Crassidis elected Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers

By Nicole Capozziello

“By continuing to honor our members by elevating them to the grade of Fellow, we ensure ASME’s commitment to its vision ‘to be the premier resource for the engineering community globally,’" says ASME executive/CEO Thomas Costabile.

Established in 1880, ASME aims to “advance engineering for the benefit of society.” It currently has over 85,000 members from 140 countries. Nominated by ASME members and Fellows, an ASME member has to have 10 or more years of active practice as well as at least 10 years of active corporate membership in ASME to become a Fellow.

“John’s election to Fellow of ASME is a testament to his outstanding contributions to the engineering community, demonstrating his prominence and distinguished reputation as a national and international leader,” says Francine Battaglia, professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. “John has been a pillar of the department, having served in various leadership roles and his recognition with this prestigious honor will further enhance the reputation of our department.”

Crassidis is a world-renowned expert in space situational awareness, space navigation and space station safety. In particular, his research has improved the detection and tracking of space debris, helped keep astronauts safe during space missions and provided new research directions for the U.S. Department of Defense that have the potential to provide even greater protection of our country’s assets in space.

He is the director of UB’s Center for Multisource Information Fusion Center—the only dedicated fusion center in the U.S. He is also the founder and director of the UB Nanosatellite Laboratory, where each year over a hundred students design, build and test satellites for use by the Air Force and NASA. 

A faculty member at UB since 2001, Crassidis’ past honors include: the 2017 UB President Emeritus and Mrs. Meyerson Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching and Mentoring; the 2016 J. Leland Atwood Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA); UB’s 2014 Richard T. Sarkin Award for Excellence in Teaching; the 2012 AIAA Mechanics and Control of Flight Award; a 2006 AIAA Sustained Service Award; and the Society of Automotive Engineers’ 2006 Ralph T. Teetor Educational Award. He was named a Fellow of AIAA in 2015 and a Fellow of the American Astronautical Society (AAS) in 2014. In November of 2019, he was named a SUNY Distinguished Professor, the highest faculty rank in the SUNY system.

Crassidis is a three-time UB alumnus; he received his BS in 1989, his MS in 1991, and his PhD in 1993 in mechanical engineering.