Vision Statement
ASCE is my professional family and I am always happy to contribute to its wellbeing. Paraphrasing the words of Kennedy comes to my mind when I think of ASCE: "Don't ask what ASCE can do for you, ask what you can do for ASCE". I know about the time and money commitment required and I am not afraid of it. I do not agree with people who tell me: "I did not have time". We all have 24 hours in a day, what we choose to do is only a matter of priority.
ASCE is one of my top priorities. Among many leadership positions, I have been President of the Geo-Institute and President of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering; every time I have first listened to the member's wishes and then concentrated my efforts on doing things that would make the biggest difference for the members. I enjoy structural engineering, I work with many hydraulic engineers in erosion studies, my father was a contractor so construction is in my blood, offshore is also one of my research interests, I keep thinking of ways to improve transportation. I am basically curious and interested in many aspects of our civil engineering profession. Representing fairly and forcefully the Institutes would be my goal as Technical Region Director. Technical issues are the very solid foundation on which ASCE is built and the Institutes deserve a lot of credit and respect for the success of ASCE. Making sure that they get that respect would be one of my goals.
More specifically, I will
- Listen to the Institute leaders and members about what they wish to accomplish
- Concentrate and plan on how I can best make those wishes happen
- Approach the ASCE Board and convey the message and work with the ASCE Board members to accomplish the Technical Region Board of Governors agenda.
While I will listen and work to accomplish the wishes of the TRBG, I also have thoughts of my own. They include
- Help the younger generation to flourish. I cannot say that I received significant help from a professional society when I was young so I wish to ensure that young people get help. This is an overarching issue among all institutes and I wish to do what I can to support their effort.
- Help bring the professors and practitioners closer together. Professors teach in part what practitioners practice, practitioners hire the students taught by the professors. You would think that the cooperation would be obvious. I do think that this is an overarching issue where improvement is needed.
- Help improve the image of the profession. If you go in the street today and say my child is a heart surgeon, people will be impressed. If you say my child is a civil engineer, you may be ask to describe what she or he does. We need to continue to work to change that.
- Evaluate the issue of the budget and how the Institutes are being funded as well as the proportional representation of the Institutes on the ASCE Board. Is the present system really fair?
I do not wish to do a lot of things with mediocrity as TRD but I wish to do a few things that will make a significant difference. I do not believe in a lot of talk, I prefer a lot of action. At the end of any meeting I want to discuss the action items, who is responsible, and what is the deadline. I look forward to helping ASCE one more time.
Read the Vision Statement
EDUCATION
- Diplome d'ingenieur from Ecole Speciale des Travaux Publics, Paris, France, 1972
- Master of Science degree from University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada, 1974
- Military service, 1974-1976
- PhD degree from University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada, 1979
- Professional Engineer, State of Texas, 1981-present
WORK EXPERIENCE
- Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 1978-1983
- Associate Professor, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 1983-1986
- Professor, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 1986-1992
- Buchanan Professorship Professor, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 1992-2002
- Buchanan Chair Professor, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 2002- present
- President of Briaud engineers, geotechnical consulting work, 1983-present
ASCE INVOLVEMENT
- President of ASCE Geo-Institute, 2008-2009
- Board of Governors of ASCE Geo-Institute, 2004-2010
- Chair, ASCE Specialty Conference, "Settlement 94"
- Chair, Shallow Foundations Committee, 1989-1994
- Director and President, Brazos Branch, 1982-1985
- Chair, Geotechnical Engineering Division, Texas Section, 1982-1983
- Member, Deep Foundations Committee, 1986-1991
- Distinguished Member of ASCE, 2014
OTHER VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES
- President of Federation of International Geo-engineering Societies, 2014-2017
- President of International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE), 2009-2013
- President of USUCGER (US Association of Geotechnical Professors), 2003-2005
- Chair, ISSMGE Technical Committee on Scour and Erosion, 1997-2009
- Chair, ASTM Pressuremeter Testing Subcommittee, National, 1986-1991
- Member, ISSMGE Technical Committee on Pressuremeters and Dilatometers, 1989-2001
- Canadian Geotechnical Society, Member until 2010
PERSONAL
- US citizen, 2001-present
- Major awards: Three from ASCE, one from ASTM, one from Canada, one from Kazakhstan, one from Russia
- Very active in research, teaching, and consulting
- Tennis: no.1 in Texas in 1999 in the over 50 division
- Rugby: captain of the University of New Brunswick team, champion of the Eastern Provinces in 1975
- Piano: played jazz at the Cambridge Club in Paris in 1970 to make money as a student
Endorsements from Organizational Entities
1. Regions and Institutes
2. USA Sections and Branches
Endorsements from Individuals
1. Current Governors and Institute Leaders
- Allen Cadden, P.E., D.GE, F.ASCE, President, Geo-Institute of ASCE
- Philip G. King, P.E., D.GE, F.ASCE, Past President of the Geo-Institute of ASCE
2. ASCE Members
- Joseph A. Waxse, P.E., D.GE, M.ASCE, Senior Principal, Terracon