Civil engineering alum Amit Varma '01 PhD is the 2021 recipient of the T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). The award recognizes an outstanding lecturer and author whose technical writing has made a groundbreaking contribution to fabricated structural steel.
Varma is the Karl H. Kettelhut Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of the Bowen Laboratory of Large-Scale CE Research at Purdue University's Lyles School of Civil Engineering. His research includes 12 years of work on SpeedCore, a composite steel-concrete material that is highly durable against wind, seismic loading, fire, and blasts.
“Amit Varma’s research on SpeedCore is a game-changer for our industry,” says Lawrence F. Kruth, AISC vice president of engineering and research. “His research includes not only the seismic resistance of SpeedCore but also performance-based fire engineering; his research has demonstrated that no additional fireproofing is required for SpeedCore.“
The award is named for Theodore R. Higgins, former AISC director of engineering and research, who was widely acclaimed for his many contributions to the advancement of engineering technology related to fabricated structural steel. The award honors Higgins for his innovative engineering, timely technical papers, and distinguished lectures.
Varma will be a keynote speaker during NASCC: The Steel Conference, scheduled for April 2021, on the topic of “SpeedCore and Steel-Concrete Composite Construction: The Best of Both Worlds.”
He also holds several active positions within civil engineering associations and has received honors including the AISC Milek Faculty Fellowship Award (2004), AISC Special Achievement Award (2017, 2020), and the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Shortridge Hardesty Award (2019).
Varma holds a BS in civil engineering from IIT-Bombay and a MS from the University of Oklahoma, in addition to his Lehigh PhD.
