Richard H. Gallagher
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
University of Buffalo (PhD)
Richard H. Gallagher | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 17, 1927 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | September 30, 1997 (aged 69) Tucson, Arizona, U.S. |
| Alma mater | New York University (BS, MS) University of Buffalo (PhD) |
| Known for | Contributions to finite element theory |
| Awards |
|
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Civil engineering Aerospace engineering |
| Doctoral students | Henry T. Yang Chang San-cheng |
Richard Hugo Gallagher[1] (November 17, 1927 – September 30, 1997) was an American civil and aerospace engineer. He served as provost of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute from 1984 to 1988 and then as the 14th president of Clarkson University from 1988 to 1995.
Throughout his academic career, Gallagher supervised many doctoral students, including Henry T. Yang (the longest-serving chancellor at the University of California) and Chang San-cheng (premier of Taiwan).
Gallagher was born in Manhattan, New York City in 1927. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he studied civil engineering at New York University, where he received bachelor's and master's degrees.[2]
Career
After graduating from New York University, he worked for the Federal Aviation Administration and the Texas Company, before joining Bell Aerosystems in the Buffalo, New York area. There, he worked in aerospace structural analysis and eventually became the firm's assistant chief engineer.[2]
Gallagher was a leader in developing methods for finite-element analysis that utilized the capabilities of computers to design complex structures. With his guidance, engineers and researchers at Bell expanded knowledge of "inelastic analysis, design optimization, composite materials analysis, linear fracture applications, thermal analysis methods, solid- and shell-element formulations, and the super-element substructuring technique."[2]
During his time at Bell, Gallagher taught and studied for his doctorate at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He received the university's first engineering PhD degree in 1966.[2]
Once he received his doctorate, Gallagher soon became a full professor of civil engineering at Cornell University.[2] At Cornell, he supervised doctoral students, including Henry T. Yang[3] and Chang San-cheng.[4]
In 1978, he became dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Arizona, where he would again be a professor in residence after retiring from academic administration in 1995. In 1983, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. He joined the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts as the university's provost in 1984 and served until 1988.[2]
From 1988 to 1995, Gallagher served as the 14th president of Clarkson University, where he helped raise academic standards, found new engineering programs, construct new buildings, and double the university's endowment.[5][6]
Publications
His first book, A Correlation Study of Matrix Methods of Structural Analysis was published in 1964.[7]
In 1973, he published Optimum Structural Design.[2]
Gallagher was the author of Finite Element Analysis—Fundamentals, published in 1975.[8] The book was translated into seven languages and sold 40,000 copies.[2]
In 1979, he published Matrix Structural Analysis, with W. McGuire.[2]
In total, Gallagher published 20 books and 120 papers.[2]
He also founded the International Journal of Numerical Methods in Engineering, which he edited for 27 years.[2]
