AISI'S Bridge Task Force Names 2006 Recipient of Robert J. Dexter Memorial Lecture

AISI's Bridge Task Force has named Reagan Herman, Ph.D., as the 2006 recipient of the Robert J. Dexter Memorial Lecture. The program was instituted in 2005 to honor Robert J. Dexter, associate professor of civil engineering at the University of Minnesota. Dexter was an internationally recognized expert on steel fracture and fatigue problems.

The Robert J. Dexter Memorial Lecture provides an opportunity for an individual early in his/her career in structural engineering to present a lecture on his/her steel bridge activities to the AISI Bridge Task Force and to participate in its semiannual three-day meeting. The Bridge Task Force is made up of the United States' leading steel bridge experts.

Herman is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Houston. Her presentation to the AISI Bridge Task Force was on "The Implementation of Permanent Metal Deck Forms as Lateral Bracing for Steel Girder Bridges." She is involved in several studies sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation, including the implementation of innovative bracing options for steel plate girder bridges, as well as research studies of steel trapezoidal box girder systems, thermal effects on steel bridges, and the impact of geometric imperfections on steel bridge behavior. Herman earned Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in structural engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.S. degree in civil engineering from North Carolina State University.

"The Robert J. Dexter Memorial Lecture was instituted to honor the memory of an esteemed colleague who was dedicated to finding real-life solutions to complicated steel bridge design problems," said Alex Wilson, manager of customer technical services for Mittal Steel USA and chairman of AISI's Bridge Task Force. "The program gives us an opportunity to recognize young bridge design talent and provide a platform for them to develop long-term steel bridge design solutions. We are pleased to name Dr. Herman as our second program recipient, and look forward to the contributions that she will continue to make to steel bridge design."

The first Robert J. Dexter Memorial Lecture recipient was Robert J. Connor, assistant professor of civil engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, who has now joined the AISI Bridge Task Force and is working on the AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) specifications for bridge fatigue and fractures. Honorees of the Robert J. Dexter Memorial Lecture are selected on an annual basis and chosen based on recommendations from the members of AISI's Bridge Task Force. For more information, contact Dan Snyder.

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