Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Reston, Va. — Neil M. Hawkins, Ph.D., M.ASCE, Professor Emeritus of the University of Illinois and affiliate professor at the University of Washington, as well as leader in structural and civil engineering was recently named a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The Society’s highest accolade, active distinguished membership is comprised of approximately only 200 of its 140,000 members worldwide. Hawkins will be presented the award, in honor of his leadership of putting engineering ideas into practice and seeking to improve the field of engineering, on October 20-22, 2011, at ASCE’s Annual Civil Engineering Conference in Memphis, Tenn.
Hawkins advanced the field of civil engineering by developing a new code for structural concrete, establishing himself as a pioneer at understanding the behaviors of reinforcement structures. He was one of the first professionals to establish reports on seismic behaviors of concrete structures. Through his research, Hawkins has more than 50 years of experience in the field. He has authored numerous articles and supervised the work of 22 doctoral recipients. His research has been used in a number of building codes and standards.
Hawkins also became one of the principal researchers for the Washington State Transportation Research Center, where he served as a consultant to the city of Seattle assisting with the design and construction of several major buildings and bridges. He also developed a 50-acre advanced transportation research center for the University of Illinois to conduct research and test airfield pavements and transportation structures. Through his extensive research with a team helping him to carry out his study, he extensively revised the specification for the 2006 and 2007 AASHTO Bridge Specification for the shear design of prestressed concrete members.
Hawkins has been recognized on numerous occasions for his outstanding efforts in engineering. He has developed strategies for the evaluation and implementation of new building technologies and models. Much of his research is now used by many associations and national institutes, and the implementation of his work has reached international levels.
Hawkins received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Sydney in Australia, and a doctorate’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research in both academia and the field of civil engineering has been deeply impacted by his outstanding efforts to improve the field—he is highly regarded by both professionals and students alike all over the world. Hawkins is a current resident of Washington state.
Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) represents more than 140,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society.
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