ASCE - EMD : Society AWARDS

Here is a list of the awards endowed by the Engineering Mechanics Division of ASCE.

Theodore Von Karman Award

This award was established and endowed in 1960 by the Engineering Mechanics Division of the ASCE. The award consists of a bronze medal, is awarded to an individual in recognition of distinguished achievement in engineering mechanics, applicable to any branch of civil engineering. The award is normally made every year on the basis of nominations submitted to the Award Committee no later than November 1. It may be omitted at the discretion of the Award Committee. Subject to restrictions imposed by ASCE policy more than one award may be made in any given year.

Recent awards have been made as follows.

Nathan M. Newmark Medal

This award was established by the Engineering Mechanics Division and the Structural Engineering Division to honor Nathan M. Newmark, Hon.M.ASCE, for his outstanding contributions in structural engineering and mechanics. The Medal was officially instituted by action of the Board of Direction on November 1-2, 1975. The award is made to members of ASCE who, through contributions in structural mechanics, has helped substantially to strengthen the scientific base of structural engineering, these contributions having been made in the form of papers or other written presentations. The field of structural mechanics shoud include continuum mechanics related to structural and getechnical engineering. Award recipients are nominated to Board of Direction approval by a committee composed of the three most recently retired chairs of the Executive Committee. The chair of the Award Committtee alternates between the representatives of the two Divisions having the longest tenure on the Committee. Recent awards have been made as follows.

Alfred M. Freudenthal Medal

This medal was established and endowed by the Engineering Mechanics Division of ASCE on November 1-2, 1975. The award consists of a bronze medal presented to an individual in recognition of distinguished achievement in safety and reliability studies applicable to any branch of civil engineering. The award is normally made every two years on the basis of nominations submitted by November 1. It may be omitted at the discretion of the Award Committee. Recent awards have been made as follows.

 

Jack E. Cermak Medal

This medal is being established by the Engineering Mechanics Division and Structural Engineering Institute 
to recognize Dr. Jack E. Cermak's lifetime achievements in the field of wind engineering and industrial aerodynamics. 

The award will consist of a gold-plated medal and a certificate. 

CRITERIA:

I. The Jack E. Cermak medal will be awarded for outstanding contributions to research and/ or practice in 
wind engineering. 
II. The medal will ordinarily be granted for cumulative distinguished contributions in Wind Engineering. 
In exceptional cases, it may be awarded for a single contribution of outstanding merit. 
III. The medal will be awarded every year at the discretion of the selection committee and will be limited to 
one individual, unless a nomination is based on work which was a joint effort of a substantial duration. In such 
cases duplicate or multiple medals will be tendered only if the balance then available in the award fund is 
adequate for that purpose. 
IV. The awards receipients will be nominated by the members of the Engineering Mechanics Division and SEI. 
The awards committee will consist of the EMD Advisory Board and three members appointed by the SEI 
Board of Governors. It will be chaired by the chair of the EMD Advisory Board. 
V. During the year following receipt of the medal, the recipient(s) will be invited to deliver the Jack E. Cermak 
Lecture on a topic within the designated subject area of the award, to be presented at one of the ASCE 
National Meetings, Conferences, Congresses or Conventions. 
VI. The medal will be given without regard for society membership or nationality. 
VII. No individual shall receive the medal more than once. 
VIII. Ten years after the establishment of the award, the Executive Committees of the Engineering Mechanics 
Division and Structural Engineering Institute may review and propose modifications to the above criteria and rules. 


NOMINATION TIMING:
Eight copies of each nomination should reach the ASCE National Office by November 1 of the year preceding 
the year of the award. 

PREVIOUS WINNERS:

Maurice A. Biot Medal

This medal is established by the Engineering Mechanics Division of ASCE to recognize the lifetime achievement of Dr. Maurice A. Biot (1905-1985). The award consists of medal and a certificate. This award is funded by the generous endowment of Madame Biot, honoring her late husband.
Criteria
I.    The Maurice A. Biot Medal will be awarded to an individual who has made outstanding research contributions to the mechanics of porous materials.
II.    The medal will ordinarily be granted for cumulative distinguished contributions. In exceptional cases, it may be awarded for a single contribution of outstanding merit. The medal will be awarded every year at the discretion of the selection committee.
III.    The medal will be given without regard for society membership or nationality.
IV.    No individual shall receive the medal more than once.
V.    The award committee will consist of the EMD Advisory Board and chaired by the Chair of the EMD Advisory Board. At the discretion of the Board, one or more outside experts in the above-stated field may be consulted.
VI.    The medal will be presented in the ASCE national convention, the EMD annual conference, or a national mechanics conference co-sponsored by ASCE. Whenever appropriate, the recipient will be invited to deliver the Maurice A. Biot Lecture in the conference on a topic within the designated subject area of the award.
VII.    Ten years after the establishment of the award, the Executive Committee of the EMD may review and propose modifications to the above criteria and rules. The modifications, however, cannot violate the original intention of the award.
Eight copies of each nomination should reach the ASCE Awards Department by November 1 of the year preceding the year of the award.

Recent awards have been made as follows.


Robert H. Scanlan Medal

This medal is being established by the Engineering Mechanics Division to commemorate Professor Robert H. Scanlan's lifetime achievements in the field of engineering mechanics. The award will consist of a plaque with an ASCE medallion and a certificate. This award is being funded by The Johns Hopkins University.
Professor Robert H. Scanlan, Homewood Professor, The Johns Hopkins University, had a unique career that covered a broad spectrum of mechanics including aerodynamics and wind engineering.  Until his death in May 2001, Professor Scanlan continued to make significant contributions to research and practice in wind engineering and aerodynamic analysis of bridges.  His pioneering and innovative work in the area of bridge aeroelasticity is a milestone in bridge design. Professor Scanlan held doctoral degrees in Mathematics from MIT and Mechanics from the Sorbonne, and served on the faculty of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Case Institute of Technology, Princeton, and The Johns Hopkins University.  His professional achievements in the field of wind engineering and aerodynamics of civil structures earned him several honors including the James Croes Medal, the Nathan Newmark Medal the von Karman Medal, the Wellington Prize, all from the American Society of Civil Engineers, as well as being elected to the National Academy of Engineering. Professor Scanlan served in leadership roles throughout the mechanics community, both as an academician and as a consultant on the design of a number of landmark structures.
Income from the endowment will only be used to cover the direct costs of the award. However, if an accumulation of unused income exceeds the funding required for two years of anticipated expenses, this excess may be used to increase the endowment.
1.    The Robert H. Scanlan medal will be awarded to an individual in recognition of distinguished achievment in engineering mechanics based upon scholarly contributions to both theory and practice.  The areas of achievement will generally be structural mechanics, wind engineering, and aerodynamics.
2.    The medal will ordinarily be granted for cumulative distinguished contributions in Mechanics. In exceptional cases, it may be awarded for a single contribution of outstanding merit. The medal will be awarded every year at the discretion of the selection committee and will be limited to one individual.
3.    The awards committee will consist of the EMD Advisory Board. It will be chaired by the chair of the EMD Advisory Board.
4.    The medal will be given without regard for society membership or nationality.
5.    No individual shall receive the medal more than once.
6.    Ten years after the establishment of the award, the Executive Committee of the Engineering Mechanics Division may review and propose modifications to the above criteria and rules.
7.    Eight copies of each nomination should reach the ASCE Washington Office by November 1 of the year preceding the year of the award

Recent awards have been made as follows.