Kodur Named Fellow of Canadian Academy of Engineering

May 27, 2009

Venkatesh Kodur, professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the MSU Structural Fire Testing Facility, has been elected a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE). This prestigious academy includes many of Canada's most accomplished engineers, who have expressed their dedication to the application of science and engineering principles in the interests of the country and its enterprises. Being a fellow of the CAE is the highest honor for engineers in Canada.

Kodur is one of the world's leading experts on the effects of fire on materials and structural systems. He has more than 18 years of experience in structural and fire engineering and spent 12 years at the National Research Council Canada just prior to coming to MSU. He was part of the FEMA/ASCE Building Performance Assessment team that investigated the collapse of the World Trade Center in 2001.

Members of the CAE are nominated and elected by their peers to honorary fellowships, in view of their distinguished achievements and career-long service to the engineering profession. Kodur's citation reads: "Dr. Kodur has made significant contributions and earned recognition for his research and development activities in structural, material, and fire areas. He has published more than 200 technical papers, developed unique research programs in structural fire safety at NRC Canada, trained graduate students, and developed fire design guidelines that have been incorporated in many codes and standards. Dr. Kodur, a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Concrete Institute (ACI), has won many awards and was the only non-American invited to be part of the ASCE/FEMA expert’s team for the World Trade Center building investigation. He has transferred--through media interviews, keynote presentations, and blue ribbon panels--WTC investigation findings to the public, has raised the awareness of the engineering profession, and has showcased the world-class research in Canada's institutions."

Kodur's election will be formally announced at the academy’s 2009 Annual General Meeting and awards ceremony to be held on Monday, July 13, 2009, in Calgary, Alberta Canada.

The CAE is an independent, self-governing, nonprofit organization that was established in 1987 to serve Canada in matters of engineering concern. It is an active member of the International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS), which involves 25 other leading countries. Total membership in CAE stands at 304; there are 112 emeritus and 3 honorary members.

For more information, please visit CAE or CAETS, or view a video interview.