Dr. Dara Childs, Professor Emeritus, former Turbo Lab Director and TPS chairman of 34 years, has passed away.
A distinguished and accoladed academic, Dr. Childs played a key role in developing the widespread success that the Turbomachinery Laboratory and the Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia receive to this day. His beginnings at Texas A&M started in 1980, after receiving research funding from NASA to analyze the vibration characteristics of the high-pressure oxygen and fuel turbo pumps of the space shuttle main engine. Childs’ wealth of knowledge, curiosity, and stamina bolstered the efficacy of his long-standing leadership in research, not only at A&M but in the modern-day world of turbomachinery.
The Emergence of a Legacy
Dr. Dara Childs received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering at Oklahoma State University in 1961 and 1962, respectively, and went on to earn his Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics at the University of Texas in 1968. Childs launched his academic career in the NASA-ASEE (American Society for Engineering Education) Summer Faculty Program focusing on technical advances for the Space Shuttle main engine (SSME). After completing a summer appointment at Marshal Space Flight Center (MSFC), he earned a contract with NASA-MSFC in 1975 to analyze the vibration characteristics of the high-pressure oxygen and fuel turbo pumps of the engine.
Childs worked on putting together a model that focused on the seal’s fluid-film forces and concluded that the engine’s hydrogen pump’s vibrations would be unstable, rendering the engine unusable. Initially, Childs received little response after submitting his study. After several months, NASA reached out asking for Dr. Childs’ help, citing issues of great instability with the engine, and offered him substantial funding for a research program.
Dr. Childs found his career beginnings at the Rocketdyne Division of North American Rockwell, Canoga Park, California from 1962-1965. In 1968, he assumed the role of Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Texas at Austin, then soon after joined Colorado State University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, ending his tenure in 1971. Childs transferred to the University of Louisville as an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department from 1971-1980.
Landing at Texas A&M University
With his expertise acknowledged, and the funding to back it up, Dr. Childs began his search for a university capable of handling the depths of such a paramount project. He inquired at his alma maters, the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma, but eventually touched down at Texas A&M University after receiving support from Harry Whitmore, former associate director of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), who agreed to invest $35,000 in a data acquisition system which would aid Childs on his research endeavors. This study would enable Childs to receive significant streams of funding over the years, which led to the creation and construction of the modern Turbomachinery Laboratory research facility.
The 37,000 square foot high-bay facility is equipped with 12 state-of-the-art vibration isolated test cells and multiple compressors providing high-pressure air for test rigs.
The Laboratory is currently completing the construction of additional facilities – the Propulsion and Energetic Research Laboratory (PERL). The PERL, covering 7,000 square feet, will feature seven-blast rated test cells, a laser diagnostics room, and two remote control monitoring rooms. Testing capabilities range from sCO2 component testing, advanced optical diagnostics, detonation propulsion, and more. The Lab’s current success is without a question propelled and sustained by the foundation Dr. Childs laid for generations of students, faculty, and research partners to come.
Dr. Dara Childs is warmly remembered by his colleagues and members of the Turbomachinery Laboratory as a compassionate and good-natured leader with a strong commitment to doing right by those around him. Martha Barton, former Exhibitor Services Director, recalls her time with Dr. Childs fondly, “When leaders cultivate a culture of respect, appreciation, and fairness, it fosters an environment where individuals can flourish and grow. Dr. Dara Childs Sr. was a shining example of such leadership at the Turbo Lab. I had the privilege of working under his guidance, and he inspired me with his investment in our strengths and his commitment to understanding the whole situation. He stood up for me and others, earning our utmost respect and admiration.”
The Early Days of the Turbomachinery & Pump Symposium
Through the efforts of Aggie graduates Ed Nelson and Charlie Jackson, the first Turbomachinery Symposium was held in 1971 at Texas A&M University, attracting 200 attendees. In 1984, the Pump Symposium began, founded by Pete Jenkins, former Turbo Lab director. The two symposia were combined in 2011, and the Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (TPS) was born. It has since grown into the premier industry conference we see today, attracting over 4,000 delegates annually, largely in part to the esteemed reputation and expertise of the Turbo and Pump industrial advisory committees, which were led by Dr. Dara Childs for over 30 years (1984-2017). Dr. Childs’ impact remains felt to this day, especially in relation to his vision and insistence that the technical proceedings of TPS be accessible online, for free. The Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia continues to abide by these wishes, and proudly contributes to the educational benefit of rotating equipment professionals worldwide.
The continued success of TPS enabled the creation of sister events, the Middle Eastern Turbomachinery Symposium (METS) in Doha (2011-2015) and the Asia Turbomachinery and Pump Symposium (ATPS) in 2016. ATPS is held bi-annually in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. METS and presently ATPS provide unique platforms in which rotating equipment engineers from all over the world can connect and discuss current, real-world issues impacting the industry today. METS and ATPS, curated by committee members representing original equipment manufacturers and the regions’ end users, follow the same framework as TPS and aim to benefit industry professionals through its diverse technical program and exhibition.
Dr. Childs and students, 2014.
Launching the Turbomachinery Research Consortium
In 1984, Dr. Childs and the late Dr. John Vance, a rotordynamics researcher and former Texas A&M professor, co-founded the Turbomachinery Research Consortium (TRC) to shift the reliance on research funds from federal support to private industry funds. The TRC is an organization of major turbomachinery developers and end users who have joined with the Turbo Lab to find answers to questions about turbomachinery performance and reliability through research. The TRC currently has 29 member companies and 15 active projects, conducted by Turbo Lab graduate students and faculty. Annual membership, along with laboratory operation subsidies from TPS, support research projects and 15 graduate students, annually. Childs and Vance wanted to ensure the success of research conducted within the Laboratory, alongside the development and support of its faculty and students, through the creation of the Turbomachinery Research Consortium. The TRC continues to thrive due to his prior leadership, the mission to serve the needs of the turbomachinery and pump communities, and by training the highest-qualified engineers with hands-on laboratory experience and project management.
Dr. Childs and recipients of student scholarships and faculty endowments, 2015.
A Distinguished Academic
Dr. Childs’ passion as an educator shined through his work as a professor and mentor to a plethora of undergraduate and graduate students at Texas A&M University. His teachings led and empowered the next generation of industry leaders. Dr. Childs authored an undergraduate textbook titled “Dynamics in Engineering Practice,” now in its 13th edition. Dr. Luis San Andres emphasizes the importance of his work, “The book conveys in simple language the most difficult dynamics concepts with the aid of basic mathematical skills. Thousands of undergraduate students at Texas A&M and other universities and practicing engineers have benefitted from Dara’s wisdom and ability to educate with real-life examples.”
Childs was honored with the 1996 Britton Award for outstanding undergraduate teaching by the Texas A&M Mechanical Engineering Department. He held the esteemed position of the Leland T. Jordan Chair of Mechanical Engineering from 1992-2017, the highest honor a professor can receive at Texas A&M. In 2004, he was appointed as a Texas A&M University Regents Professor. This prestigious title is awarded to professors who have demonstrated exemplary service to not only their university, but their community.
Dr. Childs is considered a prestigious leader in the rotordynamics of turbomachinery. Childs has over 150 peer-reviewed papers in both ASME and IMechE journals, with several earning best paper award distinctions.
Childs’ authority in the turbomachinery community is supported by the widespread popularity of his book “Turbomachinery Rotordynamics,” first published in 1993. “This book is the best resource on the subject and the one most frequently cited by other researchers and students. An updated and extended version of the book, entitled “Turbomachinery Rotordynamics with Case Studies,” appeared in 2013. This book has already become a timeless resource for many practicing engineers,” states Dr. Luis San Andres.
Dr. Childs became an ASME Fellow Member in 1990 and was the recipient of the 1991 ASME Henry R. Worthing Medal for his work in pump rotordynamics. Childs was also the recipient of the 2015 Cliff Garett Turbomachinery and Applications Engineering Award from SAE (Engineering Society for Advancing Mobility Land Sea Air and Space) in recognition for his contributions to the global turbomachinery industry. In 2017, Dr. Childs was the recipient of the IGTI Scholar Award. The IGTI Scholar Award is bestowed upon those with “significant depth of knowledge in key aspects of gas turbine technology, who writes and presents a learned and comprehensive paper to industry peers.” Childs was honored with the Global Power and Propulsion Society (GPPS) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, an award reserved for those with outstanding and sustained contributions to the global power and propulsion industry.
2019 GPPS Award
Dr. San Andres champions the work and life of Dr. Childs as one that can never be repeated or replaced, “Dara Childs epitomizes the modern engineer who innovates and leads the changes that impact the world around him. He was an enabler, a maker of better products and better engineers. Dr. Childs’ research and engineering efforts not just focused on solving current engineering problems but anticipated needs, and even created niches for novel products yet to be used.”
Dr. Childs’ contributions benefitted not only himself, but those who worked alongside him. The Turbomachinery Laboratory, under the leadership of Childs, donated $2.3 million to the Texas A&M Foundation in 2015, to better support faculty and students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. These funds were acquired through the continuous success of the Turbomachinery & Pump Symposium, which was largely due to Dr. Childs robust leadership. Childs also established the annual Vandiver L. Childs Jr., Captain USAF, Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to the top student in Dynamics courses. The scholarship was created in honor of his late brother, who lost his life in the Vietnam War.
Dr. Dara Childs and wife, Judy Childs.
Personal Life
Dr. Dara Childs is survived by his wife, Judy Childs, and three children from his previous marriage to the late Susan Childs: Leslie, Dara Jr., and Van. Dr. Childs built an everlasting legacy through his dedication to research, his students, his coworkers, and the turbomachinery community. His presence will persist in the lives of engineers worldwide who have benefitted from his studies. “Dara’s teaching is poignant and elegant, begs for reasoning at every step, and at the end of a problem session or a theoretical development, delivers a rainbow of possibilities, the ones that make engineers proud,” states Dr. San Andres. Childs will forever be esteemed as a pioneer, academic giant, and an exceptional leader through those who worked alongside him. The Turbomachinery Laboratory is grateful for his essential efforts that founded and shaped the Lab into what it has become. Thank you, Dr. Childs.
Provide, provide – Robert Frost
The picture pride of Hollywood.
Too many fall from great and good
For you to doubt the likelihood.
Die early and avoid the fate.
Or if predestined to die late,
Make up your mind to die in state.
Make the whole stock exchange your own!
If need be occupy a throne,
Where nobody can call you crone.
Some have relied on what they knew,
Others on being simply true.
What worked for them might work for you.
No memory of having starred
Atones for later disregard
Or keeps the end from being hard.
Better to go down dignified
With boughten friendship at your side
Than none at all. Provide, provide!
The Turbomachinery Laboratory Communications Team would like to extend our gratitude to Dr. Luis San Andres for his efforts and work in providing a detailed timeline of Dr. Childs career history and community contributions.