David Maidment has developed geographic information systems that have helped countless communities better respond to floods.
Feb. 8, 2016
The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) announced today that David R. Maidment, professor in the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering has been elected to the prestigious academy.
He is one of 80 new members and 22 new foreign members to join the NAE in 2016. Election to the academy is the highest professional distinctions bestowed upon an engineer.
NAE membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to engineering research and practice, including pioneering new and developing fields of technology and making major advancements in the engineering field and profession.
"Throughout his career, David has been an innovator in hydrology and water resource planning,” said Sharon L. Wood, dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering and a member of the NAE. "His work developing geographic information systems has helped numerous communities, especially right here in Austin, design solutions to complex flooding problems."
"Election to the NAE is the pinnacle of recognition as an engineer and speaks volumes to the hard work, innovation, and dedication that David has engaged in over several decades," said Department Chair Richard L. Corsi. “This is great recognition of David’s achievements, and I thank David for all that he has done for the profession as well as our CAEE community."
In addition to Maidment, the NAE elected Bridget R. Scanlon, senior research scientist in the Jackson School of Geosciences at UT Austin. Maidment and Scanlon join a large and esteemed community of current and former UT Austin faculty members in the NAE.
Since 2013, eight UT Austin engineers have been elected as new members, and the university has the fourth highest total membership among all U.S. universities.
Two UT Austin alumni were also elected: James B. Rawlings, who received a B.S. in chemical engineering from the Cockrell School in 1979, and Jennifer L. West, who received an M.S. in 1994 and a Ph.D. in 1996 in biomedical engineering from the Cockrell School.
About the newly elected faculty member:
David R. Maidment is the Hussein M. Alharthy Centennial Chair in Civil Engineering at UT Austin and has been on the faculty since 1981. His research focuses on surface water hydrology and the application of geographic information systems. He is the recipient of the Ray K. Linsley Award from the American Institute of Hydrology, the Ven Te Chow Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers and the AWRA Award for Water Resources Data and Information Systems, which has been permanently renamed the David R. Maidment Award for Water Resources Data and Information Systems. He received a B.S. in agricultural engineering from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
