Home PageMinutes of the USUCGER Board Meeting: August 4, 1998
from 16:00 to 19:45
Held at Savery Hall, Room 209, Univ. of Washington campus
in conjunction with the ASCE Geo-Insitute Conference on
Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering & Soil Dynamics.
prepared and submitted by Paul Mayne, USUCGER Secretary
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Board Members in Attendance:
Dr. Mehmet T. Tumay, USUCGER President
Dr. Rich Finno, USUCGER Treasurer
Dr. Paul Mayne, USUCGER Secretary
Dr. Sandy Houston, former Board member
Dr. Bill Kovacs, USUCGER Board member
Late arrivals:
Dr. Tom Zimmie, former USUCGER president
Dr. Kyle Rollins, current Board member
Guest Arrival:
Dr. Richard D. Woods, Univ. of Michigan
1. The meeting was brought to order by President Tumay early at 3:55 p.m.
2. Minutes of last meeting approved.
3. Financial Report and update on dues payment by Dr. Finno. Todate, 79
member universities have paid their USUCGER annual dues, as of July 30,
1998. USUCGER assets include: $14,405 in checking account; $21,071 in
certificate of deposit; $45,000 from NSF grant.
4. Dr. Woods gave brief discussion of recent visit to China with interest
to have a joint US-China Workshop on Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering.
He will be preparing a proposal to fund travel for US Researchers to attend
workshop and wants USUCGER assistance in locating qualified and interested
parties for selection.
5. Dr. Tumay indicated the need for USUCGER members to use the interactive
website at LTRC to complete the research database on individuals. The
interactive USUCGER Membership Information Update is located at:
http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/bulletin/info/moreinfo.shtml
6. Upcoming USUCGER Workshop Preparations
The third national workshop of the U.S. Universities Council for
Geotechnical Engineering Research (USUCGER) will be held in Newport, Rhode
Island, November 15-17, 1998. USUCGER has received NSF funds to supplement
up to $500 hotel & subsistence costs for one delegate from each of its 80
member universities to attend this workshop. The contact persons are:
Joseph Pittle <jpittle@uriacc.uri.edu> and Professor Bill Kovacs
<kovacsw@egr.uri.edu> and detailed information about this activity can be
found at:
http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/bulletin/meet.html
6.1 Promotion & Notices. Need to have at least one representative
from
each of member universities attend the Workshop. An emphasis is given
towards the younger faculty members in directing their early careers in
securing research funding.
6.1.1. Joe Pittle put out a general announcement to
USUCGER members by
email on April 14, 1998.
6.1.2 Should we mail out a hard copy announcement?
Unresolved issue.
6.1.3 Dr. Tumay confirmed that Brian Tubbs of ASCE
G-I will post a notice
in ASCE Core-Bits and ASCE News.
6.1.4 Dr. Mayne volunteered to contact Lynn Pugh at
BiTech to have a
notice placed in Geotechnical News.
6.1.5 We should re-issue the announcement by Joe
Pittle.
6.2 Documentation of Workshop:
6.2.1 Board agreed that a hard copy version (with
cover + perfect binding)
would be valuable product.
6.2.2 Dr. Tumay agreed to prepare a standard format
for university
information that could be downloaded from the USUCGER Website.
The workshop proceedings would have summary of faculty, max. 5 research
areas per faculty, funding agencies, special equipment, graduate program
requirements, graduate program offerings (courses), a contact person, and
internet site listing.
6.2.3 Proceedings may also be posted on the USUCGER
website and/or
available on CD rom, pending final costs.
7. USUCGER WORKSHOP PROGRAM
7.1 The following program & timetable were proposed for the workshop
with
USUCGER Board Members delegated to coordinate the detailed agenda on
specific topic areas. Presentations would be made by a prominent
geotechnical researcher (Motivation Talk), representatives of various
funding agencies, and delegates from each university in breakout sessions
(either 2 or 3 simultaneous sessions depending upon number of signups).
Workshop Agenda:
The following tentative program & timetable are proposed for the USUCGER Workshop to
be held at the Doubletree Islander Hotel in Newport, Rhode Island, November 15-17, 1998.
USUCGER has received NSF funds to cover (directly) hotel & daily subsistence costs for
one delegate from each of its 85 member universities to attend this workshop. Each
university attendee will have to make her/his own travel arrangements. The workshop is an
excellent venue for new faculty to meet their fellow colleagues, research programs,
funding agencies, & competing resources. Our host contact person is Prof. Bill Kovacs
<kovacsw@egr.uri.edu>. Workshop registration and detailed information about this
activity can be found at:
http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/bulletin/meet.html
Presentations include a KEYNOTE talk, representatives of our professional societies,
funding agencies, and individual delegates from each university in simultaneous breakout
sessions.
Sunday, Nov. 15, 1998
09:00-10:00 Registration
10:00-10:15 Welcome & Introduction
- Prof. Mehmet Tumay/LSU/LTRC
- Prof. Bill Kovacs/URI.
10:15-11:45 Funding Agency Input:
- Moderator: Prof. Deborah Goodings/Univ. MD.
Presentations by:
Dr. K. Thirumalai/National Cooperative
Highway Research
Program (NCHRP)
Dr. Priscilla P. Nelson/Program Director
Geomechanical,
Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental
National Science
Foundation
11:45-01:00 Lunch
01:00-02:00 Motivation Lecture:
KEYNOTE TALK: Dr. John Christian:
"Geotechnical engineering research and
education:
What are we doing here, anyway?"
02:00-03:00 Presentations by University Delegates
- Coordinated by Prof. Ahmed Elgamal
Univ. of California-San Diego (UCSD)
03:00-03:30 Refreshment Break
03:30-05:30 Presentations by University Delegates-
- Coordinated by Prof. Ahmed Elgamal/UCSD.
05:30 Closing
06:00 Happy hour - cash bar
06:45 Dinner
Monday, Nov. 16, 1998
08:30-10:00 Survival for Junior Faculty
- Prof. Bill Kovacs/Univ. Rhode Island
- Prof. Paul Mayne/Georgia Tech
"Pursuing a Balance within the Academic Triangle: Research,
Education, & Service". Topics on: faculty tenure process,
"publish or perish", Awards (ASCE, ASTM, TRB), Geotech Publications
(journals, proceedings, search, websites), Memberships in
Professional Societies, Workshops, and More.
10:00-10:30 Coffee Break
10:30-11:45 "Back to the Future" of NGES
[National Geot. Experimentation Sites]
- Moderator: Prof. Paul Mayne/Georgia Tech
- Panel discussion + site management:
Mr. Albert F. DiMillio
Federal Highway Admin.
(FHWA)
Prof. Mehmet T. Tumay (LTRC and LSU),
Prof. Alan J. Lutenegger (Univ. MA-Amherst),
Prof. Rich Finno (Northwestern Univ.)
Prof. Jean-Louis Briaud (Texas A&M).
11:45-01:00 Lunch
01:00-02:30 USUCGER Mission Revisited - Possible Coalitions;
- Moderator: Prof. Kyle Rollins/Brigham Young
Univ.
- Presentations by Peter Smeallie of GeoCouncil
Dr. Ray Krizek, President/ASCE Geo-Institute
Mehmet T. Tumay, President/USUCGER.
02:30-03:30 University Presentations - Deborah Goodings.
03:30-04:00 Refreshment Break
04:00-05:30 University Presentations (Breakout Sessions)
- Coordinator: Prof. Deborah Goodings/Univ. MD.
07:00 Dinner on your own.
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 1998
08:30-10:00 Research-Practice Interaction
- Moderator - Prof. Bill Kovacs/Univ. Rhode
Island
- Presentations by John Baechner/ASFE
Panel Discussion with:
Dr. Ron Smith/Woodward-Clyde/Greiner-URS.
Mr. Scot Litke/ADSC.
Mr. Joseph P. Welsh/Hayward-Baker.
10:00-10:30 Coffee Break
10:30-11:40 Funding Agency Input
- Moderator - Prof. Rich Finno/Northwestern
Univ.
- Presentations by:
Dr. Arthur Wu - NAVFACS
ASCE Civil Engineeering Research Foundation
(CERF) -
11:40 Awards
12:00 Adjourn
NOTE: Time, agenda, & scheduled persona subject to changes.