Ricardo Dobry, Institute Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and director of the Geotechnical Centrifuge Research Center, has received the 2016 ASCE H. Bolton Seed Medal. ASCE (the American Society of Civil Engineers) annually recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to teaching, research, and/or practice in geotechnical engineering. Dobry was recognized for his research contribution ranging from dynamic soil properties to liquefaction evaluations, and from dynamic soil-structure interaction to applications of centrifuge model testing, which have had significant and sustained impact on engineering practice.
Lydia Kallipoliti, assistant professor of architecture, was awarded honorable mention for her seven city manifestos by the independent jury of the UABB Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2015. As part of the Biennale, Kallipoliti presented the project “Autonomy & Autodigestion.” She also served as an invited panelist and an academic adviser at the Radical Urbanism conference, as part of the opening ceremony of the Biennale exhibition. The project was in collaboration with Meg Studer and with the assistance of undergraduate students architecture Royd Zhang and Ellen Wong, who served as research assistants for the “Autonomy & Autodigestion” project and exhibition.
Michael Symans, associate professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been selected to receive the 2016 Chi Epsilon Excellence in Teaching Award for the Northeast District. This award is given by Chi Epsilon, the National Civil Engineering Honor Society, to recognize dedication to teaching in the civil engineering profession. Symans was nominated by the Rensselaer student chapter of Chi Epsilon. The student chapter was established in 1940 as the 17th chapter out of a total of 137 in existence today. The Northeast District is comprised of universities in New York and New England—including Cornell University and MIT. Recipients of this award are considered in the selection of the James M. Robbins National Excellence in Teaching Award.