Shu Chien, who is a Professor of Bioengineering and the Director of the Institute of Engineering in Medicine at the University of California in San Diego (UCSD), has been awarded the Benjamin Franklin Award.
The accolade has been won by such prominent scientists as Stephen Hawking, Jacques Cousteau, Albert Einstein, and Nicola Tesla.
The Franklin Institute, located in Philadelphia, said Chien was chosen to receive the award in mechanical engineering for his contributions to “the understanding of the physics of blood flow”, and how this knowledge can be applied to diagnose cardiovascular disease.
In 2016, there will be eight recipients of the award—Chien and seven others. The program was begun in 1824 with the object of honoring achievements in invention and science.
Such accolades are not unusual for Chien, who received the National Medal of Science four years ago from President Obama in a ceremony held at the White House. In 2006, the National Academy of Sciences gave Chien its Founders Award.
Chien came to the United States in 1954 to go to Columbia University, where he earned his doctorate. He continued to study at Columbia, exploring the cardiovascular system from an engineering perspective, making him a bioengineer. He continues to this work today.
The university might create a booklet about Chien’s achievements, and the university in general, and make it available to high school counselors.
