Jan Wolak
Mechanical engineering educator
Born Mar. 8, 1920, Lubasz, Poland; came to U.S., 1956; son of Jozef and Anna (Gaj); married Krystyna (Oleksin); children: Edmund, Alexander, Helena.
Education: Bachelor of Science (B.S.) (in engineering), University of London (United Kingdom), 1950; Master of Science (M.S.) (in engineering), Washington University, St. Louis (MO), 1960; Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1965.
Career: airman, Polish Air Force (Poland, France, United Kingdom). 1938-47; graduate apprenticeship, 1950-52, steam turbine designer, 1952-56, Metro-Vic, Manchester (United Kingdom); lecturer (mechanical engineering), Washington University, 1956-60; associate (mechanical engineering), Division of Mechanics and Design, University of California, Berkeley, 1960-65; assistant prof. to prof. (mechanical engineering), 1965-90, prof. emeritus, 1990 -, University of Washington, Seattle.
Author: over 20 scientific papers and reports on erosion, plastic strain and tribology; designer, research apparatus to study erosion, metal cutting and wear.
Member of: fellow, Society of Manufacturing Engineers; summer faculty fellow, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center, 1979-80; American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME); American Society of Electrical Engineers; commander, Polish Veterans of World War II - Stowarzyszenie Polskich Kombatantow (S.P.K.), Post 50, and member, Polish Home Association, Seattle.
Honors: grants, National Science Foundation (NSF), 1966-70, Boeing Company, 1968-70, 1983-84, 1985-86, National Aeronautics ans Space Administration (NASA), 1979-84.
Served with: Polish Air Force, sergeant, 1938-47.
Languages: Polish, English, Russian.
Hobbies: horticulture.
From: "Who's Who in Polish America" 1st Edition 1996-1997, Boleslaw Wierzbianski editor; Bicentennial Publishing Corporation, New York, NY, 1996.