Suvranu De, the J. Erik Jonsson ’22 Distinguished Professor of Engineering and head of the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been selected as a fellow of the U.S. Association for Computational Mechanics (USACM). He will be recognized at the awards ceremony of the 14th U.S. National Congress on Computational Mechanics, to be held July 17-20, 2017, in Montreal, Canada.

The USACM selects as fellows individuals with a distinguished record of research, accomplishment, and publication in areas of computational mechanics and demonstrated support of the USACM.

A prolific researcher, De is known internationally for his work on meshfree methods, multiscale modeling, and real-time computing as they are applied to the numerical solution of coupled partial differential equations.

A major aspect of his research program is developing new touch-sensitive virtual reality tools for training surgeons and simulating experimental surgical techniques. Along with creating accurate computer models of human internal organs, De develops realistic hardware interfaces with real surgical tools that can interact with the computer models in real time.

“Selection as a fellow of USACM is a wonderful recognition of Professor De’s contributions to the area of computational science and engineering,” said Shekhar Garde, dean of the School of Engineering at Rensselaer. “Professor De’s work combines various disciplines from applied mathematics and advanced computation to haptic and immersive systems enabling high impact applications to the area of virtual surgery. This work truly embodies the spirit of the New Polytechnic.”

With more than $20 million in external grant funding to date, De leads research in virtual surgery, developing computer-generated simulation environments for surgical planning, competency, and patient safety. His major contributions include the development of meshfree computational mechanics algorithms for real-time computing, multi-grid and multi-resolution algorithms, and realistic interfaces for simulation of traditional laparoscopic and emerging surgical procedures.

De is the founding director of the Center for Modeling, Simulation and Imaging in Medicine (CeMSIM) at Rensselaer. The center was established in 2010 to develop advanced modeling, simulation and imaging (MSI) technology for health care through interdisciplinary collaborations with the aim of transitioning the technology to clinical practice―from the laboratory bench to the hospital bedside.

In 2016 De was elected a fellow of the International Association for Computational Mechanics (IACM). He also was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering for “outstanding contributions to developing computational algorithms for virtual surgery and for leadership in engineering education.”

De has authored or co-authored 13 book chapters, 127 papers in peer-reviewed journals, and more than 209 papers appearing in conference proceedings. He has co-edited two books, Computational Modeling in Biomechanics, and Multiscale Modeling in Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, and serves on editorial boards of national and international conferences and journals and on several peer-review panels of federal funding organizations.

De joined Rensselaer in 2002 and was named head of the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering, the Institute’s largest department, in 2012. He was named J. Erik Jonsson ’22 Distinguished Professor of Engineering in 2015. De also serves joint appointments in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Information Technology and Web Science.

He is the recipient of a 2005 Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, the Rensselaer School of Engineering Excellence Award in 2008, the inaugural James M. Tien ’66 Early Career Award for Faculty in 2009, and the Rensselaer School of Engineering Outstanding Team Award in 2012.

De received his bachelor’s degree from Jadavpur University in Calcutta, India, his master’s degree from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and his doctoral degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, all in mechanical engineering.

De’s work is a reflection of The New Polytechnic, an emerging paradigm for teaching, learning, and research at Rensselaer. The New Polytechnic emphasizes and supports collaboration across disciplines, sectors, and regions to address the great global challenges of our day, using the most advanced tools and technologies, many of which are developed at Rensselaer.

About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1824, is America’s first technological research university. For nearly 200 years, Rensselaer has been defining the scientific and technological advances of our world. Rensselaer faculty and alumni represent 85 members of the National Academy of Engineering, 17 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 25 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 8 members of the National Academy of Medicine, 8 members of the National Academy of Inventors, and 5 members of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, as well as 6 National Medal of Technology winners, 5 National Medal of Science winners, and a Nobel Prize winner in Physics. With 7,000 students and nearly 100,000 living alumni, Rensselaer is addressing the global challenges facing the 21st century—to change lives, to advance society, and to change the world. To learn more, go to www.rpi.edu.