Szczesny earns American Society of Mechanical Engineers early career award

Apr 1, 2025

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) awarded Spencer Szczesny, associate professor of biomedical engineering and of orthopedics and rehabilitation, the Y.C. Fung Early Career Award. The award includes a $1,000 honorarium, a medal, a certificate and travel assistance. Szczesny will receive the award and deliver a speech on tendon development and inclusive science at ASME’s Summer Bioengineering Conference on June 22-25 in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.

The Y.C. Fung Early Career Award is an annual award granted to an individual who has made significant contributions to the field of bioengineering within the first 10 years of their research careers, according to ASME. In addition to candidates’ research contributions, which can include the development of new research methods, publications of research, innovations in equipment engineering and more, recipients must be active members of ASME and exemplify the organization’s mission and values.

During his speech at ASME’s Summer Bioengineering Conference, Szczesny will showcase his research utilizing multiscale structural, mechanical, computational and biological techniques to understand how tendons form, as well as his efforts to create a more inclusive science community through his work at Penn State, according to ASME.

Szczesny obtained his doctorate in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania, his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. His biomedical research is focused on innovating how physicians and researchers approach joint, ligament and tendon health. He has received several other awards and honors for his work, including election as a 2024 ASME Fellow, a 2022 U.S. National Science Foundation CAREER Award and a 2022 Biomedical Engineering Society Rising Star Award, among others.