Professor Panat was appointed as the Russell V. Trader Career Development Professor effective January 1, 2021, for three years!!! This prestigious named/endowed position recognizes outstanding faculty and gives them the freedom to engage in creative ventures that are not readily supported by traditional granting agencies.

Info from CMU website: Russell Trader attended Carnegie Institute of Technology c. 1920 and studied Machine Construction in the College of Industries, the forerunner of Mechanical Engineering. Upon the death of his wife, Rachael, in 2000, Carnegie Mellon University received funds to establish the Russell V. Trader Career Faculty Fund in Mechanical Engineering as a lasting memorial to Russell Trader.