Adrian Bejan

J.A. Jones Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Professor Bejan was awarded the Benjamin Franklin Medal 2018 and the Humboldt Research Award 2019. His research covers engineering science and applied physics: thermodynamics, heat transfer, convection, design, and evolution in nature.

He is ranked among the top 0.01% of the most cited and impactful world scientists (and top 10 in Engineering world wide) in the 2019 citations impact database created by Stanford University’s John Ioannidis, in PLoS Biology.  He is the author of 30 books and 700 peer-referred articles. His h-index is 111 with 92,000 citations on Google Scholar. He received 18 honorary doctorates from universities in 11 countries.

Appointments and Affiliations

  • J.A. Jones Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering
  • Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Contact Information

Education

  • S.B. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1972
  • Sc.M. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1972
  • Sc.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1975

Research Interests

Thermodynamics, applied physics, life & evolution in nature, constructal law.

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

  • Kimberly-Clark Distinguished Lectureship Award 2023. . International Society for Porous Media.. 2023
  • Honorary Member. Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA). 2020
  • Prize in Basic and Engineering Sciences. Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA). 2020
  • The paper “Discipline in Thermodynamics” made the cover of the journal “Energies”. Energies, MDPI. 2020
  • Knight of the French Order of Academic Palms, Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques. French Republic. 2020
  • Humboldt Research Award. Humboldt Foundation. 2019
  • Corresponding Member. Academy of Engineering of Mexico. 2018
  • Benjamin Franklin Medal. The Franklin Institute. 2018
  • Corresponding Member. Mexican Academy of Sciences. 2017
  • Ralph Coats Roe Medal. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 2017
  • Doctor of Engineering honoris causa. University of Pretoria, South Africa. 2015
  • Visiting Chair Professor of Engineering Science under the Distinguished Chair Professor Scheme. Hong Kong Polytechnic University. 2015
  • Docteur Honoris Causa. Institut National des Sciences Appliquées, Lyon, France. 2014
  • Member. Academy of Europe. 2013
  • Honorary Member. Romanian Academy. 2011
  • Honorary Member. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 2011
  • Professor Catedrático Convidado. University of Évora, Portugal. 2009
  • Doctor Honoris Causa. University of Rome I, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. 2009
  • Donald Q. Kern. American Institute of Chemical Engineers. 2008
  • Fluid Science Research Award. Tohoku University, Japan. 2008
  • Extraordinary Professor. University of Pretoria, South Africa. 2007
  • James P. Hartnett Memorial Award. International Center of Heat and Mass Transfer. 2007
  • Doctor Honoris Causa. Technical University of Varna, Bulgaria. 2006
  • Luikov Medal. International Center of Heat and Mass Transfer. 2006
  • Doctor Honoris Causa. Technical University of Gabrovo, Bulgaria. 2004
  • Edward F. Obert Award. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 2004
  • Honorary Member. Academy of Technical Sciences of Romania. 2004
  • Doctor Honoris Causa. University of Évora, Portugal. 2003
  • Doctor of Science Honoris Causa. ETH - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich, Switzerland. 2003
  • Distinguished Lecturer. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 2002
  • Highly Cited Researcher. Thomson Reuters. 2001
  • Doctor Honoris Causa. Technical University of Moldova, Chisinau, Moldova. 2001
  • Honorary Member. Academy of Sciences of Moldova. 2001
  • Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 2001
  • Docteur Honoris Causa. Université Henri Poincaré, Nancy, France. 2001
  • Doctor Honoris Causa. Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil. 2001
  • Honorary Doctor of Science. Azerbaijan Technical University, Baku, Azerbaijan. 2000
  • Ralph Coats Roe Award. American Society of Engineering Education. 2000
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering (honoris causa). University of Durban-Westville, South Africa. 1999
  • Doctor Honoris Causa. Technical University of Civil Engineering, Bucharest, Romania. 1999
  • Doctor Honoris Causa. Odessa State Academy of Refrigeration, Odessa, Ukraine. 1999
  • Max Jakob Memorial Award. American Institute of Chemical Engineers & American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 1999
  • Robert Henry Thurston Lecture. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 1999
  • Doctor Honoris Causa. Gh. Asachi Technical University, Iasi, Romania. 1998
  • TEPCO Endowed Chair. Keio University, Yokohama, Japan. 1998
  • Doctor Honoris Causa. Ovidius University, Constanta, Romania. 1997
  • The Legacy of Adrian Bejan: Three Generations of Brazilian Scientists. Pontificial Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil. 1997
  • Worcester Reed Warner Medal. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 1996
  • Honorary Citizen. City of Galati, Romania. 1996
  • Doctor Honoris Causa. University of the Lower Danube, Galati, Romania. 1995
  • Heat Transfer Memorial Award. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 1994
  • Doctor Honoris Causa. Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Romania. 1992
  • James Harry Potter Gold Medal. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 1990
  • J.A. Jones Chair. Duke University. 1989
  • Gustus L. Larson Memorial Award. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 1988
  • Fellow. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 1987
  • Croft Professorship. University of Colorado, Boulder. 1981
  • Miller Fellow. University of California, Berkeley. 1976
  • Honors Course. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1970
  • De Florez Award for Ingenuity in Engineering Design. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1969

Courses Taught

  • ME 555: Advanced Topics in Mechanical Engineering
  • ME 532: Convective Heat Transfer
  • ME 531: Engineering Thermodynamics
  • ME 492: Special Projects in Mechanical Engineering
  • ME 438: Constructal Theory and Design

In the News

Representative Publications

  • Bejan, A., U. Gunes, and B. Sahin. “University Rankings: Quality, Size and Permanence.” European Review 28, no. 4 (August 1, 2020): 537–58. https://doi.org/10.1017/S106279872000006X.
  • Bejan, A., M. R. Errera, and U. Gunes. “Energy theory of periodic economic growth.” International Journal of Energy Research 44, no. 7 (June 10, 2020): 5231–42. https://doi.org/10.1002/er.5267.
  • Bejan, A. “Discipline in thermodynamics.” Energies 13, no. 10 (May 1, 2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/en13102487.
  • Bejan, A. Freedom and evolution: Hierarchy in nature, society and science, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34009-4.
  • Bejan, A. “Why the Days Seem Shorter as We Get Older.” European Review 27, no. 2 (May 1, 2019): 187–94. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1062798718000741.
  • Bejan, A., U. Gunes, M. R. Errera, and B. Sahin. “Social organization: The thermodynamic basis.” International Journal of Energy Research 42, no. 12 (October 10, 2018): 3770–79. https://doi.org/10.1002/er.4093.
  • Bejan, A. “Evolution in thermodynamics.” Applied Physics Reviews 4, no. 1 (March 1, 2017). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4978611.
  • Bejan, A., A. Almerbati, and S. Lorente. “Economies of scale: The physics basis.” Journal of Applied Physics 121, no. 4 (January 28, 2017). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4974962.
  • Bejan, Adrian. The Physics of Life The Evolution of Everything. Macmillan, 2016.
  • Bejan, Adrian. “Why humans build fires shaped the same way.” Scientific Reports 5 (June 2015): 11270. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep11270.
  • Bejan, Adrian. “Maxwell's demons everywhere: evolving design as the arrow of time.” Scientific Reports 4 (February 2014): 4017. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep04017.
  • Clausse, M., F. Meunier, A. H. Reis, and A. Bejan. “Climate change, in the framework of the constructal law.” INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GLOBAL WARMING 4, no. 3–4 (2012): 242–60. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJGW.2012.049449.
  • Bejan, Adrian. “Why the bigger live longer and travel farther: animals, vehicles, rivers and the winds.” Sci Rep 2 (2012): 594. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep00594.
  • Bejan, A., and S. Lorente. “The physics of spreading ideas.” International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 55, no. 4 (2012): 802–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2011.10.029.
  • Bejan, A. “Why we want power: Economics is physics.” International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 55, no. 19–20 (2012): 4929–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2012.05.046.
  • Bejan, A., and S. Lorente. “The constructal law origin of the logistics S curve.” Journal of Applied Physics 110, no. 2 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3606555.
  • Bejan, A. “The constructal-law origin of the wheel, size, and skeleton in animal design.” American Journal of Physics 78, no. 7 (2010): 692–99. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.3431988.
  • Bejan, A., E. C. Jones, and J. D. Charles. “The evolution of speed in athletics: Why the fastest runners are black and swimmers white.” International Journal of Design and Nature and Ecodynamics 5, no. 3 (2010): 199–211. https://doi.org/10.2495/DNE-V5-N3-199-211.
  • Bejan, Adrian. Shape and Structure, from Engineering to Nature. Cambridge University Press, 2000.
  • Bejan, Adrian. Entropy generation through heat and fluid flow. John Wiley & Sons Inc, 1982.