The Benjamin Y. H. Liu Award American Association for Aerosol Research

Benjamin Y. H. Liu was born in Shanghai, China in He grew up in war-time China on the mainland, went to college in Taiwan, received his B.S.M.E. degree from the University of Nebraska in 1956, and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in Dr. Liu began his academic career at the University of Minnesota as an Assistant Professor. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in He is a co-founder of the AAAR and of the society's journal, Aerosol Science and Technology, and helped establish the International Aerosol Research Assembly. He received the Fuchs Memorial Award in 1994 and retired as Regents' Professor from the University of Minnesota in 2002, where he also served as the director of the Particle Technology Laboratory from 1973 to Following his retirement from the University of Minnesota, Dr. Liu became the CEO and President of MSP Corporation, a company he co-founded with Prof. V. A. Marple.

Prof. Liu’s contributions to aerosol science include theory on aerosol sampling and transport; aerosol charging and precipitation; inertial impaction; filtration; atmospheric aerosol research; and contaminant particle deposition on wafers. He and his students have pioneered the development of many instruments and experimental techniques including the vibrating orifice generator and the electrostatic classifier that have provided accurate size standards needed by the aerosol community to perform modern aerosol experiments with high accuracy and precision.

The Benjamin Y. H. Liu Award “recognizes outstanding contributions to aerosol instrumentation and experimental techniques that have significantly advanced the science and technology of aerosols”. This award honors Benjamin Y. H. Liu for his leadership in the aerosol community and his own seminal contributions to aerosol science through instrumentation and experimental research.

2004 Recipients of the Benjamin Y. H. Liu Award Douglas R. Worsnop, Vice President, and John T. Jayne, Principal Scientist, Aerodyne Research, Inc. Their mass spectrometer system (AMS) with molecular beam, aerosol focusing, and thermal vaporization have created a paradigm shift in online, size-resolved atmospheric aerosol composition. The supporting letters all highlighted their dedication to supporting the many AMS users to do the best science possible with the instrument.