Engineering student and professor honored with 2003 Arch T. Colwell Merit Award

WARRENDALE, Pa. (July 27, 2005) - David A. Rothamer and Dr. Jaal Ghandhi were selected to receive the 2003 Arch T. Colwell Merit Award. The award was presented at the Honors Convocation Luncheon during the SAE 2005 World Congress in Detroit, Michigan on April 12, 2005.

This award, established in 1965, annually recognizes the authors of papers of outstanding technical or professional merit presented at a meeting of the Society or any of its sections during the calendar year. Papers are judged primarily for their value as new contributions to existing knowledge of mobility engineering. The award was funded by the late Arch T. Colwell, who served SAE in many capacities for nearly 50 years, including a term as president in 1941. Eleven papers were selected for this year's honor; among them is Rothamer and Ghandhi's paper, "Determination of Flame-Front Equivalence Ratio During Stratified Combustion" (SAE 2003-01-0069).

David A. Rothamer
Rothamer is a research assistant in the High Temperature Gas Dynamics Laboratory (HTGL) at Stanford University, working with Professor Ronald K. Hanson. His main research interests include the development of laser-based diagnostics for measuring species concentration and temperature, the application of laser diagnostics to harsh environments, and the study of combustion processes in IC engines. His current research is focused on the development of laser imaging techniques for combustion gases in the infrared spectral region. Rothamer holds bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is currently working toward his doctorate.

Dr. Jaal Ghandhi
Dr. Ghandhi is an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a researcher at the school's Engine Research Center. His principle research interest is turbulent mixing and combustion as it applies to internal combustion engines. His current work is focused on experimental investigation of in-cylinder combustion and mixing phenomena using both advanced, laser-based diagnostics and standard engine testing. Ghandhi holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University.