Wudbhav N. Sankar, MD

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Wudbhav N. Sankar, MD, is Director of the Young Adult Hip Preservation Program at CHOP. He specializes in treating hip conditions in children, adolescents and young adults, as well as scoliosis and other spinal disorders.

Areas of Expertise: Acetabular dysplasia, Developmental dysplasia of the hip, Down syndrome (trisomy 21), Femoroacetabular impingement, Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, Scoliosis and other spine disorders, Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE), Trauma and fractures, Young adult hip preservation
Locations: Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care; Specialty Care, Virtua; Specialty Care, King of Prussia; Middleman Family Pavilion

Appointments, Referrals and Video Visits: 215-590-1527

Background

Wudbhav (Woody) N. Sankar is a nationally recognized leader in pediatric orthopaedic surgery. He serves as Director of the Young Adult Hip Preservation Program and heads up the Hip Disorders Program at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) — programs that care for infants, children and young adults with all types of hip conditions including hip dysplasia (DDH), femoroacetabular impingement, Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, and Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis. In addition, Dr. Sankar’s clinical area of expertise includes spine disorders such as scoliosis, kyphosis and spondylolisthesis, as well as pediatric orthopaedic trauma.

Dr. Sankar offers complex second opinions for families from around the region and across the country. If your family has been told they need surgery and you would like an expert second opinion, the CHOP Orthopaedics Nurse Navigator can quickly arrange VIP access, and offer travel, lodging and insurance advice. CHOP’s state-of-the-art facilities, nationally recognized low-complication rates, special recovery pathways, and world-class anesthesia/nursing/therapy make it one of America’s top-ranked destinations for pediatric orthopaedic surgery.

Since joining the faculty in 2009, Dr. Sankar has been committed to improving the care of patients with both hip and spinal disorders. As a leading national expert in hip dysplasia, he has pioneered the use of non-traditional braces for infants that fail standard Pavlik harness therapy, developed advanced techniques for evaluating blood flow during and after surgery for dislocated hips, and has optimized care for young children by offering ultrasound within his own clinic (which improves medical decision-making and streamlines appointments). WATCH: In this video, Dr. Sankar explains infant hip dysplasia.

In the area of scoliosis and spinal deformity surgery, Dr. Sankar was an integral member of the development of CHOP’s Scoliosis Rapid Recovery Pathway (RRP) which was designed to maximize pain control and mobilization while minimizing opioid use, allowing most children and teens to go home to their families only two to three days after major spine deformity correction. He also was an early contributor to CHOP’s development of Dedicated Spine Teams, which have optimized team building in the operating room to dramatically reduce surgical times for patients undergoing surgery for scoliosis.

Dr. Sankar is one of a small group of surgeons in the country who perform complex hip procedures on adolescent and young adult patients, such as the Ganz periacetabular osteotomy, surgical dislocation of the hip, and head realignments following slipped epiphyses. 

He is the Associate Director of the International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI) and a member of several other multi-center research groups, including the International Perthes Study Group (IPSG) and the Academic Network of Conservational Hip Outcomes Research (ANCHOR). He also serves on the board of directors for the Legg-Calvé-Perthes Foundation. His active areas of research include public health improvements in hip dysplasia, novel ultrasound techniques for infantile DDH, the optimal management of slipped epiphysis, and hip instability in trisomy 21.

Dr. Sankar is a graduate of Cornell University’s college of engineering and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He completed his orthopaedic surgical training at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by two pediatric orthopaedic fellowships at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Los Angeles. He then pursued advanced training in the area of adolescent and young adult hip preservation at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Sankar has published more than 120 peer-reviewed scientific articles, reviews or textbook chapters, and has written and edited two books.

View this video with a transcript

He is happily married to his wonderful wife, and has three energetic (and tiring) young children. He enjoys distance running, gardening, and travel.

 

Education and Training

Medical School

MD - University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

Internship

Surgery - Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Residency

Orthopaedic Surgery - Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Fellowship

Adolescent and Young Adult Hip Preservation, Boston Childrens Hospital, Boston, MA
Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Los Angeles, CA
Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA

Undergraduate Degree

BS in Materials Science and Engineering - Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Titles and Academic Titles

Director, Young Adult Hip Preservation Program

Attending Orthopaedic Surgeon

Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Conditions Treated

Departments and Services

Publications

Papers

2023

Batley MG, Lenart J, Sankar WN. Socioeconomic Deprivation and its Associations With Follow-up Compliance After In Situ Pinning of Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis. J Pediatr Orthop. 2023 Jul 1;43(6):e421-e426. doi: 10.1097/BPO.0000000000002416. Epub 2023 Apr 17. PMID: 37072922.

Kiani SN, Gornitzky AL, Matheney TH, Schaeffer EK, Mulpuri K, Shah HH, Yihua G, Upasani V, Aroojis A, Krishnamoorthy V, Sankar WN; Global Hip Dysplasia Registry: A Prospective, Multicenter Study of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip: What Can Patients Expect After Open Reduction? Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 2023 Notes: online ahead of print.

Westermann RW, Nepple JJ, Pascual-Garrido C, et al. The Impact of Age on Clinical Outcomes of Acetabular Microfracture During FAI Surgery. The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2023;51(10):2559-2566. doi:10.1177/03635465231184398.

Heyer, J.H., Anari, J.B., Baldwin, K.D. et al. Rib-to-spine and rib-to-pelvis magnetically controlled growing rods: does the law of diminishing returns still apply? Spine Deform (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43390-023-00718-6.

Christina Herrero, Michele N. Cerasani, Dylan Lowe, Wudbhav N. Sankar, & Pablo Castañeda. (2023). Closed Reduction of Developmental Dislocation of the Hip with Application of a Waterproof Cast: Master’s Surgical Technique. Journal of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.55275/JPOSNA-2023-650.

Yang D, Lee J, Orellana K, Batley M, Syed AN, Sankar W. Traumatic hip dislocations in a pediatric cohort: The importance of advanced imaging. Journal of Children’s Orthopaedics. 2023;17(3):259-267. doi:10.1177/18632521231164990.

Ponton, E., Bone, J., Sankar, W. N., Price, C. T., Mulpuri, K., & Schaeffer, E. (2023, January). Predictors Of Avascular Necrosis of The Femoral Head Following Closed or Open Reduction in the Treatment of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip. Two Year Update. In Journal of Investigative Medicine (Vol. 71, No. 1, pp. NP416-NP416). 1 Olivers Yard, 55 City Road, London EC1Y 1SP, England: Sage Publications LTD.

Weinstein SL, Casteñada PG, Sankar WN, Campbell HT, Badrinath R. Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip From Birth to Adolescence: Clear Indications and New Controversies. Instructional Course Lectures. 2023 ;72:659-672. PMID: 36534887.

2022

Schaeffer EK, Ponton E, Sankar WN, Kim HKW, Kelley SP, Cundy PJ, Price CT, Clarke NMP, Wedge JH, Mulpuri K; International Hip Dysplasia (IHD) Study Group: Interobserver and intraobserver reliability in the Salter classification of Avascular Necrosis of the Femoral Head in Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 42(1): e59-64, 2022.

Johnson MA, Gohel S, Nguyen JC, Sankar WN: MRI predictors of residual dysplasia in developmental dysplasia of the hip following open and closed reduction. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 42(4): 179-185, 2022.

Guzek R, Goodbody CM, Jia L, Sabatini CS, Sankar WN, Williams BA, Shah AS: Implicit Racial Bias in Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 42, 2022.

Bram J, Pascual-Leone N, DeFrancesco C, and Sankar WN: An Analysis of Academic Background and Research Activity Among Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery Division Chiefs and Fellowship Program Directors. Journal of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America 4(3), 2022.

2021

Tis JE, Laine JC, Sankar WN, Jo CH, Kim HKW; International Perthes Study Group: Reproducibility of Radiographic Measurements Made in the Active Stages of Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease: Evaluation of a Prognostic Indicator and an Interim Outcome Measure. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 41(2): 93-98, 2021.

Swarup I, Talwar D, Sankar WN: Part-time abduction bracing in infants with residual acetabular dysplasia: Does compliance monitoring support a dose-dependent relationship? Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 41(2): e125-e129, 2021.

Selberg CM, Bram JT, Carry P, Goldstein RY, Schrader T, Laine HKM, Sankar WN: Hip morphology in early-stage LCPD: Is there an argument for anatomic-specific containment. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 41: 344-351, 2021.

Nguyen JC, Back SJ, Barrera CA, Patel M, Nguyen MK, Hong S, Sankar WN: Developmental dysplasia of the hip: can contrast-enhanced MRI predict the development of avascular necrosis following surgery? Skeletal Radiology 50(2): 389-397, 2021.

Magee LC, Baghdadi S, Gohel S, Sankar WN: Complex Fracture-Dislocations of the Elbow in the Pediatric Population. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 41(6): e470-e474, 2021.

Maerz T, Nepple JJ, Bedi A, Zaltz I, Belzile É, Beaulé PE, Sink EL, Clohisy JC; ANCHOR Group: Sex differences in the clinical outcomes following surgical treatment of femoroacetabular impingement. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, American 103: 415-423, 2021.

Laine JC, Novotny SA, Tis JE, Sankar WN, Martin BD, Kelly DM, Gilbert SR, Shah H, Joseph B, Kim HKW; International Perthes Study Group: Demographics and Clinical Presentation of Early-Stage Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease: A Prospective, Multicenter, International Study. Journal of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 29(2): e85-e91, 2021.

Bram JT, Gohel S, Castañeda PG, Sankar WN.: Is There a Benefit to Weaning Pavlik Harness Treatment in Infantile DDH? Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 41(3): 143-148, 2021.

2020

Zhou W, Sankar WN, Zhang F, Li L, Zhang L, Zhao Q: Evolution of concentricity after closed reduction in developmental dysplasia of the hip. Bone and Joint Journal 102: 618-626, 2020.

Talathi NS, Trionfo A, Patel NM, Upasani VV, Matheney T, Mulpuri K, Sankar WN: Should I Plan to Open? Predicting the Need for Open Reduction in the Treatment of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 40(5): e329-e334, 2020.

Swarup I, Williams BA, Talwar D, Sankar WN: Rates of Contralateral SCFE in the United States: Analysis of the Pediatric Health Information System. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 40(7): e587-e591, 2020.

Swarup I, Shah R, Gohel S, Baldwin K, Sankar WN: Predicting subsequent contralateral slipped capital femoral epiphysis: an evidence-based approach. Journal of Children's Orthopaedics 14(2): 91-97, 2020.

Swarup I, Luhmann S, Woiczik M, Sankar WN: Eight Years of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Fellowship Match: What Have we Learned? Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 40(2): e144-e148, 2020.

Swarup I, Goodbody C, Goto R, Sankar WN, Fabricant PD: Risk Factors for Contralateral Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis: A Meta-Analysis of Cohort and Case-Control Studies. Journal of Pediatric Orthoapedics 40(6): e445-e553, 2020.

Siddiqi A, White PB, Sloan M, Fox D, Piuzzi NS, Sankar WN, Sheth NP: Total hip arthroplasty for developmental dysplasia of the hip vs osteoarthritis: a propensity matched pair analysis. Arthroplasty Today 22(6): 607-611, 2020.

Sankar WN, Zaltz I: Single-incision Extraperiosteal Triple Innominate Osteotomy: Outcomes of an Updated Technique. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 40: e1005-e1009, 2020.

Sankar WN, Lavalva SM, Mcguire MF, Jo C, Laine JC, Kim HKW; International Perthes Study Group: Does Early Proximal Femoral Varus Osteotomy Shorten the Duration of Fragmentation in Perthes Disease? Lessons From a Prospective Multicenter Cohort. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 40(5): e322-e328, 2020.

Meza BC, Nguyen JC, Jaremko JL, Sankar WN: Coronal Flexion Versus Coronal Neutral Sonographic Views in Infantile DDH: An Important Source of Variability. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 40(6): e440-e445, 2020.

Meza BC, Iacone D, Talwar D, Sankar WN, Shah AS: Socioeconomic deprivation and its adverse association with adolescent fracture care compliance. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery Open Access 5, 2020.

Matsumoto H, Hyman JE, Shah HH, Sankar WN, Laine JC, Mehlman CT, Schrader T, Kelly DM, Rosenfeld SB, Janicki JA, Thacker MM, Trupia E, Mcguire MF, Kim HKW; International Perthes Study Group: Validation of Pediatric Self-Report Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Measures in Different Stages of Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 40(5): 235-240, 2020.

Laine JC, Novotny SA, Huhnstock S, Ries AJ, Tis JE, Sankar WN, Jo CH, Kim HKW; International Perthes Study Group: Reliability of the modified lateral pillar classification for Legg Calvé Perthes disease performed by a large group of international paediatric orthopaedic surgeons. Journal of Children's Orthopaedics 14(6): 529-536, 2020.

Harper P, Joseph BM, Clarke NMP, Herrera-Soto J, Sankar WN, Schaeffer EK, Mulpuri K, Aarvold A; International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI): Even Experts Can Be Fooled: Reliability of Clinical Examination for Diagnosing Hip Dislocations in Newborns. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics 40(8): 408-412, 2020.

Back SJ, Chauvin NA, Ntoulia A, Ho-Fung VM, Calle Toro JS, Sridharan A, Morgan TA, Kozak B, Darge K, Sankar WN: Intraoperative Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Imaging of Femoral Head Perfusion in Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip: A Feasibility Study. Journal of Ultrasound Medicine 39(2): 247-257, 2020.

Nepple JJ, Zaltz I, Larson CM, Beaulé PE, Kim YJ, Millis MB, Sierra RJ, Clohisy JC; ANCHOR Group: Surgical Treatment of Femoroacetabular Impingement: Hip Arthroscopy Versus Surgical Hip Dislocation: A Propensity-Matched Analysis. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, American volume 102(Suppl 2): 51-58, Nov 2020.

Abstracts

2023

Schaeffer E, Zomar B, Novais E, Bade D, Sankar WN, Smit K, Bartley D, Loder R, Mulpuri K, : Proportion of Obesity in Stable SCFE is Higher Than in UnstableSCFE: A Multicentre, International Prospective Registry Study. Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, annual meeting, Nashville, TN 2023 Notes: Oral presentation.

Schaeffer E, Hu J, Nguyen V, Sankar WN, Kelley S, Mulpuri K: Identification of Predictors for the Development of Femoral NervePalsy in Brace Treatment for Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip. Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, annual meeting, Nashville, TN 2023 Notes: Oral presentation.

Ponton E, Bone J, Sankar WN, Mulpuri K, Schaeffer E: Predictors of Avascular Necrosis of the Femoral Head FollowingClosed or Open Reduction in the Treatment of DevelopmentalDysplasia of the Hip: Two-Year Update. Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, annual meeting, Nashville, TN 2023 Notes: Oral Presentation.

Kim H, Shah H, Chong D, Singh K, Swarup I, Hailer Y, Yang S, De Angeli LR, Morris, Mercado C, Jo CH, Laine J, Sankar WN: Does Duration of Non-weightbearing After Femoral Varus Osteotomy Affect Radiographic Outcome at 2-Year Follow-up of 8 to 11 Year old Patients with Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease? An International Multicenter Prospective Study. Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, annual meeting, Nashville, TN 2023 Notes: Oral Presentation.

Kiani S, Gornitzky A, Matheney T, Schaeffer E, Mulpuri K, Shah H, Ge Y, Upasani VS, Aroojis A, Krishnamoorthy V, Sankar WN: A Prospective, Multicenter Study of Developmental Dysplasia of theHip: What Can Patients Expect After Open Reduction? Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, annual meeting, Nashville, TN 2023 Notes: Oral presentation.

Houlihan N, Yang D, Smith I, Knight J, Hareendranathan AR, Dulai S, Jaremko J, Sankar WN: 3D ultrasound better predicts residual dysplasia following previously "successful" Pavlik treatment of infantile DDH: the importance of the femoral head centering. Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, annual meeting, Nashville, TN 2023 Notes: Oral presentation.

Houlihan N, Thornton T, Sucato D, Nepple J, Clohisy JC, Sankar WN: Comparing Periacetabular Osteotomy with and without an arthrotomy/osteochondroplasty: a propensity matched analysis. Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, annual meeting, Nashville, TN 2023 Notes: Oral Presentation (Awards section).

Belardo Z, Talwar D, Blumberg T, Nelson S, Sankar WN, Upasani VS, Shah A. : Opioid vs. Non-Opioid Analgesia for Pediatric Supracondylar HumerusFractures: Results from a Prospective Multicenter Trial. Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, annual meeting, Nashville, TN 2023 Notes: Oral presentation

2022

Johnson M, Gohel S, Nguyen JC, Sankar WN : MRI predictors of residual dysplasia in DDH following open and closed reduction. Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, annual meeting, Vancouver, Canada 2022 Notes: Oral presentation.

2021

Selberg CM, Bram JT, Goldstein RY, Schrader T, Laine JC, Kim HKW, Sankar WN: Hip Morphology in Early-Stage LCPD: Is there an Argument for Anatomic-specific containment. Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, annual meeting, Dallas, TX 2021 Notes: Oral presentation.

Mehta N, Flynn JM, Miller DJ, Sankar WN, Cahill PJ, Fazal F, Talwar D, Shah A. : Pills at Home: Teenagers Report Pain and Opioid Usage following Posterior Spinal Fusion in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Using Text Messaging. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, annual meeting, San Diego, CA 2021 Notes: Poster presentation.

Bram JT, Gohel S, Castaneda PG, Sankar WN: Is there a benefit to weaning Pavlik Harness treatment in infantile DDH? Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, annual meeting, Dallas, TX 2021 Notes: Oral presentation.

Baldwin KD, Kadiyala ML, Talwar D, Flynn JM, Sankar WN, Anari JB. : Does Intraoperative CT Navigation Make Placement of Pedicle Screws Safer in Pediatric Spinal Deformity Surgery? A Meta-Analysis. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, annual meeting, San Diego, CA 2021 Notes: Poster presentation.

2020

Swarup I, Talwar D, Sankar WN: Part-time abduction bracing in infants with residual acetabular dysplasia: Does compliance monitoring support a dose-dependent relationship? Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, annual meeting, San Diego, CA 2020 Notes: Presented virtually due to COVID19.

Sankar WN, Zaltz I: Single-Incision Triple Innominate Osteotomy: Outcomes of an updated technique. Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, annual meeting, San Diego, CA 2020 Notes: Presented virtually due to COVID19.

Mehta N, Flynn JM, Miller D, Sankar WN, Cahill P, Fazal F, Shah A: Pills at Home: Teenagers report pain and opioid usage following posterior spinal fusion in AIS using text messaging. Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, annual meeting, San Diego, CA 2020 Notes: Presented virtually due to COVID19.

Aarvold A, Clarke NMP, Sankar WN, Harper P, Herrera-Soto J, Joseph B, Schaeffer E, Mulpuri K: Even "experts" can be fooled: The reliability of clinical examination in diagnosing developmental hip dislocations in newborns. Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, annual meeting, San Diego, CA 2020 Notes: Presented virtually due to COVID19.

Books

2015

Flynn JM, Sankar WN eds: Operative Techniques in Orthopaedic Surgery: Pediatrics. Wolters Kluwer Health, Philadelphia, 2nd Edition, 2015.

2011

Wiesel BB, Sankar WN, Delahay J, Wiesel S eds: Orthopaedic Surgery: Principles of Diagnosis and Management. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 1st Edition, 2011.

2005

Mehta S, Sankar WN, Born CT: Handbook of External Fixation. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2005.

Chapters

2021

Sankar WN, Castaneda P, Joseph B: Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease and Other Conditions of the Hip (Chapter 23). Lovell and Winter's Pediatric Orthopaedics. Weinstein SL, Flynn JM, Crawford H (eds.). Wolters Kluwer, Philadelphia, 2021.

2019

Sankar WN, Winell JJ, Horn BD, Wells L: The Hip (Chapter 698). Nelson's Textbook of Pediatrics. Kliegman R, St Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM (eds.). Elsevier, Philadelphia, 21st edition, 2019.

Sankar WN, McCarthy JJ, Herman MJ: Pelvic and Acetabular Fractures (Chapter 22). Rockwood and Green: Fractures in Children. Flynn JM, Skaggs DL, Waters PM (eds.). Wolter Kluwer Health, Philadelphia, 2019.

Miller DJ, Blumberg TJ, Nelson SE, Sankar WN: Fracture healing in pediatric patients with neurofibromatosis type 1: A case series and review of the literature. University of Pennsyvania Orthopaedic Journal 29: 128-130, June 2019.

2016

Hadley C, Wowkanech C, Eck B, Austin L, Sankar W, Tjoumakaris F: Morel-Lavallée Lesion: Presenting Etiology of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia in an Adolescent Athlete: A Case Report. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery Case connector 6: e99, 2016.

Awards and Honors

2022, South Jersey Magazine's Top Physicians in Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery

2019, Special Effort and Excellence Award, Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America

2012, Young investigator award, AAOS/ORS Femoroacetabular impingement research symposium          

2010, AAOS Clinician-Scientist Development Program

2010, Stuart L. Weinstein Award for best E-poster POSNA

2007, Forrest Whittaker Award

2007, Stanley Chung Resident Research Award

2006, AOA-OREF-Zimmer Resident Leader

2006, OREF-Orthopaedic Overseas traveling fellowship

2001, William G. Munns prize

2002, Alpha Omega Alpha

1998, Magna Cum Laude

1997, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society