ASNT Announces the 2022 Ward Rummel Engineering Excellence Award Recipient

The American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) announces William Prosser, PhD, as the recipient of the Ward Rummel Engineering Excellence Award. This award is named in honor of Ward D. Rummel for his pioneering work in nondestructive testing (NDT) engineering, the creation of the ASNT Engineering Council, and for inspiring engineering concepts. The award recognizes outstanding sustained contributions in NDT engineering by a single individual.  

Prosser joined NASA in 1987 as an aerospace technologist in the NDE Sciences Branch. In 2005, he was selected as discipline expert for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and in 2007 was named a NASA Technical Fellow. Prosser's research has been in the field of UT and AE sensing techniques. His work contributed to the successful development and implementation of a system to detect impacts on the Space Shuttle wing leading edge in response to the Columbia accident. He has led NASA, industry, university, and government agency teams to implement NDE and structural health management systems for a variety of NASA programs, including the Space Shuttle, International Space Station, X-33, and Aerospace Vehicle Systems Technology Program.  

Prosser was the 1997 recipient of the NASA Floyd Thompson Fellowship, a 2003 recipient of a NASA Superior Accomplishment Award for efforts during the Columbia accident investigation, and a 2005 recipient of NASA's Exceptional Achievement Medal. He is a Fellow of the Acoustic Emission Working Group and is also the scientific editor of Structural Health Monitoring: An International Journal. Prosser received his BS from William and Mary and his MS and PhD from Johns Hopkins University. He has been a member of ASNT since 1996. 

“Dr. Prosser has made so many significant engineering contributions to the aerospace industry driving innovation and providing inventive solutions to complex challenges,” said ASNT Executive Director Neal J. Couture, CAE. “He is most deserving of this award.” 

About ASNT 

Serving more than 22 000 members and certificate holders worldwide, ASNT, based in Columbus, Ohio, is the largest technical society for NDT professionals. ASNT certification and standards programs, publications, conferences, education, membership, and professional development programs are the foundation for expanding awareness of advancements in NDT. Governed by a volunteer group of officers and directors, ASNT is organized by councils representing interests relating to certification, engineering, research, education, and section operations.