Kai A. James, assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been named the inaugural Scott White Aerospace Engineering Faculty Fellow. This appointment provides faculty support for an individual who conducts research in materials, a field for which its namesake, Professor Scott White, was globally recognized.

James commented, “This is an immense honor considering Scott’s prolific accomplishments as a researcher, and his positive impact on me personally as a cherished mentor during my first years with the department.”

James joined the faculty in the Dept. of AE in 2015.  His primary area of research is in developing computer algorithms to aid in the design of complex mechanical systems.  In 2018, James received the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. He is also using science to attract more underserved students to STEM.

Scott White passed away in 2018 at the age of 55. For information about how you can support the department, contact Tim Cochrane.

Article originally posted at https://aerospace.illinois.edu/ on March 26, 2020