Turkish American Dr. Mehmet Toner was elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) at the beginning of February 2017. Dr. Toner is a Professor of Health Sciences at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology and the Helen Andrus Benedict Professor of Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. He was elected for engineering novel microelectromechanical and microfluidic point-of-care devices that improve detection of cancer, prenatal genetic defects, and infectious disease.
Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature," and to "the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education."
Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during a ceremony at the NAE’s annual meeting in Washington, DC on October 8, 2017. Total membership in the NAE includes 2,281 U.S. members and 249 foreign members.
