Suh Nam-pyo

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology president Suh Nam-pyo became the first Asian winner of ASME Medal, KAIST said Thursday. The ASME Medal, considered the Nobel Prize in mechanical engineering, was established in 1920 and is bestowed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Past laureates include Milton Shaw, the project leader for first nuclear submarine Nautilus, Igor Sikorsky, the founder of helicopter producer Sikorsky, and Robert Andrews Millikan, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the elementary charge of electricity.

Suh is being recognized "for his outstanding contributions to the field of engineering by improving engineering education and research infrastructure and developing a unique mechanical engineering theory," KAIST said.

The award ceremony takes place on Nov. 16 at the annual ASME Annual Meeting in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. During the ceremony, Suh will receive a gold medal and prize money of US$17,000.