Erich E. Kunhardt
Encyclopedia
Erich E. Kunhardt is a Professor
of applied physics
at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University and a special advisor to the Institute's President. He was born in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic on May 31, 1949, moving to the United States in 1956.
Kunhardt holds a Ph.D. in Electrophysics from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University and bachelor's and master's degrees from New York University. In 1992, he received an honorary doctorate from the Russian Academy of Sciences
, Institute of Electrophysics. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Thomas A. Edison Patent Award and the Halliburton Foundation Excellence in Research Award. In October 10, 2006 he was appointed Provost
by the Polytechnic Institute. Previously, he had served as the dean
of the Arthur E. Imperatore School of Sciences and Arts and the George Meade Bond Professor of Physics at the Stevens Institute of Technology
, where he had been a faculty member since 1992, and pioneered the establishment of its Plasma Physics Laboratory. He held the Polytechnic Provost
position until March, 2009, when he returned to full-time research and teaching, and assumed the role of "invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship" advisor to the President and the new Provost.
At Stevens, Kunhardt proposed the concept of Technogenesis, which involves students, faculty and industry in the development and commercialization of new technologies. Kunhardt has worked on numerous research and development projects relating to particle
and plasma
physics. In 1999, Kunhardt helped create the PlasmaSol Corporation, based upon the Atmospheric Pressure
Capillary Discharge Plasma
technology he developed at Stevens with Dr. Kurt Becker. He was named a finalist by Discover
magazine's Innovation Awards (2001) in the Environmental Category for the development of the PlasmaSol technology for environmental remediation. On December 30, 2005, PlasmaSol was acquired by the Stryker Corporation for $17.5 million.
On June 9, 2009, a symposium
was held in Erich Kunhardt's honor.
In 1984, Kunhardt joined the faculty of the Polytechnic Institute of New York University for the first time, as a professor of electrophysics and physics and director of the Weber Research Institute. He arrived from the Texas Tech University
, where he had been a professor of electrical engineering
and physics and received the Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of applied physics
Applied physics
Applied physics is a general term for physics which is intended for a particular technological or practical use.It is usually considered as a bridge or a connection between "pure" physics and engineering....
at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University and a special advisor to the Institute's President. He was born in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic on May 31, 1949, moving to the United States in 1956.
Kunhardt holds a Ph.D. in Electrophysics from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University and bachelor's and master's degrees from New York University. In 1992, he received an honorary doctorate from the Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences consists of the national academy of Russia and a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation as well as auxiliary scientific and social units like libraries, publishers and hospitals....
, Institute of Electrophysics. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Thomas A. Edison Patent Award and the Halliburton Foundation Excellence in Research Award. In October 10, 2006 he was appointed Provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
by the Polytechnic Institute. Previously, he had served as the dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the Arthur E. Imperatore School of Sciences and Arts and the George Meade Bond Professor of Physics at the Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology is a technological university located on a campus in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA – founded in 1870 with an 1868 bequest from Edwin A. Stevens. It is known for its engineering, science, and technological management curricula.The institute has produced leading...
, where he had been a faculty member since 1992, and pioneered the establishment of its Plasma Physics Laboratory. He held the Polytechnic Provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
position until March, 2009, when he returned to full-time research and teaching, and assumed the role of "invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship" advisor to the President and the new Provost.
At Stevens, Kunhardt proposed the concept of Technogenesis, which involves students, faculty and industry in the development and commercialization of new technologies. Kunhardt has worked on numerous research and development projects relating to particle
Particle physics
Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation. In current understanding, particles are excitations of quantum fields and interact following their dynamics...
and plasma
Plasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
physics. In 1999, Kunhardt helped create the PlasmaSol Corporation, based upon the Atmospheric Pressure
Atmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure is the force per unit area exerted into a surface by the weight of air above that surface in the atmosphere of Earth . In most circumstances atmospheric pressure is closely approximated by the hydrostatic pressure caused by the weight of air above the measurement point...
Capillary Discharge Plasma
Plasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
technology he developed at Stevens with Dr. Kurt Becker. He was named a finalist by Discover
Discover (magazine)
Discover is an American science magazine that publishes articles about science for a general audience. The monthly magazine was launched in October 1980 by Time Inc. It was sold to Family Media, the owners of Health, in 1987. Walt Disney Company bought the magazine when Family Media went out of...
magazine's Innovation Awards (2001) in the Environmental Category for the development of the PlasmaSol technology for environmental remediation. On December 30, 2005, PlasmaSol was acquired by the Stryker Corporation for $17.5 million.
On June 9, 2009, a symposium
Symposium
In ancient Greece, the symposium was a drinking party. Literary works that describe or take place at a symposium include two Socratic dialogues, Plato's Symposium and Xenophon's Symposium, as well as a number of Greek poems such as the elegies of Theognis of Megara...
was held in Erich Kunhardt's honor.
In 1984, Kunhardt joined the faculty of the Polytechnic Institute of New York University for the first time, as a professor of electrophysics and physics and director of the Weber Research Institute. He arrived from the Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
, where he had been a professor of electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
and physics and received the Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award.
External links
- Erich E Kunhardt's official website at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University.