Puppala appointed chair of National Research Council unit
Position will give University influence, impact
Anand Puppala, associate dean of research for the College of Engineering, has been named chair of the National Research Council’s soil mechanics unit.
Puppala, who also is a Distinguished Teaching Professor of Civil Engineering, said the NRC position will afford him to opportunity to oversee nine committees that report to the soil mechanics unit, one of the council’s three units. Each committee is comprised of up to 30 members.
“This appointment offers a great opportunity to partner or lead research through this prestigious group,” said Khosrow Behbehani, dean of the College of Engineering. “Dr. Puppala will have an opportunity to help shape the future of research in his area of expertise and enhance awareness about our College and University research accomplishments at the highest national level.”
Puppala was named a member of the prestigious Transportation Research Board, an arm of the National Academies, in 2012. The NRC influences a significant amount of federal highway funding. Leading U.S. engineers and scientists set the agenda on future topics concerning engineering practices at the Transportation Research Board.
In the soil mechanics unit, Puppala will hear from committees delving into issues concerning transportation earthworks, soil and rock instrumentation, foundations of bridges and other structures, subsurface soil-structure interaction, modeling for the design, construction and management of geosystems, subsurface drainage, geosynthetics, cementitious stabilization and chemical, mechanical and asphalt stabilization.
Puppala is an expert in stabilization of expansive soils, sustainable utilization of recycled materials, dams and embankments and has received multiple honors for his teaching and research since joining UT Arlington in 1996.
About UT Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a comprehensive research institution and the second largest institution in The University of Texas System. Total research expenditures reached almost $78 million last year. UT Arlington ranks fifth in the nation for undergraduate diversity and was ranked as the seventh fastest-growing public research university by The Chronicle of Higher Education in 2013. Visit www.uta.edu to learn more.
Herb Booth, hbooth@uta.edu, 817-272-7075
The University of Texas at Arlington, www.uta.edu
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