D. J. DeMichele Award
Dominick J. DeMichele was the past director of the International Modal Analysis Conference (IMAC), having directed 13 annual IMACs, and was founder and president of Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Services. He held a B.S.M.E. from Rensselaer and was also a graduate of the New York Diesel Institute. He joined the mechanical engineering department of the general engineering laboratory at the General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY, in 1940 as a project engineer and retired from GE in 1979. He received the coveted Charles E. Coffin Award, the company’s highest award to its employees, for his contribution in the field of solid mechanics (vibration, shock, stress-strain and acoustics). While at GE, Mr. DeMichele was awarded four patents: High Temperature Strain Gages; Strain Gages; Method for Making Resistance Strain Gages; and Strain Gage Pressure Transducer.
Mr. DeMichele was a 42-year member and a Fellow of SEM. He was chair of two national meetings, a member of the Executive Board, a member of the Technical Papers Committee, chair of the national technical session on high temperature strain gages, and organizer and first chairman of the New York-Hudson Local Section of the Society. He was a senior member of the Instrument Society of America and of the American Society for Nondestructive Testing. He served as a member of the National Academy of Sciences Instrumentation Committee for the American Association of Highway Officials Road Test. Mr. DeMichele was appointed a member of the National Commission on Technical Education of the National Science Foundation. He published numerous technical papers and in-house reports covering the development of high-temperature strain gages, special projects in strain gage applications, vibration, acoustics and other measurement programs.
Click here for a YouTube video of Dick’s life
2019 Recipient
In recognition of exemplary service and support in promoting the science and educational aspects of modal analysis technology.
Ralph D. Brillhart
Ralph D. Brillhart is Vice President, Test, at ATA Engineering, Inc., and has been involved in structural dynamics and modal testing for over forty years. He was a principal in the formation of ATA as a spin-off from Structural Dynamics Research Corporation (SDRC) in 2000. He has become recognized worldwide for his modal testing and analysis expertise and has written numerous papers discussing the application of modal testing techniques and new approaches to modal testing. He helped grow the ATA test business, promoting custom software and new methods development including multi-shaker burst random, Multi-Sine, and modal-handle excitation techniques, modal parameter estimation methods, and automated test techniques utilizing TEDS sensor technology. He is currently working with NASA Engineering Safety Center (NESC) assisting in review of SLS testing activities.
Ralph received his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1977 and his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Dynamics and Controls, from the University of California, Davis, in 1983. He has been a long-time participant at IMAC and served SEM as an Executive Board member from 2010 to 2012; since 2013 he has served on the SEM Advisory Board, where he is currently a member of the Exhibitor Planning Committee.
The Society acknowledges the following individuals who were given the D.J. DeMichele Award in the past.
| 2018 - C.D. Van Karsen | 1999 - A.L. Wicks |
| 2017 - M. Schiefer | 1998 - R. Allemang |
| 2016 - M. Todd | 1997 - K.G. McConnell |
| 2015 - R. Mayes | 1996 - N. Okubo |
| 2014 - K. Worden | 1995 - L.D. Mitchell |
| 2013 - C. Farrar | 1994 - T.C. Huang |
| 2012 - R. Singhal | 1993 - D.J. Ewins |
| 2011 - M. Richardson | 1992 - D.L. Brown |
| 2010 - F.M. Hemez | 1991 - B. Piombo |
| 2009 - D.E. Adams | 1990 - D.J. DeMichele |
| 2008 - A. Cunha | |
| 2007 - D.J. Inman | |
| 2006 - W.R. Shapton | |
| 2005 - J. Lally | |
| 2004 - P. Avitabile | |
| 2003 - C. Ventura | |
| 2002 - R. Craig | |
| 2001 - S. Ibrahim | |
| 2000 - T.G. Carne |