Events

The UT Geotechnical group is pleased to announce Dr. Rudolph Bonaparte will be delivering the 2024 Lymon C. Reese Distinguished Lecture on “Geoprofessionals as Leaders in Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation”. Dr. Rudolph Bonaparte is Chairman and a Senior Principal at Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia and Professor-of-the-Practice, Georgia Institute of Technology.

We thank Fugro for the generous sponsorship of the 2024 Reese Lecture, which makes it possible to offer the full program free of charge (including the Career Expo and Reception).

Register to attend the 2024 Reese Lecture

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Abstract

The climate of Texas, the Gulf Coast region, and indeed most of the world is warming and will continue to warm, with anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions being the primary driving factor. Societies are responding individually and collectively through a wide range of mitigation and adaptation initiatives. Much more will need to be done over the coming decades. This lecture begins with a brief review of current and projected climate change impacts to communities, infrastructure, and natural resources, with a focus on Texas and the Gulf Coast region. The lecture then describes areas of opportunity for geoprofessionals, and more broadly Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineers (CAEEs), to contribute to both climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. The lecture will show that geoprofessionals (and more broadly CAEEs) in Texas and the Gulf Coast region have a large and vital role to play in these efforts, one that will last for decades, a role in line with the vision of the Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Texas. The engineering response to climate change will create substantial opportunities for our profession but also a responsibility as CAEE leaders to contribute to solutions.

Friday 04/12

1:00 – 4:30 PM: Check-in desk open (near Mulva Auditorium)

2:30 – 4:00 PM: Career Expo (EER Lobby)

4:30 – 6:00 PM: Reese Lecture (Mulva Lecture Hall, EER)

6:00 – 8:00 PM: Reception (EER Lobby)

Saturday 04/15

7:00 AM               Practice/Driving range included in the registration

8:00 AM               Reese Memorial Golf Open Tee Time

Biography

Rudolph Bonaparte is Board Chairman and Senior Principal at Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia. Previously, he served as President and CEO of the firm for 20 years. He is also a Professor-of-the-Practice in the CEE School at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He received a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1977 from the University of Texas at Austin, and M.S. (1978) and Ph.D. (1981) in Geotechnical Engineering, from the University of California, Berkeley. His professional practice has focused on projects involving: geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering; design of environmental cleanups for contaminated sites and waterways; and design of disposal facilities for municipal, industrial, hazardous and radioactive wastes. He is a registered professional engineer in Texas and 20 other states and an author of more than 75 peer-reviewed technical papers. He is recipient of the ASCE Terzaghi Lecture Award (2018), ASCE OPAL Lifetime Achievement Award in Design (2016), ASCE James R. Croes Medal (2000), and other professional recognitions. He was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering in 2007. He has served on the UT CAEE External Advisory Committee and he was elected in 2006 to the UT CAEE Academy of Distinguished Alumni.