Oliver Myers wins high honor from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Oliver Myers of Clemson University is receiving one of mechanical engineering’s highest professional honors.

Myers, associate dean of equity and inclusion in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, has been named Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

The honor recognizes ASME members with at least 10 years of membership for significant engineering achievements. The nonprofit professional organization has more than 148,000 individual, student and early-career members from more than 140 countries, according to its website.

“It’s a privilege to be recognized among such a distinguished group of individuals,” Myers said. “I thank all those who have taught and supported me and those who nominated me. With such an achievement comes the responsibility to help others reach their full potential, and that’s what I’m here to do.”

The Fellow honor is the latest accolade for Myers. This month, he also received the Dr. Eugene Deloatch Legacy Award at the BEYA STEM Global Competitiveness Conference.

Myers joined Clemson in 2014 and has since secured more than $3 million in grant and research funding, most notably for a project aimed at creating “smart material” that can sense damage similar to how nerves tell the body it has been injured. He has authored or co-authored more than 70 publications.

Since becoming associate dean in February 2020, Myers has worked with a team to forge stronger relationships with programs that support underrepresented students, including PEER & WISE, Grad 360 and STEM ALL-IN.

The team has initiated an Uncomfortable Conversations Series to address the racial and gender divide in the academy. Myers himself set the tone by candidly sharing his experiences as a Black undergraduate, graduate student, corporate professional and faculty member, which stimulated discussions among faculty, staff and students.

When Myers was a student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, he was part of the first cohort of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program. The program has been replicated around the country and includes several notable alumni, including the 20th U.S. surgeon general, Jerome Adams.

Myers has remained in touch with the program as a faculty member, mentoring students and recruiting some to his lab. He and his team are now working to replicate the best practices from the Meyerhoff program at Clemson.

Myers also is a participant each year at Clemson University’s Men of Color National Summit.
Congratulations on his Fellow honor poured in from across campus.

“This is great recognition from Dr. Myers’ colleagues,” said Atul Kelkar, chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. “Being named Fellow of ASME is one of the highest achievements a mechanical engineer can reach. It’s a well-deserved honor.”

Anand Gramopadhye, dean of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, concurred.

“This is a testament to the work Dr. Myers does, his reputation and the leadership he brings to the college,” Gramopadhye said. “I offer him my wholehearted congratulations.”