Yanis C. Yortsos
Encyclopedia
Yannis C. Yortsos is a professor of chemical engineering and petroleum engineering at the University of Southern California
. Since June 2005, he has served as Dean of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and has held the Zohrab A. Kaprielian Chair in Engineering. He has also held the Chester F. Dolley Chair since January 1995. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering
in February 2008.
, in 1974 and 1979, respectively, all in chemical engineering. He joined USC in 1979 as an assistant professor in petroleum and chemical engineering and was promoted to the ranks of associate professor and full professor in 1984 and 1990, respectively. His professional experience includes invited professor appointments at the Universite Paris, Orsay, France, in 1997, 1999 and 2001; and at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France, in 1990, 1997 and in 1999; associate researcher at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
in France; visiting professor in the departments of chemical engineering at California Institute of Technology in 2001, and at Stanford University
in 1986; and visiting professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Clarkson University
in 1986. In addition, he held student summer training appointments in Serlachius Oy Paper Factory, Mantta, Finland in 1972, and in Gaz de France
, Strasbourg, France in 1971.
An active participant in peer review of the Yucca Mountain Project for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste, Yortsos was a member of the Peer Review Committee on Thermal Hydrology in 1995, a member of the Panel on Expert Elicitation on the Near-Field/Altered Zone Environment in 1997-1998, and an advisor to the TSPA-VA Peer Review Committee in 1998-1999.
(SPE) 2008 Western North America Reservoir Description and Dynamics Award. An elected Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences
(2001), Yortsos is also a recipient of the academy’s Kapitza Medal. He received a Distinguished Educator Award from the Orange County Engineering Council in 2000; the Rossiter W. Raymond
Award of the AIME
for Outstanding Technical Paper by an author younger than 33 years of age (1985); the Distinguished Service Award of the Pi Epsilon Tau in 1984; the ARCO Oil and Gas Outstanding Jr. Faculty Award in 1981; and a Greek Government Scholarship for his undergraduate studies from 1968- 1973. He served as the executive editor of the Society of Petroleum Engineers Journal (SPEJ) and on the editorial boards of several journals, including Transport in Porous Media, the SIAM
Journal on Multiscale Modeling and Simulation, the SPEJ and the American Mathematical Society
. From 2006-2010, he served as SPE editor-in-chief of all technical journals. He is a University Fellow of the Center of Public Diplomacy, and serves on the advisory boards of a number of institutions worldwide, including the School of Information Science and Technology of Tsinghua University
, and the Academic Advisory Council of the Greek Embassy in the United States. He is the NAE Section 11 liaison to the National Research Council
.
; Alberta University, Canada; University of Bergen
, Norway; University of Paris VI and University of Paris XI, France; and at Delft University, Holland.
The author of more than 145 refereed publications, Yortsos has given more than 120 invited talks and presented more than 80 conference papers. Included in his publications are studies of steam injection, heat transfer, in-situ combustion and thermal recovery processes in porous media; the development of analytical solutions to mathematical models of transport in porous media; viscous flow instabilities in porous media and Hele-Shaw cells; viscous flows in constricted geometries; filtration and formation damage in porous media; application of percolation theory to immiscible displacement, adsorption and reaction processes in porous media; application of fractal geometry to the identification of parameters in the subsurface; the evolution of gas in phase change in porous media, as in boiling and related geothermal problems; the modeling of mass transfer in porous media with application to soil remediation; and the application of optimization methods in subsurface flows.
In his tenure as dean of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, the Viterbi School has achieved the following notable distinctions:
December 2010
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. Since June 2005, he has served as Dean of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and has held the Zohrab A. Kaprielian Chair in Engineering. He has also held the Chester F. Dolley Chair since January 1995. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
in February 2008.
Education
Yortsos received a B.Sc. degree from the National Technical University, Athens, Greece, in 1973, and M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the California Institute of TechnologyCalifornia Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
, in 1974 and 1979, respectively, all in chemical engineering. He joined USC in 1979 as an assistant professor in petroleum and chemical engineering and was promoted to the ranks of associate professor and full professor in 1984 and 1990, respectively. His professional experience includes invited professor appointments at the Universite Paris, Orsay, France, in 1997, 1999 and 2001; and at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France, in 1990, 1997 and in 1999; associate researcher at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Centre national de la recherche scientifique
The National Center of Scientific Research is the largest governmental research organization in France and the largest fundamental science agency in Europe....
in France; visiting professor in the departments of chemical engineering at California Institute of Technology in 2001, and at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1986; and visiting professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Clarkson University
Clarkson University
-The Clarkson School:The Clarkson School, a special division of Clarkson University, was founded in 1978 as a unique educational opportunity. The School offers students an early entrance opportunity into college, replacing the typical senior year of high school with a year of college...
in 1986. In addition, he held student summer training appointments in Serlachius Oy Paper Factory, Mantta, Finland in 1972, and in Gaz de France
Gaz de France
Gaz de France was a French company which produced, transported and sold natural gas around the world, especially in France, its main market. The company was also particularly active in Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other European countries. Through its part-owned Belgian subsidiary SPE...
, Strasbourg, France in 1971.
An active participant in peer review of the Yucca Mountain Project for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste, Yortsos was a member of the Peer Review Committee on Thermal Hydrology in 1995, a member of the Panel on Expert Elicitation on the Near-Field/Altered Zone Environment in 1997-1998, and an advisor to the TSPA-VA Peer Review Committee in 1998-1999.
Honors and Awards
Yortsos’ awards and honors include an honorary doctoral degree from Dubna International University (2009) and the Society of Petroleum EngineersSociety of Petroleum Engineers
The Society of Petroleum Engineers is a not-for-profit professional organization whose mission is to collect, disseminate, and exchange technical knowledge concerning the exploration, development and production of oil and gas resources and related technologies for the public benefit and to provide...
(SPE) 2008 Western North America Reservoir Description and Dynamics Award. An elected Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences
Russian Academy of Natural Sciences
Russian Academy of Natural Sciences is a Russian public organization, an academy of sciences, founded on August 31, 1990 in Moscow....
(2001), Yortsos is also a recipient of the academy’s Kapitza Medal. He received a Distinguished Educator Award from the Orange County Engineering Council in 2000; the Rossiter W. Raymond
Rossiter W. Raymond
At his memorial, Rossiter Worthington Raymond was described by the President of Lehigh University as "one of the most remarkable cases of versatility that our country has ever seen’—sailor, soldier, engineer, lawyer, orator, editor, novelist, story-teller, poet, biblical critic, theologian,...
Award of the AIME
American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers
The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers is a professional body for mining and metallurgy, with 90,000 members. It was founded in 1871 by 22 mining engineers in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States, being one of the first national engineering societies in the...
for Outstanding Technical Paper by an author younger than 33 years of age (1985); the Distinguished Service Award of the Pi Epsilon Tau in 1984; the ARCO Oil and Gas Outstanding Jr. Faculty Award in 1981; and a Greek Government Scholarship for his undergraduate studies from 1968- 1973. He served as the executive editor of the Society of Petroleum Engineers Journal (SPEJ) and on the editorial boards of several journals, including Transport in Porous Media, the SIAM
Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics was founded by a small group of mathematicians from academia and industry who met in Philadelphia in 1951 to start an organization whose members would meet periodically to exchange ideas about the uses of mathematics in industry. This meeting led...
Journal on Multiscale Modeling and Simulation, the SPEJ and the American Mathematical Society
American Mathematical Society
The American Mathematical Society is an association of professional mathematicians dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and scholarship, which it does with various publications and conferences as well as annual monetary awards and prizes to mathematicians.The society is one of the...
. From 2006-2010, he served as SPE editor-in-chief of all technical journals. He is a University Fellow of the Center of Public Diplomacy, and serves on the advisory boards of a number of institutions worldwide, including the School of Information Science and Technology of Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University , colloquially known in Chinese as Qinghua, is a university in Beijing, China. The school is one of the nine universities of the C9 League. It was established in 1911 under the name "Tsinghua Xuetang" or "Tsinghua College" and was renamed the "Tsinghua School" one year later...
, and the Academic Advisory Council of the Greek Embassy in the United States. He is the NAE Section 11 liaison to the National Research Council
United States National Research Council
The National Research Council of the USA is the working arm of the United States National Academies, carrying out most of the studies done in their names.The National Academies include:* National Academy of Sciences...
.
Research and Teaching
Yortsos’ research and teaching interests are in the general areas of fluid flow, transport and reaction processes in porous and fractured media. He has supervised 27 Ph.D. theses and 8 post-doctoral researchers, and was the external examiner in seven Ph.D. theses, at the University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
; Alberta University, Canada; University of Bergen
University of Bergen
The University of Bergen is located in Bergen, Norway. Although founded as late as 1946, academic activity had taken place at Bergen Museum as far back as 1825. The university today serves more than 14,500 students...
, Norway; University of Paris VI and University of Paris XI, France; and at Delft University, Holland.
The author of more than 145 refereed publications, Yortsos has given more than 120 invited talks and presented more than 80 conference papers. Included in his publications are studies of steam injection, heat transfer, in-situ combustion and thermal recovery processes in porous media; the development of analytical solutions to mathematical models of transport in porous media; viscous flow instabilities in porous media and Hele-Shaw cells; viscous flows in constricted geometries; filtration and formation damage in porous media; application of percolation theory to immiscible displacement, adsorption and reaction processes in porous media; application of fractal geometry to the identification of parameters in the subsurface; the evolution of gas in phase change in porous media, as in boiling and related geothermal problems; the modeling of mass transfer in porous media with application to soil remediation; and the application of optimization methods in subsurface flows.
Administrative
Yortsos served as associate dean for academic affairs between July 1, 2001 and June 2003, and as senior associate dean for academic affairs between July 1, 2003 and May 31, 2005, also at the Viterbi School. From September 1991 to July 1997, Yortsos was chairman of the Department of Chemical Engineering.In his tenure as dean of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, the Viterbi School has achieved the following notable distinctions:
- Increase in the size, quality and diversity of the VSoE tenure-track, full-time faculty: Recruited 31 new faculty across departments and ranks (of whom 9 are women, 3 Hispanic and 1 African American) for an all-high total of 170, with the fraction of women, Hispanic and African American faculty increased by at least 60%. o Six VSoE faculty elected to various National Academies (one in the NAS, four in the NAE, one in the IOM). Twelve jr. faculty received NSF CAREER Awards.
- Renewal of all 6 existing national research centers and the award of 10 new, multi-year, multi-school, research centers of approximate total funding level of over $90M. Research volume was at an-all-time high in 2009. o Promotion of interdisciplinary research, programs and faculty appointments, emphasizing the concept of Engineering+ with new directions in energy, health, infrastructure.
- Continuous increase in the quality and diversity of the entering freshmen, in retention rates and in graduation rates: All-time highs in SAT scores, in women and URM composition of the 2010 freshman class (2134, 33% and 15%, respectively), freshman return rate (92% in 2009) and USC graduation rate (88%). Establishment of new programs and innovations, inside and outside the curriculum (including the new Division of Engineering Education) enhanced undergraduate education. The VSoE was one of the three founders of the nationwide NAE Grand Challenges Scholars Program, initiated in 2009.
- Creation of the new Office of Master’s and Professional Programs to coordinate and enhance the MS program and respond to the needs of professional engineers, domestically and internationally. All-time high (36) in the number of MS programs offered through the Distance Education Network. o All-time highs in numbers of supported PhD students and in number of PhD students graduated (163 in 2009), approaching a ratio of 1/1 of PhD graduated/faculty/year.
- Creation of the Office for Strategic Initiatives to expand global ties with top institutions world-wide, including Tsinghua University and the University of Peking. Establishment of new VSoE offices in Bangalore and Shanghai. o Consistently surpassing budgeted revenues every year since 2006 led to robust financial health of the VSoE. Strengthening of the infrastructure (staff, space, budget, IT) and instilling a “serving our constituencies” mentality. Successfully obtained authorization for a new science and engineering building (about 120-140K sq ft), jointly with the College.
- Promoting points of difference and positioning the VSoE as a thought leader. Hosted with Duke and Olin College the first ever NAE Grand Challenges Summit at Duke University in March 2009. Yortsos hosted the Second NAE Grand Challenges Summit at USC in October 2010. He is organizing the 2011 Engineering Deans Institute in Palm Springs, CA.
- Raising more than $140M between June 2005 and June 2008 to complete the 7-year, $300M fund-raising initiative started in June 2001. The fundraising total of $190M for the endowment surpassed the original goal of $150M. Naming of three academic departments (Mork Family, Hsieh and Astani, increasing the named departments by a fourfold) and one Institute (KIUEL) at a combined total of $75M. In October 2010, a new gift of $50M established the Ming Hsieh Research Institute of Engineering-Medicine for Cancer.
December 2010