Marquis Who's Who Millennium Magazine

315 A Marquis Who's Who Magazine R onald Probstein has spent over 70 years as an engineer and educator and has been a Ford professor of engineering emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology since 1996. Dr. Probstein began his career as a physics research assistant at New York University in 1946. In the process of completing his assistantship, he took courses to obtain a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the same institution. His education did not stop there; he went on to obtain a Master of Science in engineering, another master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Princeton University. He was able to obtain positions as an instructor of engineering mechanics, assistant professor, associate professor and professor at several institutions. Additionally, he served on the National Research Council from 1980 to 1983. Over the course of his career, he has written 12 scientific and technical books and over 125 technical papers. Dr. Probstein also wrote “Honest Sid: Memoir of a Gambling Man,” a five-star memoir of his father’s adventures in the world of fighters, fixers, players and suckers in the Depression era of New York City. In addition to his lengthy career as an educator, Dr. Probstein has also served as chairman of the board of the Water General Corporation. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He remains abreast in his field as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, American Physical Society of Mechanical Engineers, as well as a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the International Academy of Astronautics. In honor of his lifetime achievements, the R.F. Probstein Lecture Series in Engineering Science was established at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1999. Ronald Probstein, Ph.D. Engineering Educator Brookline, MA