Burton Green engineer gets global recognition for lifetime work
Professor Nee the CIRP President from Singapore presenting the award to Professor David Whitehouse at a ceremony in Hong Kong. Picture submitted
A PIONEERING nanotechnologist from Burton Green has been honoured with a top global award - and is the first Briton ever to receive the accolade.
Professor David Whitehouse, who is Emeritus Professor of Engineering Science at Warwick University, has received the General Pierre Nicolau Award of CIRP for 2012.
The award is presented each year to an engineer or scientist who has made a significant and distinguished global impact in research in one of the key branches of production engineering.
It is open to any engineer or scientist in the world and Professor Whitehouse is the first Briton to receive the award after being nominated by the International Academy of Production Engineering.
The body is the highest in production engineering in the world and the General Nicolau Award is its premier distinction.
And “absolutely honoured and delighted” to be presented with the lifetime achievement honour, Professor Whitehouse said it was all a complete surprise.
“It is a big honour and I am very surprised, especially to hear that none from Britain has ever won the award before,” he said. “It was a tremendous ceremony and a real, real honour which I am delighted to have.”
The 75-year-old grandfather was the first Professor of Mechanical Engineering in Warwick University and is often referred to as the father of digital metrology.
He explained that he began his career in physics and only moved into engineering by chance - a move which turned out to be “by change one of the best I made”.
David is an expert in the theory and practice of metrology - the theory of measurement which is fundamental to the whole of science and engineering.
“Without metrology there would be no manufacturing,” he explained. “And with everything getting smaller in terms of technology and machines, it is even more relevant now than it has ever been.”
He has had six books and more than 250 technical papers published and even has 23 patents to his name.
David lives with his wife Ruth in the village.
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Thursday 23 May 2013
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