Russ College of Engineering and Technology Announces Thomas Professorship Recipients
Contact: Debra Taylor, (740) 593-9385 or taylord@bobcat.ent.ohiou.edu
ATHENS, Ohio (October 30, 2000) -- Department of Civil Engineering faculty Gayle Mitchell and Eric Steinberg were selected to be the first recipients of the Neil D. Thomas Professorship in Civil Engineering and the N.D. and B.E. Thomas Professorship in Civil Engineering, respectively. The late Bernice Thomas established the professorships in memory of her husband Neil D. Thomas.
Neil Thomas received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Ohio University in 1922. He went on to teach in the Civil Engineering Department and the Graphics Department until he retired 40 years later. He continued to have a lifelong love of and commitment to Ohio University until his death in 1992 at the age of 96.
Recipients of both professorships are selected on the basis of demonstrated leadership or the potential for leadership in contributing to the growth and advancement of Ohio University's Department of Civil Engineering, outstanding teaching abilities and rapport with students as well as achievements in research and potential to be a role model for younger faculty in teaching, research, service and professional activities.
Mitchell, chair of the Department of Civil Engineering, joined the civil engineering faculty in 1986. She has been director of the Ohio Research Institute for Transportation and the Environment and its predecessor organization, the Center for Geotechnical and Environmental Research, since 1987. Part of the organization's mission is to conduct basic and applied research, enhance graduate and undergraduate programs and provide service and technology transfer for government agencies, the private sector and the community. Mitchell has developed workshops and written extensively on water treatment, erosion and sediment control. The professorship is for five years, and Mitchell will retain the title of Thomas Professor throughout her career. The award carries a monetary stipend of $12,000 plus benefits and a $5,000 travel allotment.
Steinberg, an associate professor and assistant chair of the Department of Civil Engineering, joined Ohio University in 1991. He is actively involved in research on bridges and other structures. His research interests focus on structural reliability, prestressed concrete and timber and has written numerous technical papers. His Thomas Professorship is for three years, and the award carries a monetary supplement of $5,000 plus fringes and a $2,000 travel allotment.
