By Rebecca E. Jones

P. Worth Longest, Ph.D., professor of mechanical engineering, has been named the Louis S. and Ruth S. Harris Exceptional Scholar Professor in VCU’s Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Department. The Louis S. and Ruth S. Harris Exceptional Scholar Professorship was donated by Louis and Ruth Harris with the intent of attracting and retaining eminent scholars to Virginia Commonwealth University.

Longest’s research focuses on medical aerosols, pharmaceutical engineering, targeted therapeutics, medical devices and computational fluid dynamics. He is an editorial board member, frequent contributor and reviewer for the Journal of Aerosol Medicine and Pulmonary Drug Delivery.

"Dr. Longest's achievements in developing new drug delivery strategies for improving the treatment of respiratory diseases will have a major impact on human health. We are very proud of Dr. Longest's accomplishments and this professorship is a well-deserved recognition of the positive impact of his work," said Gary C. Tepper, Ph.D., professor and chair in the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering.