On August 1, 2024, Dr. Pamela M. Norris, a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, officially stepped down from her role as the vice provost for research at GW. Norris served the GW community in this role from 2021 to 2024.
During her time as a member of the GW leadership team, Norris made several significant contributions that helped elevate the university’s global reputation as a leader in academic research. She brought the popular radio show Science Friday to GW’s campus and sponsored a highly visible presence at the nation’s largest multidisciplinary scientific association (AAAS) while also reimagining the Research Showcase to highlight GW’s broad scholarly excellence to external audiences.
Additionally, Norris launched several initiatives to support faculty scholarship, including a robust new faculty orientation program, popular multi-day faculty writing retreats, and expanded grant development resources by increasing awareness of existing resources and enhancing those with additional support. She also provided critical support for multiple federally sponsored programs that aim to diversify the STEM workforce. As a result of her efforts, GW’s research enterprise and reputation continue to rise, with expenditures on federally funded research activities up nearly 18% in fiscal 2024 compared to the prior year.
“Serving as vice provost for research for this exceptional institution has been a privilege and a highlight in my career,” said Norris. “Over the last nearly three years, I’ve had the honor to work with outstanding faculty who are leaders in their field, talented students who will undoubtedly be the next generation of innovators, research partners that are committed to improving society for communities around the world, and administrative staff who consistently demonstrate their passion for our mission.”
After stepping down, Norris will continue as a faculty member in GW’s School of Engineering & Applied Science (GW Engineering) and will focus on championing U.S. leadership and diversity within science and engineering. In June, she attended the National Academy of Sciences’ inaugural “State of the Science” address, where NAS President Marcia McNutt warned that the U.S. was losing the race to lead in STEM. For Norris, who will be on sabbatical this academic year, this is an opportunity to think deeply about the important challenges facing the national STEM enterprise and how she can provide greater leadership in what she perceives as a national security risk.
“I will work to engage national and international audiences on actions to help protect and strengthen U.S. global leadership in science, including the best ways to broaden and diversify the community of scholars that are engaged in discovery,” she said.
Beyond her impactful role as GW’s vice provost for research, Norris, who is also the Frederick Tracy Morse Professor Emerita from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Virginia (UVA), is known as a dedicated mentor for undergraduate and graduate students and fellow faculty members, having guided 50 graduate students and countless undergraduates. She has been a fervent advocate for women in STEM, actively working to increase their representation and retention in these fields.
“Under Dr. Norris’ leadership, GW Engineering has expanded its footprint and impact in key strategic research areas, including trustworthy artificial intelligence and gender equity in engineering,” said John Lach, Dean of GW Engineering. “The entire GW Engineering community is grateful for the many ways that Dr. Norris has helped to advance our school and the entire university.”
Shortly after joining GW, Norris partnered with the embassies of France, Germany, and Italy and the Children’s National Research Institute to commemorate the 2022 United Nations International Day of Women and Girls in Science. This commemoration included a co-branded event at GW open to local high school students and guidance counselors, a public viewing of the movie “Hidden Figures” at the Children’s National Research Institute, and a panel moderated by Norris featuring young STEM professionals. The event also marked the launch of a new Women in Science Diplomacy club.
Norris’ research excellence in nanoscale heat transfer, particularly in interfacial thermal transport with a focus on thermal management across various length scales, has positioned her as an international leader in her field. She is editor-in-chief of Nanoscale and Microscale Thermophysical Engineering, has chaired and spoken at countless international conferences, has published over 100 widely cited journal articles, and holds patents for innovative thermal management techniques. Recently, she served as the conference chair for the 7th American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) International Conference of Micro/Nanoscale Heat and Mass Transfer in Nottingham, UK, from August 4-7, where she organized a panel on “How to Recruit and Retain a Diverse Workforce in Workforce in Micro/Nanoscale Heat and Mass Transfer.” She will also serve as the General Chair of the 10th Thermal and Fluids Engineering Conference, organized by the American Society of Thermal and Fluids Engineers (ASTFE), to be held at GW from March 9 to 12, 2025. She will work alongside fellow MAE faculty colleague professor Kausik Sarkar, who will be the Conference Co-chair.
As a leader in her field, Norris has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including being elected a fellow of ASTFE in 2024 and an Inventor Member in the GW Chapter of the National Academy of Inventors, also in 2024. She was named an honorary member of ASME in 2021, one of the society’s highest honors, “for international leadership in nano, micro, and macroscale thermal science and engineering research; for tireless efforts to advance diversity in STEM fields; and for demonstrating engineering excellence as an outstanding mentor for students and faculty.” Additionally, she received the Society of Women Engineers Distinguished Educator Award in 2016.
Norris continues to advance the frontiers of engineering research and education, having served as the principal investigator (PI) or co-PI on more than 45 sponsored research projects, with research funds totaling over $26 million from the United States Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and more. An interdisciplinary scientist, Norris holds patents for applications of aerogels in areas that include biological warfare detection and thermal installation and innovative thermal management techniques for jet-blast detectors. She also founded two research laboratories at UVA, the Nanoscale Energy Transfer Lab and the Aerogel Research Lab.