The Department of Aerospace Engineering will induct three alumni—Jang-Moo Lee, Roger S. Hanson, and Ronald E. Narmi—into the Hall of Distinguished Alumni on Friday, April 16, at 10 a.m. in Howe Hall. The Hall of Distinguished Alumni was established in 2004 to pay tribute to alumni who have brought honor to the department and Iowa State University. With the 2010 inductees, the hall will feature 22 alumni.
Lee, who earned his MS and PhD degrees in engineering mechanics in 1972 and 1975, respectively, is president of Seoul National University (SNU), Republic of Korea. A member of the SNU faculty since 1975, Lee established himself as an internationally prominent scholar in the field of mechanical vibrations, noise, and nonlinear dynamic theory as applied to automobiles. He rose through the ranks at SNU and was named president in 2006. As president, Lee has initiated a comprehensive four-year plan of internationalization and diversification for the university. He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, International Academy of Production Research, and Korean Academy of Science and Technology. Lee will also receive the Iowa State University Distinguished Alumni Award on April 16. This is the highest honor given to alumni by the university through the alumni association.
Hanson earned his PhD in theoretical and applied mechanics at Iowa State in 1958. He also holds BS degrees in electrical engineering and mechanical engineering from Iowa State where he was elected to Phi Kappa Phi, Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, Pi Tau Sigma, Pi Mu Epsilon, and Phi Eta Sigma honorary societies. After earning an MS in mathematics at the University of Michigan in 1955, he returned to Iowa State as an instructor and to work on his doctorate. His professional employment has included NASA, General Motors Research Laboratories, and Hughes Aircraft Company. In 1965 Hanson earned his law degree from the University of Southern California. He has been admitted to the state bars of California, Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan and has argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2005, Hanson established the Martin C. Jischke Professorship in Aerospace Engineering to honor Jischke, who was a professor of aerospace engineering and the first engineer to serve as president of Iowa State University.
Narmi, who was a Naval ROTC student, earned his BS in aerospace engineering in 1955. His 30-year career in the U.S. Navy included service in the missile branch of the SLBM Polaris/Poseidon/Trident Project Office and as deputy project manager for procurement of all antisubmarine weapons systems. He commanded a P-3 Orion squadron, a P-3 Wing, and also the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF), the largest joint service senior war college. As deputy supreme allied commander Atlantic, he commanded all NATO forces in Iceland responsible for the air and antisubmarine defense of the North Atlantic. In addition to his Iowa State degree, Narmi earned MS degrees in nuclear physics from the Naval Postgraduate School, in systems management from the University of Southern California, and in national security policy from George Washington University, and he is a distinguished graduate of the ICAF 10-month resident course. Narmi has received 14 military decorations and earned the Iowa State Professional Achievement Certificate in Engineering in 1984.