Former head of the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics Dr. Henry T. Yang, chancellor of the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), has been appointed by President Obama to the President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science. Dr. Yang, an AIAA Fellow, was previously appointed to the committee by then-President George W. Bush.

Prior to becoming chancellor of UCSB, Yang was the Neil Armstrong Distinguished Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and dean of the Engineering Department, at Purdue University.

Dr. Yang’s long experience at Purdue University, leading the aerospace engineering department and later as the dean of engineering, make him well qualified to sit on this prestigious board. He will be responsible for selecting the recipients of one of the nation’s highest scientific honors. This appointment further demonstrates the important role that aerospace engineers and scientists play in our nation’s technical achievements and advancements.

Yang is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, chair of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, a member of the Kavli Foundation Board, and chair of the Thirty Meter Telescope Project. In addition to being an AIAA Fellow, he is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the American Society for Engineering Education. His past honors include the ASEE Benjamin Garver Lamme Award, and the 2008 AIAA Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Award.