Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Reston, Va. — Phillip Gould, Ph.D., P.E., S.E., Dist. M. ASCE, senior professor at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., 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. Gould will be presented the award for developing innovative technology for the design and construction of large cooling tower shells, applying finite element technology to the development of prosthetic heart valves and promoting earthquake hazard mitigation worldwide through research, teaching and professional leadership, on October 20-22, 2011, at ASCE’s Annual Civil Engineering Conference in Memphis, Tenn.
Gould’s pioneering work on hyperbolic cooling towers has been widely adopted in engineering practice worldwide. He has published extensively on the structural mechanics of hyperbolic shell behavior and adaptations to design and construction procedures. He was able to transfer structural engineering technology to biomedical engineering, specifically related to improvements on prosthetic aortic heart valves and repair of wrist ligaments. His research also addressed the earthquake performance of fire resistant materials and the development of innovative systems for the improved performance of structural foundations under earthquakes. Gould also contributed to new guidelines on the seismic rehabilitation of buildings and has authored several hundred technical papers and several books, and presented numerous lectures at universities and conferences worldwide.
A retired distinguished professor of structural engineering at Washington University after more than 40 years of academic service preceded by five years of professional practice, Gould has been committed to excellence in research with regard for timely applications in professional practice. To support and further his research, he received numerous grants and contracts from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, the American Iron and Steel Institute, Pressure Vessel Research Committee, the Welding Research Council, the National Institutes of Health, the National Bureau of Standards and the Missouri Department of Economic Development.
Gould served as the ASCE designated secretary for the NEHRP Guidelines for the Committee on Seismic Rehabilitation of Buildings. He is a member of the SEI Student Initiative Committee and has contributed to the first definitive product of the committee, the Undergraduate Capstone Design Competition. In addition, he was founding editor of Engineering Structures, a leading international journal that focuses on earthquake, wind and ocean engineering, and continues as editor-in-chief. He has been involved in important professional and civic issues pertaining to improving adoption and enforcement of current standards for the seismic design of structures in Missouri and is currently the Chairman of the Missouri Seismic Safety Commission.
Gould’s accomplishments have been recognized by many organizations. He received the Outstanding Engineer in Education Award from the Missouri Society of Professional Engineers, Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Civil Engineering Alumni Association of the University of Illinois and the St. Louis Section ASCE’s Professional Recognition Award for Lifetime Service and Otto Nuttli Earthquake Hazard Mitigation Award. He is currently leading an effort to improve the seismic safety of school buildings through the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. He is a registered professional engineer in Missouri and structural engineer in Illinois.
Gould received a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a doctoral degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. He is a current resident of St. Louis, Mo.
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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