The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) announced today that two professors and two alumni from the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have been elected to the prestigious academy.
Joseph J. Beaman Jr., a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Sharon L. Wood, chair of the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, were elected to the academy. A Distinguished Alumnus of the university, Rex W. Tillerson, chairman and chief executive officer of Exxon Mobil Corp., was elected to the academy this year. Additionally, alumnus Gregory G. Deierlein, an engineering professor at Stanford University, became a member of the academy. They are four of 69 new members and 11 foreign associates to join the academy this year.
Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions bestowed upon an engineer. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature, and to the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.”
“Today is a great day for the Cockrell School. To have two of our top faculty leaders, Sharon Wood and Joe Beaman, elected into the NAE and joined by our distinguished alumnus Rex Tillerson is tremendous recognition for their accomplishments, which brings honor for the school and the university,” said Gregory L. Fenves, dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering.
New members representing the Cockrell School of Engineering:
Joseph J. Beaman Jr., the Earnest F. Gloyna Regents Chair in Engineering in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, was elected for innovation, development and commercialization of solid freeform fabrication and selective laser sintering.
Sharon L. Wood, the Robert L. Parker Sr. Centennial Professor and chair in the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, was recognized for her design of reinforced concrete structures and associated seismic instrumentation for extreme loadings and environment.
Rex W. Tillerson, B.S. in civil engineering ’75, was recognized for engineering leadership in the production of hydrocarbons in remote and challenging environments. Tillerson has been a member of the Cockrell School’s Engineering Advisory Board for the past six years and is a member of the UT Development Board.
Gregory Deierlein, Ph.D. in civil engineering ’88, is the John A. Blume Professor in the Stanford University School of Engineering. He was recognized for the development of advanced structural analysis and design techniques and their implementation in design codes.
This year’s election brings membership to the academy to 2,250 members in the United States and 211 foreign associates. A list of the newly elected members and foreign associate fellows can be found at www.nae.edu.
