Engineering Professor Janet Blume Named Associate Dean of the Faculty

Brown University Dean of the Faculty Kevin McLaughlin has announced that Associate Professor of Engineering Janet Blume has been appointed as associate dean of the faculty for the academic year 2011-12.

“I wanted to congratulate Janet Blume for this wonderful appointment, which is a well deserved recognition of her many contributions to Brown throughout her career,” said Larry Larson, Dean of the School of Engineering. “It is great to know that her remarkable effectiveness and enthusiasm will be assisting the Dean of Faculty in the coming year.”

Blume, whose research is in mathematical aspects of the mechanics of solids, has been on the faculty at Brown since 1986. She teaches courses at all levels in engineering, including the introductory first-year course, and has served as director of undergraduate programs in the School of Engineering. 

 Blume's contributions have been recognized with the Philip J. Bray medal for Excellence in Teaching in the Physical Sciences (1997), the Tau Beta Pi School of Engineering Dedicated
Faculty Member Award (2009), and the Karen T. Romer Prize for Excellence in Advising (2011). 

Blume graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in engineering from Princeton (1982), and holds a Ph.D. in applied mechanics from Caltech (1986). She will begin her work in the Office of the Dean of the Faculty effective August 1.

Janet Blume wins Karen T. Romer Award for Excellence in Advising

Janet Blume, associate professor of engineering and director of undergraduate programs for the School of Engineering, has been chosen this year to receive the Karen T. Romer Award for excellence in advising. Blume was recognized with the formal presentation of the award on Monday, May 2, at the Teaching Awards Ceremony organized by the Sheridan Center. 

This award was instituted several years ago thanks to a generous gift from the family of Brown trustee Marty Granoff. The purpose is to recognize faculty who have shown exceptional dedication, imagination, and commitment in their mentoring of undergraduates. The students who nominated Professor Blume this year (and in past years) praised her work as an advisor in ways that were truly inspiring.

Originally from Long Island, Professor Blume got her bachelor of science in engineering degree from Princeton University in 1982, followed by a Ph.D. in applied mechanics from the California Institute of Technology in 1986. She immediately joined the faculty in engineering at Brown as a member of the mechanics of solids and structures group, doing research in the mathematical issues in the behavior of solids undergoing large deformations.

Professor Blume has taught many engineering courses in the mechanical and civil engineering areas at all levels of the graduate and undergraduate curricula. She often teaches including both introductory engineering classes, EN 3 and EN4. She advises research theses at all levels.

Professor Blume is actively involved in engineering outreach and leads several programs aimed at bringing engineering topics into math and science education at the pre-college level.