Retired AEM Professor Celebrates 100th Birthday

Robert Plunkett, AEM Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota, will be celebrating a major milestone soon. In March, the leading scholar will turn 100 years old. Family, friends, former students, and colleagues threw a party in his honor February 15 and 16.

Plunkett came to the University of Minnesota from General Electric in 1960 and retired in 1988. He published over 60 research papers that cover a wide range of topics including experimental and analytical techniques, and theoretical and practical studies. Plunkett was nationally recognized for his work in vibrations and damping. He was a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and an honorary member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Plunkett consulted for over 40 companies, including G.E. Westinghouse, Combustion Eng., United Technologies, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, EPRI, Honeywell, Control Data, Medtronic and Longyear. He also served on the Board of Visitors of the USAF Institute of Technology and on multiple committees of ASME, where he held many committee appointments

Plunkett was known as a tough but fair professor. One of his students wrote, "It's funny, Plunkett is definitely the hardest professor… but on reflection he's the one I got the most out of." 

Alumnus Dr. Charles Lee and Dr. Peter Torvik with Professor Robert Plunkett. Both alumni are Professor Plunkett's former graduate students.

Professor Robert Plunkett at AEM in the Early Years