James C. Newman Jr., Ph.D., a professor of aerospace engineering at Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Miss., has been honored with the Edward T. Wessel Award from ASTM International Committee E08 for his exceptional leadership in the development of standards based on fatigue and fracture technology.

Newman, who joined ASTM International in 1971, is an active member of Committee E08 on Fatigue and Fracture, where he serves as a member at large on the E08 executive subcommittee and led the development of the newest ASTM fracture standard for cracked metallic materials under low-constraint conditions (ASTM E2472). He has received several awards for his outstanding service to Committee E08, including the ASTM Award of Merit and title of fellow, the George R. Irwin Award, the Committee E08 Fracture Mechanics Medal and the Jerry L. Swedlow Memorial Lecture Award.    

Before joining the faculty at Mississippi State University in 2001, Newman spent more than 35 years as a research engineer and senior scientist at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. His research during his scholastic and professional career has focused on stress analysis and fatigue and fracture of metallic materials. 

Newman is a member of the American Society for Engineering Education and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He holds a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Mississippi, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in engineering mechanics fromVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.

ASTM PR Contact: Erin McElrone, Phone: 610-832-9602; emcelron@astm.org

Release #8466/Jan2010