Three School Alumni elected to National Academy of Engineering

Three alumni of the School of Physics and Astronomy:  Martha C. Anderson (Ph.D., Astrophysics ‘93), Kei May Lau (B.A.,’76, M.S. ‘77), and Jeff Puschell (Ph.D., Astrophysics ‘79) have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for 2024. 

Martha C. Anderson, is a research physical scientist at the Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, MD. She was cited for her “application of thermal satellite remote sensing in hydrology.”  Anderson received her Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Minnesota in 1993. Her advisor was Professor Lawrence Rudnick. 

Kei May Lau is a Chair Professor in Microelectronics Thrust at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon. She was cited for her “work on photonics and electronics based on III-V semiconductors on silicon.” Lau received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics from the University of Minnesota in 1976 and 1977 respectively.

Jeffery J. Puschell is an engineer at Northrop Grumman in El Segundo, CA. He was cited for his “development of optical, multispectral, and hyperspectral space-based remote sensing systems for Earth observation.” Puschell received his Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Minnesota in 1979. His advisor was Professor Wayne Stein.  

Membership in the National Academy of Engineering is one of the highest professional honors awarded to engineers. The NAE elected only 114 new members and 21 foreign members this year. Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during the NAE's annual meeting on Sept. 29, 2024.