TEXTILES.ORG
Dr. R. Kerry Rowe, professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, is among 22 new foreign members elected in 2016 to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE).
The NAE cited Rowe’s contributions “for advances in knowledge of the performance of waste containment facilities.”
The NAE elected 80 new U.S. members and 22 new foreign members, announced NAE President C.D. (Dan) Mote Jr. last week. The 2016 elections bring the total U.S. membership to 2,275 and the number of foreign members to 232.
Rowe is a geosynthetics pioneer. One area of his research has focused on assessing the effectiveness of geomembranes and geosynthetic clay liners in limiting contamination from mining operations and waste disposal facilities.
Rowe’s research in the geosynthetics world has garnered him many awards and recognition during the past 30 years, but a few honors stand out for him. Included in that group is his recent election to the NAE.
The Queen’s University Media Centre quoted Dr. Rowe: “This is one of the biggest deals in my professional career. It ranks up there with election to the Royal Society (U.K.) in terms of importance.”
Rowe was elected to The Royal Society in 2013 as the only Canadian civil engineer. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in the U.K., a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
Of the more than 2,200 elected NAE members, only 231 come from outside the United States, including 20 Canadians. Rowe is one of only two civil engineers listed as foreign members.
Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during a ceremony at the NAE’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 9, 2016.
Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.”
Founded in 1964, the U.S. National Academy of Engineering is a private, independent, nonprofit institution that provides engineering leadership in service to the nation. Its mission is to advance the well-being of the nation by promoting a vibrant engineering profession and by marshalling the expertise and insights of eminent engineers to provide independent advice to the federal government on matters involving engineering and technology.