Karen A. Thole

• BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois, 1982
• MS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois, 1984
• PhD, Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas, 1994

Convective heat transfer, turbulent boundary layers, high freestream turbulence, gas turbine heat transfer.

• University of Texas Distinguished Engineering Graduate, 2024
• Outstanding Engineering Educator Award, The Engineers’ Council, February 2023
• Fellow, Royal Aeronautical Society, October 2023
• Gas Turbine Best Heat Transfer Paper, ASME, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2016, 2021, 2023
• R. Tom Sawyer, ASME, December 2022
• Thermophysics Award, AIAA, July 2022
• Heat Transfer Memorial Award, ASME, 2022
• Fellow, AIAA, 2021
• Air Breathing Propulsion Award, AIAA, 2019
• Claire L. Felbinger Award for Diversity, ABET, 2017
• Propulsion Technical Committee Best Paper, 53rd AIAA/SAE/ASME Joint Propulsion Conference, 2017
• Edwin F. Church Medal for Mechanical Engineering Education, ASME, 2016
• College of Engineering’s Distinguished Service Alumni Award, University of Illinois, 2016
• George Westinghouse Gold Medal, ASME, 2015
• Distinguished Service Award, ASME, 2008 and 2015
• Howard B. Palmer Faculty Mentoring Award, The Pennsylvania State University, 2015
• Distinguished Engineering Educator Award, Society of Women Engineers, SWE, 2014
• Distinguished Alumnae for the Mechanical Science and Engineering Department, University of Illinois, 2013
• Rosemary Schraer Mentoring Award, The Pennsylvania State University, 2012
• U.S. White House “Champion of Change” in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, U.S. Government, 2011
• W. M. Rohsenow Best Presentation for Gas Turbine Heat Transfer, ASME, 1997, 2005, 2009
• Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), 2004
• Mechanical Engineering Distinguished Alumnae, University of Texas, 2004
• Ingersoll-Rand Faculty Award, Virginia Tech, 2001
• National Science Foundation CAREER Award, National Science Foundation, 1996