CAEE Academy of Distinguished Alumni Welcomes 2025 Class
The Fariborz Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering welcomed nine new members into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni.
The 2025 class of inductees include:
M.S. 1988
Scott Anderson, who earned his M.S. in engineering from The University of Texas at Austin in 1988, is vice president and general manager of Keystone Structural Concrete. With more than 30 years of experience and over $1 billion in completed projects, he has built a distinguished career in the concrete construction industry. Anderson serves as vice president of the American Concrete Institute and chairs its Financial Advisory Committee, where he also contributes to strategic planning initiatives. He is a past president of the American Society of Concrete Contractors and currently leads its Education Foundation.
M.S. ’83, Ph.D. ’88
Reid W. Castrodale is a structural engineer with more than four decades of leadership in precast, prestressed and lightweight concrete bridge design. He earned both his M.S. and Ph.D. in structural engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. Throughout his career, Castrodale has held positions with Burns & McDonnell, Ralph Whitehead Associates, the Portland Cement Association and Stalite Lightweight Aggregate. In 2012, he founded Castrodale Engineering Consultants, PC. As a consultant, he has helped shape the PCI Bridge Design Manual, contributed to national bridge design standards and participated in numerous NCHRP and other research projects. In 2024, Castrodale was named a PCI Titan of the Industry in recognition of his lasting contributions to structural engineering and professional mentorship.
James Jirsa is the Janet S. Cockrell Centennial Chair Emeritus in Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. He served as chair of the Fariborz Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering for five years. He earned his B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Nebraska and his M.S. and Ph.D. in structural engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. A professional engineer and member of the National Academy of Engineering, Jirsa is a leading expert in reinforced concrete design, earthquake engineering and structural repair. Throughout his distinguished career, Jirsa has received numerous honors, including a Fulbright Scholarship and multiple awards from the American Concrete Institute (ACI), where he has also served as president and honorary member.
B.S. ’78, M.S. ’80
Larry Johnson, a native of Austin, Texas, earned both his B.S. and M.S. in civil and structural engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. Since joining HKS in 1980, he has built a distinguished 45-year career as principal and senior structural engineer, leading technical resources and overseeing hundreds of projects nationwide. Licensed in more than 20 states, Johnson has been recognized as an NCEES Model Engineer and remains active in both the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). Beyond his professional work, he is a dedicated mentor and community leader through the Boy Scouts, his church and the Special Olympics.
M.S. ’83
Barbara McCelvey earned her M.S. in geotechnical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin in 1983. She spent several years with Exxon Production Research Company, designing and researching foundations for offshore structures. McCelvey’s passion for music and philanthropy has led her to leadership roles with major symphonic organizations. Combining her engineering, project management and artistic expertise, she has guided renovations of artistically significant performing arts facilities.
M.S. ’82
Pat McCelvey is a business executive with more than 35 years of leadership in oil and gas companies in the U.S. and internationally. He earned his B.S. in civil engineering and M.S. in geotechnical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. McCelvey has gone on to manage large exploration and development projects, integrating geological and engineering analyses to identify investment opportunities, including the acquisition and divestiture of properties and companies. He currently serves as a director and strategic advisor to a medical device startup.
B.S. ’37
Leah Moncure made history in 1938 as the first licensed female engineer in the state of Texas. A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin’s civil engineering program, she joined the Texas Highway Department, where she built a distinguished 30-year career advancing research in traffic safety, roadway design and infrastructure development. Moncure’s work laid the foundation for innovations in transportation engineering and helped open doors for future generations of women in the field. At a time when female engineers were rare, her quiet determination and technical excellence broke barriers and inspired lasting change across the profession.
M.S. ’83, Ph.D. ’88
Charles (Chuck) Shackelford is a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Colorado State University, where he has worked since 1988. He served as department head from 2013 to 2025. Shackelford has 40 years of experience in the geoenvironmental aspects of waste management and environmental remediation. He is a licensed professional civil engineer in California and Colorado. Shackelford earned his B.S. in civil engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology in 1980, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in geotechnical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin in 1983 and 1988, respectively.
M.S. ’99
Mark Waggoner is a managing principal and structural engineer with Walter P Moore. His work focuses on long-span roofs, kinetic structures, tensile and membrane structures and other specialty structures. He has contributed to the design of more than a dozen long-span roofs for professional sports facilities in the U.S. and internationally, including SoFi Stadium, State Farm Stadium and the Montreal Olympic Stadium roof replacement. An Austin native, Waggoner has also led the structural design of major local projects, including the Circuit of the Americas, Q2 Stadium and Moody Center.