Trustees ratify 4 named, distinguished professorships

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue University Board of Trustees on Friday (Aug. 26) approved three named professorships and a distinguished professorship.

Trustees ratified Miko Cakmak as the Reilly Professor of Materials Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, Nathan Hartman as the Dauch Family Endowed Professor in Advanced Manufacturing, Donald Lynam as a Distinguished Professor of Psychological Sciences and Haiyan Wang as the Basil S. Turner Professor of Engineering.

Cakmak is a professor of materials and mechanical engineering. He began at Purdue Aug. 15, coming from the University of Akron, where he was the Harold A. Morton Chair and distinguished professor of polymer engineering and director of the Center for Multifunctional Polymer Nanomaterials and Devices.

His research focuses on identification, modeling and simulation of complex structural mechanisms, particularly stress-induced crystallization that takes place during polymer processing. He designs roll-to-roll manufacturing lines to produce multifunctional films for a range of applications, including flexible electronics, medical devices, and membranes for energy and environment.

He received his bachelor's degree from the Technical University of Istanbul and his master's degree and doctorate from the University of Tennessee.

Hartman is a professor and associate head of the Department of Computer Graphics Technology and director of the Purdue Product Lifecycle Management Center of Excellence. He also is co-executive director of the Indiana Next-generation Manufacturing Competitiveness Center. He came to Purdue as an assistant professor in computer graphics technology in 2003, was named associate professor in 2008 and professor in 2014. Before coming to Purdue he was a graduate instructor at North Carolina State University and a senior technical training engineer at RAND WorldWide.

Hartman's research involves the use of 3-D CAD tools and digital product definition within the product lifecycle, model-based enterprise, long-term archival of CAD data and 3-D data interoperability and exchange.

He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Purdue and his doctorate from North Carolina State University.

Lynam is a professor in psychological sciences. He has been at Purdue since 2006, coming from the University of Kentucky, where he was assistant professor, associate professor and professor of psychology.

His research investigates the contribution of individual differences, particularly personality traits, to deviance — such as antisocial behavior, substance use and risky sexual behavior — and psychopathology — such as psychopathy and other personality disorders — across the life course.

Lynam earned his bachelor's degree from Cornell University and his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Wang is a joint professor of materials engineering and electrical and computer engineering who came to Purdue this month from Texas A&M University. She was at Texas A&M as an assistant professor, associate professor and professor of electrical and computer engineering, beginning in 2006. From 2013-15, she also served as a program director at the U.S. National Science Foundation. She was also on the staff at Los Alamos National Laboratory, first as a postdoctoral fellow and later as a technical staff member, from 2003-2006.

Her research interests are in electronic materials and nanoscale processing and characterization of oxide- and nitride-based thin films.

Wang earned her bachelor's degree from Nanchang University in China, her master's degree from the Institute of Metal Research in Shenyang, China, and her doctorate from North Carolina State University. 

Writer: Greg McClure, 765-496-9711, gmcclure@purdue.edu 

Sources: Debasish Dutta, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity, dutta@purdue.edu

Ciko Cakmak, cakmak@purdue.edu

Nathan Hartman, 765 496 6104, nhartman@purdue.edu

Donald Lynam, 765-496-9025, dlynam@purdue.edu

Haiyan Wang, hwang00@purdue.edu