Two University of Minnesota professors and one alumnus elected to the National Academy of Engineering
NAE is one of the highest professional honors awarded to an engineer
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (02/17/2025) — University of Minnesota Twin Cities Professors Arthur Erdman and Roger Ruan have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). This is among the highest professional distinctions awarded to an engineer. The NAE elected only 128 new members and 22 foreign members this year. One University of Minnesota alumnus, Marcelo H. García, was also elected to NAE this year.
Professor Arthur Guy Erdman
Arthur Guy Erdman is a College of Science and Engineering Richard C. Jordan and Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He also served as the Director of the Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center from 2007-2021. Erdman specializes in mechanical design, bioengineering, medical device and product design. He is honored for his contributions to kinematics, mechanical design education and applications for machines and products.
“Being named a National Academy of Engineering Fellow is an incredible honor. Joining the University of Minnesota during the birth of Medical Alley, with a passion to solve real-world problems, has been a transformative journey,” Erdman said. “This achievement is shared with many, and I’m proud to contribute to a legacy that will continue making a difference.”
Erdman has published more than 395 technical papers, three books, and is the co-inventor on more than 48 patents. Through his books, publications and engineering software created with colleagues, Erdman is credited with helping modernize teaching of kinematics and design of mechanisms. Over the years, he has consulted with more than 50 companies in mechanical, biomedical and product design, including Honeywell, Medtronic, 3M, Xerox, Dell, and Yamaha.
Erdman earned his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and his master’s and Ph.D. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a Founding Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering.
Professor Roger Ruan
Ruan is a professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering (BBE) in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences with students in the College of Science and Engineering. He is the director of the Center for Biorefining at the University of Minnesota. He is honored for his scientific and entrepreneurial contributions to the sustainable development of the circular economy within food and agricultural systems.
"Professor Ruan is a highly accomplished scholar, entrepreneur, and disciplined leader who makes our world a more sustainable place,” said Hua Zhao, Department Head of BBE. “His election into NAE and earlier induction to the National Academy of Inventors are strong testaments to his accomplishments."
Ruan is widely recognized for his research in biomass and solid waste conversion, including plastic waste pyrolysis and gasification for the production of chemicals, materials, fuels and energy. He holds 21 U.S. patents and has published more than 600 papers in refereed journals, two books and 30 book chapters. Ruan is a top-cited author in engineering and technologies with more than 43,000 citations.
Ruan earned an undergraduate degree at China Agricultural University, his master's at Oklahoma State University and his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He joined the University of Minnesota in 1991. He was named a National Academy of Inventors Fellow in 2023, an American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Fellow in 2015 and an Institute of Food Technologists Fellow in 2019.
University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering Alumnus
Marcelo H. García is a professor and M.T. Geoffrey Yeh Endowed Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is recognized for research on sediment transport and river and marine morphodynamics, and for advancing hydraulics and sedimentation engineering. García received his master’s in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1985.
Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during the NAE's annual meeting on Oct. 5, 2025. More information, including a list of the newly elected members and foreign associates, is available on the National Academy of Engineering website.