Professor James K. Wight is well known both nationally and internationally for his work in earthquake resistant design of concrete structures. He has been involved with post-earthquake damage studies following earthquakes in Mexico City, Chile, Armenia, Egypt, California, Japan, and India. During 1980-1981, he was involved in the construction and simulated earthquake testing of a full-scale reinforced concrete building while on sabbatical leave in Japan.

James received his BS and MS degrees from MSU in 1969 and 1970, respectively. After obtaining his PhD from the University of Illinois in 1973, he joined the faculty of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Michigan.

At U of M, Professor Wight has received numerous awarads for his teaching and service, including the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Student Chapter Teacher of the Year Award (nine times), the College of Engineering Distinguished Service Award and Teaching Excellence Awards, the State of Michigan Award for Outstanding Teaching, and the Chi Epsilon Great Lakes District Excellence in Teaching Award.

James was a member of MSU's Professional Advisory Board of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering from 1996 to 2002, and participated in initial design discussions for the new Civil Infrastructure Laboratory.

He has been an active member of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) since 1973, and was named a fellow in 1984. He is past-president of the ACI Greater Michigan Chapter and a former member of the ACI National Board of Directors. He has received several awards from the American Concrete Institute, including the Alfred E. Lindau Award (2008) for his outstanding technical contributions to the institute, and the Structural Research Award (2003 and 2009) for the best technical paper in the ACI Structural Journal. He was named a fellow of ASCE in 2006, received the University of Illinois Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Distinguished Alumnus Award in February 2008, and was selected as a Corresponding Member of the Mexican Academy of Engineering in October 2008.

James resides in Ann Arbor, Mich., with his wife, Linda. There, he is involved in many activities outside the classroom and laboratory. He is a fifteen-year member of the Downtown Ann Arbor Kiwanis Club where he serves as chair of the International Relations Committee and works once per month in the Kiwanis thrift store. He is a former member of the West Side Methodist Church Board of Directors and served one year as the chair of the board. He coached numerous soccer and basketball youth-league teams in Ann Arbor and served for four years as team manager for a travel soccer team associated with the Ann Arbor Soccer Organization. In the late '70s and early '80s, James was the organizer of a "toothpick bridge contest" for high school students in Washtenaw County. The bridges were tested as part of the Engineering Open House at the University of Michigan. James and Linda have three children--Danielle, Blair, and Evan.

Recipients of this award, first presented in 2003, must be: graduates of the department; national leaders in their profession; contributors to the department, the college, or the university in some meaningful way; and community leaders whose actions reflect favorably on Michigan State University. Nominations are made by faculty, alumni, and other supporters of the department. The department's professional advisory board selects the winner.