AISC

The Steel Conference Speaker Award

Congratulations to the 2023 Steel Conference Speaker Award Winner, Lou Geschwindner!

The Steel Conference Speaker Award honors the most acclaimed speakers at AISC events.

Louis F. Geschwindner, PE, PhD

Louis F. Geschwindner, PE, PhD is one of very few people with more than half a century of experience in structural steel design. He shared the wisdom that comes with his experience at NASCC: The Steel Conference in 2023. 

Geschwindner boiled his advice down to a few simple points for engineers designing steel their way: default to LRFD and use the direct analysis method for stability analysis (only use the effective length method for braced frames). Read more about his keynote in the NASCC Newsroom.

About Louis F. Geschwindner, PE, PhD

Lou Geschwindner is a former Vice President of Engineering and Research at AISC, Professor Emeritus of Architectural Engineering at Penn State University, and Senior Consultant at Providence Engineering Corporation. He received his Bachelor's degree in building science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and both his Master of Science in architectural engineering and his PhD in civil engineering from Penn State. He is a Registered Professional Engineer and taught at Penn State for more than 40 years.

Geschwindner is a past chair of the Committee on Design of Steel Building Structures of the Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (SEI/ASCE) and is a member of the AISC Committee on Specifications, chairing its Member Design technical committee. An AISC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Geschwindner has been an author and presenter in many of AISC's lecture series.


 

The Steel Conference Speaker Award Winners

2022 Winner: Carol Drucker

Carol Drucker, SE, PE, PEng, is a principal at Drucker Zajdel Structural Engineers and the 2022 recipient of the AISC Speaker Award. Engineering is continually evolving with new skills and techniques to learn, and Drucker drew on her engineering experience to highlight skills and techniques engineers got right and what they have learned since. 

Drucker has made major contributions to the structural steel industry, particularly in the area of connection design. As the founding principal of Drucker Zajdel Structural Engineers, she has earned her reputation by completing a variety of intricate and significant projects across the country. Drucker has given many AISC presentations on connection design through webinars, Night School, and sessions at the Steel Conference. She frequently contributes to Modern Steel Construction and has served on several AISC committees.

2020/2021 Winner: James M. Fisher

James M. Fisher, PE, PhD, CSD Structural Engineers, Ermitus, received a BS degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 1962. After serving two years as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he continued his formal education and in 1965 and 1968 respectively he received his MS and PhD degrees in Structural Engineering from the University of Illinois. Prior to joining Computerized Design in 1973, Fisher was an assistant professor of Structural Engineering at the University of Wisconsin -- Milwaukee. Fisher's structural expertise has resulted in authoring and co-authoring sixteen books, numerous technical publications, and several AISC seminars and short courses. He has lectured for AISC throughout the U.S. and Mexico. 

Fisher served as the Chairman of the AISC Specification Committee from 2003 until 2010. He continues to be active on several AISC Specification Task Committees. He is a member of the AISI Cold-Formed Specification Committee and ASCE 7. In addition, Fisher serves as the Consulting Engineer to the Steel Joist Institute (SJI). In 1984, Fisher received the T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award presented by AISC, and in 2000 he received AISC's Lifetime Achievement Award. Both awards recognized his exceptional contribution to the steel construction industry. He also received AISC's highest award, the J. Lloyd Kimbrough Award, in 2006. 

2019 Winner: Jon D. Magnusson

Jon D. Magnusson, SE, PE, NAE, Magnusson Klemencic Associates, is the second recipient of the Steel Conference Speaker Award. Magnusson is Senior Principal at Magnusson Klemencic Associates consulting structural/civil engineers with offices in Seattle and Chicago. Jon earned his BSCE at the University of Washington and then his MSCE at the University of California, Berkeley. His whole career has focused on the engineering of "architectural" structures. Jon is a licensed professional engineer in 24 states. He is an Honorary Member of the national American Institute of Architects, a Distinguished Member of ASCE, and a member of both the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Construction. He has received the AISC Designer Lifetime Achievement Award, the Fritz Medal, and the 2014 ASCE OPAL for Design.

2018 Winner: Duane K. Miller

Duane K. Miller, PE, ScD, The Lincoln Electric Co., is the inaugural recipient of the Steel Conference Speaker Award. Miller is a recognized authority on the design and performance of welded connections. He is a popular speaker on the subject and has lectured around the world. He publishes frequently and on three occasions, has been awarded the Silver Quill Award of the American Welding Society (AWS) for the excellence of his published work. He also serves on the AWS Board as a director-at-large. He has authored or co-authored texts and chapters of many handbooks, including the AISC Design Guide on Welding and the Mark’s Handbook of Engineering, 12th Edition. He has also appeared as a subject expert on the History Channel and Discovery Channel.