Dr. Smits is the Eugene Higgins Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton.  His research interests are centered on fundamental, experimental research in turbulence and fluid mechanics. He is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering, and a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Australasian Fluid Mechanics Society. In 2004, Dr. Smits received the Fluid Dynamics Award of the AIAA. In 2007, he received the Fluids Engineering Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Pendray Aerospace Literature Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and the President's Award for Distinguished Teaching from Princeton University. In 2009, Dr. Smits received the Médaille de la Ville de Marseille, La Ville de Marseille, France, in recognition of his scientific and cultural contributions to the city, and in 2011 he received a degree Honoris Causa (D.Eng.) from the University of Melbourne, Australia.