Neil M Hawkins

Neil M Hawkins
Neil M Hawkins
  • Professor Emeritus

Biography

Neil Hawkins holds a B.S. (Mathematics and Physics, 1955) and B.E. (1957) from the University of Sydney and an M.S. (1959) and Ph.D. (1961) in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois. He has been on the faculty at the University of Illinois since 1991, serving as Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering from 1991-1996 and Interim Head from 2001-2002. He was on the faculty of the University of Sydney, from 1961-1968 and the University of Washington from 1968-1991 where he was Chair of Civil Engineering, 1978-1987 and Associate Dean for Research, 1987-1991. In 1966-67 he was a development engineer with the Portland Cement Association in Skokie, IL.

Dr. Hawkins has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in structural analysis, reinforced and prestressed concrete design, steel design, earthquake engineering, and bridge design. He authored the book Reinforced Concrete Structures in Seismic Zones (American Concrete Institute, 1977).

Dr. Hawkins is a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers 2011 and Fellow of the Structural Institute of ASCE, Honorary Member 2012 and Fellow of the American Concrete Institute, Titan and Fellow of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, and a past Director of the American Concrete Institute, the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, and Legend of the Post-Tensioning Institute. He is a member of the US Building Seismic Safety Council’s Provisions Update Committee, of the American Concrete Institute Building Code Committee, and the American Society of Civil Engineers, Design Loads on Buildings Committee. He is on the Editorial Boards of Engineering Structures and Progress in Structural Engineering and Materials.

From the American Concrete Institute he received the Wason Medal in 1969, the Structural Research Award in 1978, 1981 and 1991, the Kelly Award in 1995 and the Turner Award in 2005. From the American Society of Civil Engineers he received the State-of-the Art Award in 1974, the Structural Research Award in 1976, the Lin Award in 1988 and the Howard Award in 2004. From the Precast /Prestressed Concrete Institute he received the Zollman Award in 1994 and from FIB he received the Osaka Award in 2003. He is a Chapter Honor Member of Chi Epsilon.

Research Statement

Dr. Hawkins engages in research on reinforced and prestressed concrete structures subjected to static and dynamic loadings. His research topics have covered seismic design of reinforced and prestressed concrete building frame and wall structures, seismic and impact design and durability of reinforced and prestressed concrete bridges and bridge piers, fracture mechanics applied to concrete structures, design of floating concrete bridges and barges, design of concrete wind turbine structures, and forensic investigations of the failure of concrete bridges and buildings. He is the author of more than 200 papers and major reports on those subjects and on worldwide practices and policies on the transfer of civil engineering research into practice.