image: Dan M. Frangopol, inaugural Fazlur R. Khan Endowed Chair of Structural Engineering and Architecture, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lehigh University
Credit: Lehigh University
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently instituted the Dan M. Frangopol Medal for Life-Cycle Engineering of Civil Structures in recognition of the Lehigh Engineering professor’s contributions as a pioneering researcher and educator and leading authority in the fields of life-cycle civil engineering and life-cycle cost optimization.
The award pays tribute to Frangopol, the inaugural Fazlur R. Khan Endowed Chair of Structural Engineering and Architecture in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Lehigh University, and will serve to recognize individuals who follow in his footsteps.
“The creation of the ASCE Frangopol Medal is the greatest honor I have ever received,” says Frangopol, “and I am very humbled by the recognition and the expressions of congratulations I have received from my colleagues and former students, who are a great source of pride.”
Frangopol is a distinguished member of ASCE, the nation's oldest engineering society, which comprises more than 150,000 members of the civil engineering profession in 177 countries.
The Frangopol Medal, which was officially endorsed by the ASCE Board of Direction on October 18, 2023, is set to become a biennial accolade celebrating those who have made substantial contributions in life-cycle engineering, in aspects such as design, assessment, inspection, maintenance, and cost optimization of civil infrastructure systems, particularly through exceptional work in publications and patents demonstrating a clear scientific or engineering impact.
The presentation of the medal will take place during either the Structures Congress or the ASCE Annual Convention, providing a notable platform for acknowledging those who have left a mark on the field of life-cycle engineering of civil structures.
Frangopol is a highly accomplished researcher and educator whose interests lie in the development and application of probabilistic and optimization concepts to civil and marine structures under various hazards. Throughout his career, he has mentored scores of graduate students and colleagues and stepped forward as a leader, serving as the Founding President of both the International Association for Bridge Maintenance and Safety (IABMAS) and the International Association for Life-Cycle Civil Engineering (IALCCE).
His contributions to research and professional service have earned him numerous ASCE awards, including 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award for Education (OPAL), as well honors from other renowned organizations such as IABSE, IASSAR, ISHMII, and SAE.
He is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, a well-respected international peer-reviewed journal launched in 2005.
His prolific body of work includes 4 books, 64 book chapters, over 470 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including 14 ASCE-award-winning papers, and more than 700 papers in conference proceedings. Further underscoring his distinguished career are 4 honorary doctorates and 14 honorary professorships.
He has achieved membership in eight academies: the National Academy of Construction (USA), the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Academy of Engineering of Mexico, the Academia Europaea (Academy of Europe, London), the Engineering Academy of Japan, the Royal Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts, the Romanian Academy, and the Academy of Technical Sciences of Romania.
Frangopol is the initiator and organizer of the Fazlur R. Khan Distinguished Lecture Series and the founder of the Computational Laboratory for Life-cycle Structural Engineering at Lehigh. He is also professor emeritus of civil engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he taught for 23 years.
“The establishment of the Dan M. Frangopol Medal for Life-Cycle Engineering of Civil Structures pays homage to Professor Frangopol's enduring dedication to the field,” says Professor Shamim Pakzad, chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “This award signifies the lasting legacy of a remarkable scholar whose work has not only raised the standards in civil engineering but has also inspired countless others to follow his path.
“On a personal level,” Pakzad continues, “Dan has been a colleague and mentor for several faculty and students here at Lehigh's civil and environmental engineering department, and has had an outsized impact in our successes in research and innovations; we are proud of this well-deserved distinction for him and his work at Lehigh."
Read more about Frangopol’s research and achievements here.