Nomination Deadline: June 1st

This lectureship was established by the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division (now the Geo-Institute) of the Society by the solicitation of gifts from the many friends and admirers of Karl Terzaghi, Hon.M.ASCE. It was instituted by the Board of Direction on October 10, 1960.

Recent winners

  • 2024: Andrew J. Whittle, Sc.D., P.E., P.Eng., NAE, M.ASCE
  • 2025: Sarah Springman, Ph.D., C.Eng.

View all winners

Rules

  1. The Terzaghi Lecture is sponsored annually by the ASCE Geo- Institute (G-I). It is presented to the Society for all members at the Geo-Institute annual conference. The lecturer is selected in the fall of each year at the first meeting of the G-I Board of Governors (BOG) for the new fiscal year (typically October). Selection is based on his/her continuing contributions to the technical and/or professional stature of geotechnical engineering; as reflected in his/her publications, professional standing and, particularly, on ability to communicate verbally with both technical specialists and the civil engineering profession as a whole. The selection of the lecturer is the responsibility of the BOG.
  2. It is expected that the Terzaghi Lecture will be published in the Journal as a technical paper or recorded as a video for public access. A technical paper is subjected to criticism and review, similar to any other paper, except that it cannot be rejected, other than by extraordinary action of the BOG. Because the presentation of the paper is considered to be an award, the paper is not eligible for further awards.
  3. The nomination materials should reach the ASCE Headquarters by June 1. Electronic submissions are encouraged.
  4. Nominees not selected in a given year shall be held over for consideration through the next two cycles. At the end of the third cycle, nominees not chosen will no longer be eligible for consideration. Nominators who wish their candidate to be considered for another three-cycle period must produce a new nomination package.
  5. The Board of Governors will select the lecturer from a list of three top nominees, based on assessments provided to the BOG by the Awards Committee of the ASCE Geo-Institute no later than August 15.
  6. The recipient shall be recommended by the Geo-Institute for approval by the Society’s Executive Committee.
  7. The lecturer shall be tendered a certificate and a cash prize determined annually by and subject to the approval of the Executive Committee of the Board of Direction based on the income from the award endowment.
  8. Membership in the Society is not a requirement for consideration.

Nomination

To nominate, Submit the following:

You can submit your nomination electronically to [email protected], or by mail to:

ASCE Honors and Awards
1801 Alexander Bell Drive
Reston, VA 20191