Professor Emeritus, German Gurfinkel honored with SEAOI Instructor Legacy Award, CEE Impact Award

Professor Emeritus German Gurfinkel at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has been honored with two awards celebrating his legacy, dedication and impact on structural engineering.

The Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI)selected Gurfinkel as the recipient of the 2025 SEAOI Instructor Legacy Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the industry and educating future structural engineers.

SEAOI commended his excellence in teaching and the significant impact on the lives of countless individuals, honoring the contributions he has made that have helped to shape the future of the industry and inspired many young engineers to pursue their passions.

The awards celebration was held on  Thursday, June 5th in Chicago, Ill. 

Gurfinkel was also honored with the CEE Impact Award on June 19, 2025. The award is presented to faculty or alumni whose sustained efforts and dedication have significantly advanced the mission of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, elevated its reputation, and enhanced the education of our students with long-lasting impact.

Professor German Gurfinkel joined the faculty of the Civil Engineering department at the University of Illinois in 1963. Prior to his tenure at Illinois, Gurfinkel taught for two years (1959-61) in the Civil Engineering Department of the University of Havana. Gurfinkel has continued to teach classes at CEE at Illinois since his retirement in 1998.

He has received numerous awards for teaching, research and professional practice in the field of Structural Engineering. While in Cuba, he designed the structures for the University of Havana’s new campus, as well as a number of bridges and stadiums. He has acted as consultant on projects to ascertain causes for structural collapses of numerous buildings, bridges and storage structures both nationally and internationally. He has created designs for strengthening impaired structures and, in 1981, designed the largest wheat-containing storage tank in West Africa.

Gurfinkel has also made long-lasting contributions to the surrounding campus community, including designing the beloved covered bridge over the Sangamon River at Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve Park in Mahomet, Ill. He was invited to be a part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the bridge in 2015, and presented a seminar titled, “The Covered Bridge at Lake of the Woods: Everything You Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask.”