Elmar Upitis, P.E., principal consultant and owner of Upitis and Associates, Inc., in Downers Grove, Ill., has been named a 2005 winner of the ASTM International Award of Merit and the accompanying title of fellow, the highest Society recognition for individual contributions to standards activities. ASTM Committee A01 on Steel, Stainless Steel and Related Alloys cited Upitis for his contributions and commitment to the work of the committee, particularly in the application of materials to pressure vessels and other structures addressed in several A01 subcommittees.

An ASTM International member since 1986, Upitis has been actively involved in the development of steel standards used in a wide range of products. He has played a critical role in developing and revising a group of standards for pressure vessel steel and forgings manufacture, which has been accepted for inclusion in the Pressure Vessel Code of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Outside ASTM International, Upitis is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and a member of the American Welding Society, the Pressure Vessel Research Council, and the Welding Research Council.

Before becoming an engineering consultant, Upitis worked for Chicago Bridge and Iron Company as a design engineer, manager of metals engineering, and most recently, as senior principal engineer - materials. He retired from Chicago Bridge and Iron Company in 1995. In his career, he has concentrated on the design and analysis of steel plate structures and on various aspects of materials, including fabrication effects and service considerations.

A graduate of the University of Illinois with a B.S. in civil engineering, Upitis also studied engineering mechanics and structural design.

Release #7167