American Concrete Pavement Association honors Pitt’s Julie Vandenbossche for contributions to research

PITTSBURGH (October 2, 2015) ... Julie Vandenbossche, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering in the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering, was selected as the 2015 Marlin J. Knutson Award for Technical Achievement by the American Concrete Pavement Association. The award is presented annually to an individual or group who has made significant contributions to the development and implementation of innovative technical approaches in design or construction of concrete pavements. Dr. Vandenbossche will receive the award at the ACPA's 52nd annual meeting in December. 

According to the award letter, Dr. Vandenbossche has "made many significant, high-quality contributions to our industry. In particular, recent work on design of concrete overlays on asphalt pavements is the foremost achievement represented through this award. The design models you have developed offer the concrete pavement industry new opportunities as we continue on our quest to provide alternatives to traditional asphalt resurfacing."

Dr. Vandenbossche leads the Swanson School's Pavement Mechanics and Materials Lab, which is fully equipped to cast, cure and test concrete specimens as well as other pavement materials. Prior to joining Pitt in 2002, she was senior engineer at the Minnesota Department of Transportation where she researched the design, analysis and rehabilitation of concrete pavements. Dr. Vandenbossche received her bachelor's and master's in civil engineering from Michigan State University, and her PhD in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota. 

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Author: Paul Kovach