Civil engineering alum Karl H. Frank ’69G ’71 PhD is the recipent of the 2025 Geerhard Haaijer Award for Excellence in Education, presented by the American Institute of Steel Construction. This award—the AISC's highest honor for educators—has been given only nine times since its inception in 1999.
Frank, professor emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin, has significantly influenced the steel bridge industry through his research on structural stability, steel durability, connections, and fabrication. His 36-year career at UT Austin included directing the Ferguson Structural Engineering Laboratory and the Maglev Guideway Research Center.
In addition to his research, Frank has shaped American infrastructure through committee work, consulting, and mentoring future leaders in steel bridge design and construction.
In a press release, AISC President Charles J. Carter noted, “It’s not an overstatement to say that today’s steel bridge industry is what it is thanks to Karl, his research, and the engineers he inspired along the way.”
Frank completed his bachelor’s in civil engineering at the University of California at Davis before earning his master’s and doctorate from Lehigh. He returned to campus in 2019 to discuss “The Role of Quality Control in Some Notable Bridge Problems,” as part of the Fazlur Rahman Khan Distinguished Lecture Series.
He will receive the award at NASCC: The Steel Conference on April 2, 2025, in Louisville, Kentucky.
