Voyiadjis Awarded ASCE’s von Karman Medal
March 25, 2024
BATON ROUGE, LA – Boyd Professor and Chair of the LSU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering George Z. Voyiadjis has been selected as the 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers Theodore von Karman Medal recipient. The award recognizes distinguished achievement in engineering mechanics, applicable to any branch of civil engineering.
Voyadjis was chosen for his “outstanding achievements in macro/micro-material characterization of damage and plasticity in solid mechanics, pioneering contributions in multi-scale modeling and localization problems, and national and international leadership and service to solid mechanics.”
“This distinguished award represents a recognition way beyond anything I ever imagined as a student at Columbia University many years ago,” Voyadjis said. “My experience in industry and my academic appointment overseas has allowed me to think in a more global sense and at the same time, stay relevant to engineering applications in my research endeavors. That’s what keeps me grounded and gives me the ability to continue to do all this work. Working with my students has been the catalyst of my success in my academic career.
“Do not be afraid of failure as it is the gate to knowledge and eventual success in your endeavors. Always be proactive in starting new areas and concepts, as this may lead to proposing ground-breaking solutions for real-life problems. Lastly, but not least, I thank my wife Christina and my family for their support and endurance with me. It is a privilege being a civil engineer.”
The Theodore von Karman Medal was established and endowed in 1960 by the Engineering Mechanics Division (now Engineering Mechanics Institute) of the ASCE with gifts presented by the many friends and admirers of von Karman.
Voyiadjis is an expert in multi-scale modeling of size effects in materials with different methods of atomistic simulation and continuum-enhanced models, including gradient plasticity and gradient damage. His research activities of particular interest encompass macro- and micro-mechanical constitutive modeling, experimental procedures for quantification of crack densities, thermal effects, interfaces, failure, fracture, impact, and deflect nucleation and evolution in crystalline metals.
Voyiadjis is a Foreign Member of the Academia Europaea (Physics & Engineering Sciences), the European Academy of Sciences, and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (Technical and Environmental Sciences). He is also a Foreign Member of both the Polish Academy of Sciences Division IV (Technical Sciences), and the National Academy of Engineering of Korea. He is the recipient of the 2008 Nathan M. Newmark Medal of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the 2012 Khan International Medal for outstanding life-long contribution to the field of plasticity. He was also the recipient of the Damage Mechanics Medal for his significant contribution to continuum damage mechanics in 2015. In 2022 he was the recipient of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME, Nadai Medal, of the Materials Division. He also received the 2023 Blaise Pascal Medal for Engineering from the European Academy of Sciences.
In 1980, Voyiadjis began his career at LSU as an assistant professor after working at the California Institute of Technology, where he earned his master’s in civil engineering, and Columbia University, where he earned his PhD in engineering mechanics.
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Contact: Joshua Duplechain
Director of Communications
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josh@lsu.edu