Cristina Amon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cristina H. Amon
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Cristina Amon in 2015
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| Education | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MSc and ScD, 1998) Simón Bolívar University (1981) |
| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
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| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Toronto (2006-present) Carnegie Mellon University (1988-2006) |
| Thesis | "Heat Transfer Enhancement and Three-Dimensional Transitional Flows by a Spectral Element-Fourier Method" (1988) |
Cristina H. Amon CM is a brilliant mechanical engineer and a leader in education. She was the 13th dean of the University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. What's really cool is that she was the very first woman to hold this important position! Before coming to Toronto in 2006, she was a special professor and director at Carnegie Mellon University.
Contents
Becoming an Engineer
Cristina Amon started her journey in engineering in Venezuela. She earned her degree in mechanical engineering from Simón Bolívar University in 1981.
Advanced Studies
After that, she moved to the United States to continue her studies. She attended the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). There, she earned two advanced degrees: a Master of Science (MSc) in 1985 and a doctor of science (ScD) in 1988.
Cool Research in Engineering
Cristina Amon is a true pioneer in her field. She helped create new ways to use computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This is a fancy way of saying she uses computers to understand how liquids and gases move.
Solving Heat Problems
Her work helps engineers design systems that stay cool. This is super important for things like electronics cooling in computers. She also worked on managing heat in wearable computers and electric vehicles. Imagine your smart watch not getting too hot!
Tiny Scale Discoveries
Today, Amon leads a special lab at the University of Toronto. It's called the Advanced Thermal/Fluids Optimization, Modelling, and Simulation (ATOMS) Laboratory. In this lab, she studies how heat moves at a very, very tiny level, called the nanoscale. This research helps improve semiconductors (like the chips in your phone), energy systems, and even bioengineered devices.
Cristina Amon's Career Journey
Cristina Amon started as an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University in 1988. She quickly moved up the ranks. By 1997, she became a full professor.
Leading at Universities
She took on more leadership roles, becoming the Associate Director of the Institute for Complex Engineered Systems in 1998. The next year, she became its Director. In 2001, she was named the Raymond J. Lane Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering.
In 2006, she became the Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto. This was a big deal because she was the first woman to hold this position! She also became a special professor in BioEngineering at the same time.
Encouraging Diversity
Cristina Amon cares a lot about making the engineering profession open to everyone. She works hard to get more girls and women interested in engineering. For example, in 2016, a record 40.1% of first-year engineering students at the University of Toronto were female!
She also helped create the Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CEIE). This building is a place where students and researchers can work together on new ideas. Construction on this exciting project began in 2015.
Awards and Recognitions
Cristina Amon has received many important awards and honors for her amazing work. She is a respected member of many top engineering groups.
Major Awards
- She is a life fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
- She has received awards from the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), including the prestigious 1997 George Westinghouse Award.
- In 2006, she was chosen as a member of the National Academy of Engineering, which is a huge honor.
- In 2015, she received the Ontario Professional Engineers Gold Medal.
- In 2017, she was awarded the Engineering Institute of Canada's Sir John Kennedy Medal.
- Her most recent award is the 2020 Engineers Canada Gold Medal Award.
She has also helped edit important engineering journals, like the ASME Journal of Heat Transfer. Cristina Amon is even featured in the Notable Women in Computing cards, showing her impact on the world of technology!
See also
In Spanish: Cristina Amon para niños
