CEE Faculty Member Named At-Large Director of ASCE
Dr. Kevin Womack, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Director of the Utah Transportation Center at Utah State University, and a registered professional engineer, has been named At-Large Director of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
While his research has focused on transportation infrastructure, particularly bridges, Womack is increasingly more involved in transportation policy research. He has authored or presented numerous papers, reports and presentations including his most recent, "Infrastructure Renewal: The Need for Political Leadership".
Womack is concerned with the infrastructure system that future generations will inherit, especially where it involves energy efficiency, environmental impact, and cost. Womack would like to see civil engineers become politically pro-active where transportation is concerned. “We cannot wait to react to developments, we must, as civil engineers help design the future in a way that is responsive to the nation’s needs.” he says. Womack adds that civil engineers need to be involved from the concept phase in order to influence the direction that research will ultimately take. He sees ASCE playing an influential role in drafting legislation (like the forthcoming surface transportation authorization bill) for hydrogen vehicles or hybrid plug-ins with extended range.
Womack is a member of the Long Term Bridge Performance Program research team at USU, which is part of a consortium led by the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation at Rutgers University.
A former ASCE Congressional Fellow, where he worked for the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works, Dr. Womack drafted the research title (Title V) for the Senate’s version of SAFETA. He served on the Research and Technolo
gy Coordinating Committee, contributing to the production of the publication, "The Federal Investment in Highway Research 2006-2009: Strengths and Weaknesses (TRB Special Report 295)”. He also served on the ASCE National Transportation Policy Committee on behalf of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the ASCE Advisory Council for the 2009 Report Card on America’s Infrastructure, and the ASCE Technical Committee on the Performance of Structures During Construction.
gy Coordinating Committee, contributing to the production of the publication, "The Federal Investment in Highway Research 2006-2009: Strengths and Weaknesses (TRB Special Report 295)”. He also served on the ASCE National Transportation Policy Committee on behalf of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the ASCE Advisory Council for the 2009 Report Card on America’s Infrastructure, and the ASCE Technical Committee on the Performance of Structures During Construction.Dr. Womack has served as faculty advisor for the ASCE student chapter at USU and received awards for research, teaching, and advising at both USU and OSU. He graduated with a B.S. and a Ph.D. from Oregon State University, earned a M.S.E. from the University of Pennsylvania, and is a lifetime member of the ASCE, America’s oldest national engineering society.