is in the Near West Side, Chicago, Near West Side community area, adjacent to the Chicago Loop. The second campus esta ...

. Here she served as a mentor and research director to graduate and undergraduate students in engineering. She retired from her position in 2016. Baranescu was often invited as a speaker and lecturer worldwide to talk about her research in the automotive industry. She is the co-editor of the 1999 edition of the ''Diesel Engine Reference Book'' and author of many papers relating to fuels and energy, mobile technology, and environmental issues. Her success has led her to be the first woman president of

SAE International SAE International, formerly named the Society of Automotive Engineers, is a United States-based, globally active professional association and standards developing organization for engineering professionals in various industries. SAE Internatio ...

(SAE) which is the largest automotive society in the world. She is also the Chair of the Fluids group in the Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA). Through her leadership at SAE she has promoted engineering education for young students, women, and minorities. In 2011 SAE announced an award in her name to honor and celebrate the successes of women in the engineering profession.

Awards

* Member of the

(NAE) * Doctor Honoris Causa of the

University of Pitești The University of Piteşti ( ro, Universitatea din Pitești, abbreviated ''UPIT'') is a public university in Piteşti, Romania, founded in 1991. History The first Higher Education Institution in Piteşti was founded in 1962 and was called "The 3 ...

in Romania * Fellow member of SAE International * Honorary Professor of

Transylvania University Transylvania University is a private university in Lexington, Kentucky. It was founded in 1780 and was the first university in Kentucky. It offers 46 major programs, as well as dual-degree engineering programs, and is accredited by the Southern ...

Brașov Brașov (, , ; german: Kronstadt; hu, Brassó; la, Corona; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the administrative centre of Brașov County. According to the latest Romanian census (2011), Brașov has a popu ...

, Romania *

ASME 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 ...

Internal Combustion Engine Award * Excellence in Oral Presentation at the SAE International Off-Highway Engineering Conference * Powerplant Congress and Exposition * Gold Award of Excellence for the Chicago Section of SAE * Forest R. McFarland Award of SAE

Patents

* Internal Combustion Engine with Damping Chamber * Accumulator Fuel Injection System for Diesel Engine

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baranescu, Rodica Living people 1940 births American mechanical engineers Romanian emigrants to the United States Date of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) University of Illinois Chicago faculty Politehnica University of Bucharest alumni Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering 20th-century American engineers 21st-century American engineers 20th-century Romanian engineers Romanian women engineers American women engineers Academic staff of the Politehnica University of Bucharest