Special Achievement Awards

A Special Achievement Award provides special recognition to individuals who demonstrated notable singular or multiple achievements in structural steel design, construction, research or education. This award honors living individuals who have made a positive and substantial impact on the structural steel design and construction industry.

Winners

2012

      • Robert Conner, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Purdue University
        Honored for his work on fatigue and fracture of steel bridge structures. He rewrote the AREMA and AASHTO fatigue specifications, and his field measurements are the basis for the double cycle counts in the fatigue of orthotropic bridges.
      • Samuel Easterling, Ph.D., Professor, Virginia Tech
        Honored for his research on composite construction and his contributions to AISC 360, Chapter I, Design of Composite Members.
      • Eric Hines, Ph.D., P.E., LeMessurier Consultants, Boston
        Honored for his innovative use of long-span steel truss framing and cast connection for the Wind Technology Testing Center in Charlestown, Mass.
      • Keith Landwehr
        Honored for his leadership in the AISC Certification Committee and significant contributions to quality certification, as well as his work on the 2010 AISC Specification including the development of Chapter N.
      • Jim McMinimee, Principal Engineer, JMC Consulting, L.C.
        Honored for his leadership and innovation in steel framing solutions for a self-propelled modular transportation system.
      • John Parucki
        Honored for his more than a decade of leadership and great work as National Head Judge for the ASCE/AISC Student Steel Bridge Competition

2011

      • Roberto Leon, P.E., Ph.D., Professor, Georgia Tech
        Honored for his significant contributions to the AISC Specification for Structural Steel Buildings and the AISC Seismic Provisions for Structural Steel Buildings. Recognized for his research in the design of composite steel/concrete structural systems.  
      • William Segui, P.E., Ph.D., Professor, University of Memphis
        Segui has fulfilled the educational needs of countless facult and students with the publication of his textbook, "Steel Design." In his book he explains the design of steel structures clearly and thoroughly with amny useful design examples.
      • Atorod Azizinamini, Professor, University of Nebraska
        Honored for his development of a new short-span bridge concept using a folded plate and inverted tub configuration.
      • David Platten, Walter P Moore
        Honored as structural principal in charge of the Dallas Cowboys Stadium for its innovative and record-setting long-span structure.

2010

      • Ronnie Medlock, Vice President of Technical Services, High Steel Structures, Inc.
        Honored for his vision in initiating the AASHTO/NSBA Steel Bridge Collaboration as a means to develop and implement standards for the construction of steel bridges, and for his continuing effort in shepherding the Collaboration to a highly regarded position within the community of bridge owners and designers.
      •  David Ware, CEO, Tennessee Galvanizing
        Tennessee Galvanizing is honored for its efforts to reduce hazardous waste generation among steel galvanizers.
      • Todd Helwig, Ph.D., associate professor, University of Texas, Austin
        Recognized for his leadership in the area of stability of steel structures. He developed bridge girder bracing systems as well as short courses on bracing for stability that have been provided to thousands of practicing engineers throughout the U.S.
      • Theodore P. Zoli, HNTB Corporation
        Honored for his work on the S-shape cable-stayed Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, which was converted from a concrete bridge to steel through use of design-build project delivery.
      • Nabih F.G. Youssef, Nabih Youssef & Associates
        Honored for the LA Live Project. His firm converted the 52-story structure from a concrete shear wall system to a steel building with a steel-plate shear wall system through performance-based design.


2009

      • Jim Dager, President, Design Data (ret.)
        Honored for the advancement of 3D steel detailing and the use of BIM in the steel industry.
      • Robert Tremblay, Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal
        Honored for his research in improving understanding and design of seismic-resistant concentrically braced steel frames.
      • Masayoshi Nakashima, Kyoto University, Japan
        Honored for sustained strong support of collaboration between the U.S. and Japan on research to improve the seismic performance of steel building structures.
      • John Ruddy, AISC, Chicago, IL
        Honored for his work in fire protection and engineering of steel structures, including the creation of an AISC Design Guide on fire protection, and justification that steel construction is considered restrained for fire ratings.


2008

      • John Ruddy, AISC, Chicago, IL
        Honored for his work in fire protection and engineering of steel structures, including the creation of an AISC Design Guide on fire protection, and justification that steel construction is considered restrained for fire ratings
      • Joseph J. Hunt and William W. Brown, IMPACT
        Honored for their work in developing and nurturing IMPACT, a labor/management partnership designed to bring together local unions and their signatory contractors to address mutual problems and create solutions to those problems
      • Joseph Burns, The Thornton-Tomasetti Group, Chicago, IL
        Honored for his significant efforts in promoting and advancing the use of BIM and interoperability in the design and construction of major steel structures
      • Gus Bergsma, RAM International, a Bentley Solutions Center
        Honored for his pioneering work in promoting an advanced solution to structural steel design that helped revolutionize the computerized design of structural steel buildings
      • Michael Engelhardt, University of Texas at Austin
        Honored for his enduring and pioneering contributions to the development of Eccentric Braced Frames


2007

      • Peter Wright, Chaparral Steel, Midlothian, TX
        Honored for his significant work in statistics and analysis of the structural steel industry that has aided the development of metric-based marketing statistics
      • Chia-Ming Uang, University of California-San Diego
        Honored for his outstanding contributions through advanced analysis and testing of moment frame connection configurations subjected to earthquakes
      • Douglas A. Foutch, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
        Honored for his outstanding contributions through advanced analysis to engineering knowledge of the performance of steel moment frames subjected to earthquakes
      • Ahmad Rahimian, Cantor Seinuk, New York City, NY
        Honored for for his groundbreaking work on the award-winning Hearst Tower in New York City


2006

      • Richard Schulte, Schulte & Associates, Evanston, IL
        Honored for bringing rationality to the discussion of the the destruction of the World Trade Center
      • Ronald D. Ziemian, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA
        Honored for the innovative development of programs of advanced structural analysis and his key role in the use of the program in the development of the 2005 AISC Specification provisions for stability analysis and design of structures

2005

      • Daniel G. Fisher, Sr., Girder-Slab Technologies, LLC
        Honored for the development and production of the Girder Slab System and its positive impact on the steel construction market
      • Alan Davenport, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
        Honored for his groundbreaking work to advance the state of wind analysis
      • Peter Naccarato, Girder-Slab Technologies, LLC
        Honored for the development and production of the Girder Slab System and its positive impact on the steel construction market
      • Jeffrey A. Packer, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
        Honored for his work on HSS Connections
      • Donald White, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
        Honored for his work on advanced beam and girder design criteria for buildings and bridges
      • Thomas Wosser, Degenkolb Engineers 
        Honored for his work in helping to develop he CASE Guidelines: A Guideline Addressing Coordination and Completeness of Structural Construction Documents 

2004

      • Jerome F. Hajjar, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
        Honored for his work on fatigue and fracture
      • Mark Mosher, Amfab Incoprorated, Bernalillo, NM
        Honored for pioneering and innovative use of Electronic Data Interchange
      • Ivan M. Viest, IMV Consulting, Bethlehem, PA 
        Honored for his pioneering research and development work on composite design  

2003

      •  Gregory G. Deierlein, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
        Honored for his work in advanced frame analysis and design
      • Walter Gatti, Tensor Engineering Co., Indian Harbor Beach, FL
        Honored for the rapid detailing of the redesign of the Weber Fall Bridge
      • James Glymph, Frank O. Gehry & Associates, Santa Monica, CA
        Honored for implementing innovative steel designs and utilizing advanced technology to advance the use of steel design
      • Randolph Jefferson, Frank O. Gehry & Associates, Santa Monica, CA
        Honored for implementing innovative steel designs and utilizing advanced technology to advance the use of steel design
      • Alford (Andy) Johnson, AISC Marketing, Chicago, IL (ret.)
        Honored for implementation of the AISC Steel Solutions Center  

2002

      • Barry L. Barger, Southern Iron Works, Inc., Springfield, VA
        Honored for development of 2000 AISC Code of Standard Practice
      • Kim Roddis, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
        Honored for development of internet-based teaching aid
      • Charles W. Roeder, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
        Honored for his work on eccentrically braced frames 

2001

      • Richard Avent, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
        Honored for his seminal work on advancing the field of heat straightening of steel members
      • Fred Haas, Consultant, Burr Ridge, IL
        Honored for the development of the AISC Erector Certification Program
      • Stephen Mahin, University of California, Berkeley, CA
        Honored for his leadership on the FEMA/SAC initiative
      • Jeff W. Post, J.W. Post & Associates, Inc., Humble, TX
        Honored for significant work on tubular steel and as a leading expert on heat straightening

2000

      • Franklin B. Davis, Consultant, Brookline, MA (previously Foster-Precise/Div. Of L.B. Foster Co.)
        Honored both for his work in developing the AISC/NISD Detailer Training CDs and for his work in improving the NASCC
      • Ronald O. Hamburger, EQE International, Oakland, CA
        Honored for shepherding new developments in seismic design developed through the FEMA/SAC initiative
      • Geoffrey L. Kulak, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
        Honored for the Second Edition to the “Guide to Design Criteria for Bolted and Riveted Joints”
      • James O. Malley, Degenkolb Engineers, San Francisco, CA
        Honored for shepherding new developments in seismic design developed through the FEMA/SAC initiative
      • Dennis R. Mertz, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
        Honored for developing LRFD for Bridges, which supplanted older LFD methods
      • Robert E. Shaw, Jr., Steel Structures Technology Center, Inc., Novi, MI (formerly with AISC Education Department)
        Honored for Initiating the Student Steel Bridge Competition  

1999

      • Duane Ellifritt, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
        Honored for the initiation of the Steel Sculptures Program
      • Helmut Jahn, Murphy/Jahn, Chicago, IL
        Honored for his work on the United Airlines Terminal in Chicago, which inspired both airport design worldwide and the growing use of exposed structural steel
      • C. Farnham Jarrard, Jr., Quality Auditing Co., Bristol, VA
        Honored for advancement of AISC Certification Program
      • Helmut Krawinkler, Department of Civil Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
        Honored for work on Beam-to-Panel Connections and Seismic Analysis
      • Stanley D. Lindsey, Stanley D. Lindsey & Associates, Atlanta, GA
        Honored for his work on partially restrained connections
      • Clark B. Olsen, Utah Pacific Bridge & Steel Corp., Pleasant Grove, UT
        Honored for work on Highway 5 in Salt Lake City

 

General Guidelines

      • The award is presented for achievement on projects or research that showed innovation and originality and helped to advance the use of structural steel. The event for which the individual is honored should have made a positive and substantial impact on the structural steel industry.
      • The event for which the individual is honored should be recognized by the individual's peers as to the impact of the achievement.
      • Individuals are eligible to receive more than one Special Achievement Award if future activities warrant additional awards.
      • Please send nominations to Nancy Gavlin, AISC's Director of Education, or visit the Faculty & Students Educator Awards page for more information.