Filz receives three civil engineering awards

George M. Filz has recently been honored with three important awards.

He received the Wallace Hayward Baker Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) at the Geo-Institute Conference in Phoenix in February, 2016. This award is given for ingenious innovation in the field of ground modification.

Filz was also selected as the ASCE Geo-Institute’s Cross-USA Lecturer for 2016-2017. His selection was based on prestige in the geo-professional community, professional achievements, and lecture abilities. As the Cross-USA Lecturer, Filz will make presentations at several locations around the country.

His third recent recognition was induction as an Honor Member in Virginia Tech’s chapter of the Chi Epsilon Honor Society. Each year, student members of the society choose one or two individuals to be elevated to Honor Member status. “The Chi Epsilon recognition is particularly meaningful to me because the selection was made by students,” noted Filz, who previously received the CEE Alumni Teaching Excellence Award, which is selected by alumni within five years of graduation from the department.

Filz has worked for the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering since 1988 as a Graduate Research Assistant, Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, and now Assistant Department Head. In 2007, he was named Charles E. Via, Jr. Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Prior to joining Virginia Tech, he worked as a Geotechnical Engineer for CH2M Hill, Inc. in Oregon.

Filz earned his B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Oregon, as well as a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University. He earned an M.S. in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech.

His research interests include foundation engineering, earth retention, embankments, dams, slopes, soil improvement, soil-structure interaction, and seepage barriers. His recent teaching assignments include Earth Pressures and Foundation Structures, Foundation Engineering I and II, Environmental Geotechnics, and Graduate Geotechnical Engineering Seminar.