The Oscars a.k.a. the Academy Awards are right around the corner, but before the big night, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has a smaller ceremony for the recipients of the Scientific and Technical Awards. This week, EECS professor James O'Brien won a Technical Achievement Award for his work in Finite Element Destruction Modeling, which is used to simulate motion of objects during destruction and has been used in huge movies like the Harry Potter Series and Guardians of the Galaxy. Congrats, Professor O'Brien, and go Bears!