James C. Hill, professor of chemical engineering, was recently elected to serve as vice chairman of the U.S. National Committee on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (USNC/TAM) for two years.

Hill is currently on leave, working in the field of fluid mechanics in Japan. He will later travel to France for further study in the same field.

“It’s an organization he’s been working with in the past,” said Chuck Glatz, department chairman of chemical engineering. “He’s done a lot with helping to maintain their Web site.”

Hill joined Iowa State’s faculty in 1971, according to a press release. He teaches and researches fluid mechanics, computation methods and turbulent flow. He holds the rank of fellow in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and also is district director for Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society.

Glatz said Hill has been honored several times in the past with various awards.

“He received the Regent’s Professor Award several years ago,” Glatz said. “Last year, he was a Big 12 Faculty Fellow, and he used that travel award to spend time at Kansas State.”

Within the department at ISU, Hill teaches a graduate course in fluid mechanics and an undergraduate class, usually offered to sophomores, in computer tools for chemical engineering.

According to a press release, the National Academy of Sciences established USNC/TAM in 1949 to represent the United States in international scientific activities relating to fluid mechanics, solid mechanics and computational mechanics.

“It’s a research field that comes from different interdisciplinary areas,” Glatz said.

The 31 committee members of the USNC/TAM serve as official U.S. representatives at the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, organize U.S. national congresses of applied mechanics and prepare definitive reports on research needs.