Mr. Vivek Verma, engineering science and mechanics doctoral student, has won the American Academy of Mechanics (AAM) Founders Prize and Grant for 2005. The award recognizes a doctoral candidate in the field of mechanics.

Mr. Verma's work links his interests in mechanics with the biological and nanoscience and engineering realms by using nanofabrication techniques to pattern arrays of protein molecules that act as bio-motors in such a way that they can be integrated into bio-nano-electro-mechanical system devices (BIO-NEMS) and their micro-equivalents (BIO-MEMS). His work has broken new ground in showing the compatibility of the proteins with the pattering techniques and their integration into manufacturable, switchable devices.

Funding for the Founders Prize and Grant is provided by the Robert M. and Mary Haythornthwaite Foundation. The prize consists of a Certificate and $1,000 that is presented at the annual meeting of the AAM. The $6,000 grant is made to the awardee over the course of the academic year.

Mr. Verma's work is supervised under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Catchmark.