10/6/2026
AISC will honor CEE at Illinois alumnus Matthew Eatherton (PhD '10) with the 2027 T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award for his work on the AISC Design Guide 39. Eatherton will receive the award at the opening session of NASCC: The Steel Conference and will provide the conference's keynote address. Learn more>>
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CHICAGO - The American Institute of Steel Construction will present the 2027 T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award to CEE at Illinois alumnus Matthew R. Eatherton, SE, PhD.
Eatherton, the Montague-Betts Professor of Structural Steel Design at Virginia Tech, is receiving the honor for his work on AISC Design Guide 39, End Plate Moment Connections, which he co-authored with Thomas M. Murray, PE, PhD, in 2023. Prior to joining academia, Eatherton spent seven years as a practicing structural engineer in San Francisco. He earned his PhD from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and his current research focuses on steel seismic force resisting systems and connections.
“The jury and those who nominated him considered Matthew Eatherton’s outstanding reputation as a researcher, professor, lecturer, and practicing engineer in making the decision—along with his contributions to steel design standards,” said AISC Vice President of Engineering and Research Christopher Raebel, SE, PE, PhD. “In particular, his work on Design Guide 39 has provided vital guidance to structural engineers across the industry. It is a privilege to have him represent AISC as a T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award recipient.”
AISC will present the award, which includes a $15,000 honorarium, at the opening session of NASCC: The Steel Conference in Denver on April 14, 2027. He will also present the closing keynote on April 16 and repeat his presentation on request throughout the country. Contact AISC Senior Director of Education Christina Harber at harber@aisc.org to inquire about scheduling a T.R. Higgins lecture.
Eatherton is an active member of AISC technical committees, helping bridge the gap between academic research and practical structural engineering application.
Over his distinguished career, Eatherton has received numerous accolades, including the 2012 AISC Milek Fellowship, the 2015 NSF CAREER Award, and the 2016 AISC Early Career Faculty Award (now known as the Terry Peshia Early Career Faculty Award). He was also recognized with the Virginia Tech Certificate of Teaching Excellence in 2021 and 2024, as well as AISC Special Achievement Awards in 2024 and 2026.
About the American Institute of Steel Construction
The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), a not-for-profit technical institute supported by the steel industry, partners with the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) community to develop safe and efficient steel specifications and codes while driving innovation to make steel the most sustainable, economic, and resilient structural material. For more than a century, AISC has been a reliable resource for information and advice on the design and construction of domestically fabricated structural steel buildings and bridges.