August 27, 2008
[This article is Copyleft 2008 New Energy Times. Permission is granted to reproduce this article as long as the article, this notice and the publication information shown above are included in their entirety and no changes are made to this article.]
Purdue University has sanctioned nuclear engineering professor Rusi Taleyarkhan for research misconduct.
Taleyarkhan had appealed charges stemming from his claims to have discovered a new process for creating nuclear energy, which he calls bubble fusion.
Purdue administrators issued their report today affirming the charges.
Among the sanctions, Taleyarkhan will no longer be designated the Arden L. Bement, Jr. Professor of Nuclear Engineering. He loses all associated rights and privileges, including the allocation of discretionary resources.
Taleyarkhan's mentoring of graduate students will be monitored and reviewed for three years.
The sanctions follow a string of challenges he has faced in recent years.
Multiple government investigations into allegations of scientific fraud and fabrication by Taleyarkhan have come up null. The final charges were made public by Purdue several weeks ago. Taleyarkhan called the charges "trumped up" and appealed.
He told New Energy Times today that he was advised months ago by a Purdue administrator of this inevitable outcome, before the review process ended.
The misconduct allegations first appeared in Nature as a result of communications from Purdue professors Lefteri Tsoukalas and Tatjana Jevremovic.
On July 28, 2008, New Energy Times began to reveal information that supported Taleyarkhan's claims that the Purdue administration had threatened to intimidate and harm him. Taleyarkhan said today he has been made a scapegoat.
On March 7, 2008, Taleyarkhan filed a civil complaint against Tsoukalas and Jevremovic with the state of Indiana regarding events that occurred in the Purdue School of Nuclear Engineering.
The section of the complaint called "Nature of This Action" states, “This is a conspiracy involving certain individuals who made public statements to a worldwide magazine, Nature Magazine, through means that have falsely and maliciously defamed Taleyarkhan and have sought to harass, discriminate and intimidate Taleyarkhan on numerous occasions for the purpose of trying him and important scientific research, all with claims that have no merit."
Taleyarkhan told New Energy Times today that Darla J. Mize, former administrative assistant to Tsoukalas and a key witness in the case, said that she received threats today from Purdue administrators for her support of Taleyarkhan.
In her signed affidavit that is part of the Taleyarkhan complaint, Mize describes fraudulent behavior by Tsoukalas and Jevremovic in the School of Nuclear Engineering.
Aug. 26, 2008 - Lewis-Taleyarkhan Press Release
Aug. 27, 2008 - Purdue Press Release
Aug. 21, 2008 - Report of Appeal Committee
Aug. 27, 2008 - Purdue Sanctions
July 28, 2008 - New Energy Times: Welcome to Bubblegate
July 10, 2007 - New Energy Times Special Report on Bubble Fusion/ Sonofusion
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