Majdi Othman, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, president and CEO of Geosyntec Consultants, has been named a fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction.
Othman, for over 35 years, has made significant contributions to engineering. He has engaged in groundbreaking research, worked as a consultant and designer for numerous critical infrastructure projects, mentored and trained hundreds of engineers and scientists, shared his knowledge in presentations and publications, and contributed editorially.
During his 33-year consulting career with Geosyntec Consultants, he has applied innovative and sustainable designs to hundreds of waste containment projects to safeguard public health and the environment. He has conducted geotechnical and hydrogeological investigations, evaluated site suitability, and prepared design and construction documents for various projects. These include remediating and closing old solid waste disposal units and surface impoundments as well as developing new disposal units for low-level radioactive, hazardous, municipal, coal-combustion, and construction and demolition wastes.
Othman was a major contributor to the design of two low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities for the Department of Energy and served as the engineer of record for the design of a third facility. He has worked on over 30 landfill gas control, collection, and utilization projects. These projects minimized the potential for landfill gas migration to surrounding properties, reduced methane's impact as a greenhouse gas, and generated renewable energy.
Othman has advised regulatory agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, California Integrated Waste Management Board, and Maine Department of Environmental Protection. He has made 20 technical presentations and published 25 technical articles and guidance reports. He previously served as co-editor for the ASTM Geotechnical Testing Journal and as co-editor of the international journal Geotechnical News. He was a recipient of the 1994 ASCE Collingwood Prize and the 2024 ASTM A. Ivan Johnson Outstanding Achievement Award.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Kuwait University and his master’s and doctoral degrees in geotechnical engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
