Michael F. Modest

Michael F. Modest (born 1944) is a German-born American mechanical engineer known for his contributions to radiative heat transfer and thermal sciences. His work has advanced the understanding of radiation in high-temperature and combustion systems.

He is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Merced and previously served as Distinguished Professor at Pennsylvania State University.

Career Following a postdoctoral appointment at NASA Johnson Space Center, Modest held academic positions at San Francisco State University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the University of Southern California.

In 1987, he joined Pennsylvania State University, where he served for more than two decades and was named Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering. In 2009, he joined the University of California, Merced as the Shaffer and George Distinguished Professor of Engineering, later receiving emeritus status.

Honors and awards Max Jakob Memorial Award (2021), awarded jointly by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers for outstanding contributions to heat transfer Honorary Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (2017) Humboldt Research Award (2007) ASME Heat Transfer Memorial Award (2005) Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Publications Modest, M. F. Radiative Heat Transfer (1993; subsequent editions 2003, 2013, 2021) Modest, M. F. Introduction to Radiative Heat Transfer. Academic Press, 2025. ISBN 978-0443266485 Modest, M. F.; Haworth, D. C. Radiative Heat Transfer in Turbulent Combustion Systems. Springer, 2015