It is a great pleasure to celebrate the 90th birthday of Professor Emeritus James Vere Beck on 18 May 2020. Professor Beck has served on the Editorial Board of this journal, Inverse Problems in Science and Engineering, since its inception in 1994, and has made outstanding pioneering contributions to the fields of inverse problems and parameter estimation in his lifetime.
Researchgate.net knows of 195 of his academic contributions, reports 6693 citations of these works, and cites his ‘h-index’ of 36. Most prominent among his contributions, are his 1977 textbook Parameter Estimation in Engineering and Science (with K. J. Arnold), and his 1984 monograph Inverse Heat Conduction: Ill-posed Problems (with B. Blackwell and C. R. St. Clair). These two seminal works are widely referenced in the field of parameter estimation and inverse problems. His 1992 textbook, Heat Conduction Using Green's Functions, (with K. D. Cole, A. Haji-Sheikh, and B. Litkouhi) provides a comprehensive and unique reference on a powerful and versatile method for heat conduction problems.
Professor Beck’s significant technical contributions are documented elsewhere [Citation1] and have been recognized through prestigious awards. Michigan State University named him to the University Distinguished Faculty in 1987. He was named Fellow of ASME in 1988 and received the ASME Heat Transfer Memorial Award in 1998. His alma mater, Tufts University, recognized him in 1991 with an Award for Outstanding Achievement in Mechanical Engineering Practice.
The zeal and enthusiasm Professor Beck exudes for technical research is contagious. He loves nothing more than sitting down with a colleague, recent acquaintance, or complete stranger at a technical conference to discuss their research and ideas. Quite often, he brings to life the stereotype of engineers talking over notes made on a paper napkin.
Professor Beck grew up in Boston, MA, and his father ran a business delivering ice (yes, for iceboxes!) and oil. His father’s life was cut short, in part due to the hard work required of his business, leaving Professor Beck at the age of 18 years with his mother and younger sister. Instead of embarking on education and career, he assumed his father’s business, and ran it successfully for four years, supporting his mother and sibling until his sister completed high school.
In the technology- and education-rich environment of Boston, Professor Beck had several avenues open to him to earn an undergraduate degree. He chose Tufts University, and completed his degree there in 1956 at age 26. He worked at Pratt & Whitney the summer following his graduation, and accepted a fellowship to MIT for the fall term. After earning his Master’s degree in 1957, he joined the staff at AVCO Research. Charles R. St. Clair, Jr., who was a colleague at AVCO and became a lifelong mentor to Prof. Beck, joined the faculty at Michigan State University, and recruited Professor Beck to MSU in 1962. Professor Beck earned his Ph.D. degree at Michigan State University in 1964 while serving there on the faculty. He formally retired from MSU in 1998.
In spite of retirement and after confronting a significant health challenge, Professor Beck never slowed down. He continued to organize technical meetings and produce important contributions in the field of inverse problems and heat transfer. He considers research his ‘retirement hobby’, and continues pursuit of technical knowledge in his 90th year of life.
James Vere Beck is a marvelous man who generously gives his time and talents to others and has an unquenchable thirst for scientific research.
We express our warmest wishes to him in celebration of his 90th birthday!
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
References
- Alifanov OM, Amos DE, Bardon J-P, et al. Professor James V. Beck on his 90th birthday. Int J Heat Mass Transfer. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2020.119401