Ringermacher honored with second Copper Black Award

The Mensa Education & Research Foundation announces that Dr. Harry I. Ringermacher is the 2007 recipient of the Copper Black Award, given annually for exceptional creativity and problem solving. Dr. Ringermacher’s invention of a flexible imager was selected by a panel of eight distinguished Mensans. The award includes a plaque and $500 cash. This is Dr. Ringermacher’s second time winning the Copper Black Award.

“The judges were very impressed with Dr. Ringermacher’s invention of a flexible imager,” said Greg Timmers, Foundation president. “It uses flexible organic transistors to make a plastic, flexible, digital X-ray panel sensor. This was an excellent example of the creativity that we wanted to spotlight with the Copper Black Award for Creativity."

Dr. Ringermacher received his bachelor’s degree and Ph.D in physics at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. Later, he did a post-doctoral fellowship at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia. As a long-time employee of General Electric (GE), Dr. Ringermacher continues his research in the field of non-destructive evaluation as it relates to aircraft engines and turbine blades. In his spare time he pursues his passion for physics. After co-hosting the 2006 Mensa Colloquium “Revolution in Cosmology” in October 2006, he also added astrophotography to his list of hobbies.

The Copper Black Award was named after the late Ms. Copper Black, a Mensa member who greatly valued creativity. In her will she left a legacy funding a special annual award to recognize an outstanding creative achievement by a member of American Mensa. Dr. Ringermacher is the sixth Mensa member to receive this award and the only person to ever receive it twice.