Prestigious US award for UC fire engineer
30 November 2011
UC academic Associate Professor Charles Fleischmann has become the first New Zealander to receive the Arthur B Guise Medal for his research in fire engineering.
Associate Professor Charles Fleischmann
UC academic Associate Professor Charles Fleischmann has become the first New Zealander to receive the Arthur B Guise Medal for his research in fire engineering.
Professor Fleischmann (Civil and Natural Resources Engineering) has been awarded the medal by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), the largest professional society for fire safety engineers based in the United States.
The medal, first awarded in 1983, recognises eminent achievement in the advancement of the science and technology of fire protection engineering and is named in memory of the achievements of Arthur Guise who singularly developed dry chemicals for use as fire extinguishing agents.
Professor Fleischmann was presented with the medal and $US500 ($NZ660) at the society’s annual meeting in Portland, Oregon, where he also gave a technical presentation.
Professor Fleischmann said his initial reaction to the award was one of “complete surprise”.
“I still find myself looking at the list of recipients and cannot believe I am among them. Many of the previous recipients have been mentors of mine. To be associated with people who have profoundly influenced my career in this way is an extreme honour for me.”
SFPE Engineering Program Manager Chris Jelenewicz said the award was presented to Professor Fleischmann “for advancing the science of fire protection engineering with his broad breadth of research in fire dynamics, fire fighting, furniture flammability, numerical fire modelling and performance-based codes”.
“His career as a fire protection engineer, researcher, and teacher has spanned the globe, giving his impact to the fire protection community an international scope.”
Professor Fleischmann has more than 80 publications, including chapters in two textbooks on the fire testing of furnishings. He was the lead author on the chapter, “Analytical Methods for Determining the Fire Resistance of Concrete Members” in the SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, and he was key contributor to the development of the SFPE Engineering Guide to Piloted Ignition of Solid Materials under Radiant Exposure. Research results from his work have been used in the development of the NIST Fire Dynamic Simulator.
In 2010 Professor Fleischmann received a University of Canterbury Teaching Award in recognition of his outstanding and sustained contribution to the teaching of fire engineering and a demonstrated commitment to enhancing the learning environment.
For more information please contact:
communications@canterbury.ac.nz
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