Company

Iowa State University

Title

James L. and Katherine S. Melsa Dean of Engineering

W. Samuel Easterling is the James L. and Katherine S. Melsa Dean of Engineering at Iowa State University. He leads the largest college on Iowa State’s campus and is responsible for more than 8,700 students, 500 faculty and staff, 13 academic majors, multiple research centers and programs, and 11 buildings that comprise the engineering complex.

He received his doctorate in structural engineering from Iowa State in 1987. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from West Virginia University. Following graduation from Iowa State, Easterling joined the Virginia Tech faculty in 1987 and rose to the position of Montague-Betts Professor of Structural Steel Design and Department Head of the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Easterling is an accomplished educator, scholar and administrator and is a registered Professional Engineer.

Dr. Easterling is active in professional organizations including the American Institute of Steel Construction, American Iron and Steel Institute, American Society of Civil Engineers (Fellow) and Structural Engineering Institute (Fellow). He presently serves as the Vice-Chair of AISC Task Committee 5 – Composite Construction and is a member of the AISC Committee on Specifications.

His primary research interests are in the areas of composite and cold-formed steel structures.  He has directed research dealing with composite slabs, partially-restrained connections, composite beams, joists and joist girders, composite shear connectors, and cold-formed steel diaphragms, members, and connections.  

Dr. Easterling has been recognized for his work in the area of composite construction with the Steel Deck Institute John Gundel Award in 1987, the ASCE Walter L. Huber Prize in 1998, the ASCE State-of-the-Art of Civil Engineering Award in 1996 and 2000 as a member of the Task Committee on Design Criteria for Composite Structures in Steel and Concrete, the 2002 AISC T. R. Higgins Lectureship Award, the 2012 AISC Special Achievement Award, the 2020 AISC Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2017 ASCE Shortridge Hardesty Award.  Easterling has been recognized by Iowa State University with an Alumni Association Young Alumnus Award in 1998 and a College of Engineering Professional Progress in Engineering Award in 2003. He was elected to the grade of Fellow in ASCE in 2006 and in the Structural Engineering Institute in 2014.  Easterling was elected to the West Virginia Academy of Civil Engineers in 2007.  At Virginia Tech, he was recognized with a Dean’s Award for Excellence in Service in 2004 and was elected to the Academy of Faculty Service in 2014. He was also active in Virginia Tech governance serving as president of the Virginia Tech faculty senate, chair of the commission on faculty affairs; chair of the commission on research; and a member of the university council.