Dr. Anand Puppula

CEE Hall of Distinction: 2013

Dr. Anand Puppala (PI) is a distinguished teaching professor in Civil Engineering and Coordinator of Geotechnical Engineering program at the University of Texas (UTA) at Arlington, Texas, USA. Dr. Puppala joined UTA as an assistant professor in 1996 and was promoted to associate professor in 2001 and to professor in 2005. Dr. Puppala received his BE, MTech and PhD from GITAM, IIT Chennai and Louisiana State University, respectively.

Dr. Puppala received UT system’s regents teaching award in 2010 and was the first engineering professor from UT Arlington to receive this highest teaching honor in Texas. Dr. Puppala was also inducted to the UT Arlington’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers, an highest teaching honor for a professor at UT Arlington. Dr. Puppala has received several awards including the College of Engineering’s “Research Excellence” Award in 2004-2005, the College of Engineering’s “Outstanding Young Faculty” Award in 2000-2001, the 2008 University Award for Outstanding Advisor and 2013 UTA Distinguished Researcher award.

Dr. Puppala also served as President of United States Universities Council on Geotechnical Education and Research (USUCGER) from 2007-2009. He was also a past Chair of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)’s Geotechnical Institute’s “Engineering Geology and Site Characterization” committee from 2003-2006. Dr. Puppala is extensively involved with the National Academy of Science’s Transportation Research Board (TRB) since 1992. He recently served as the chairman of TRB committee on “Soil and Rock Instrumentation (AFS 20) (2006-2012).”

He has been conducting research on stabilization of expansive soils, sustainable utilization of recycled materials, dams and embankments, in situ intrusive methods for site characterization, and pavement material characterization studies. Dr. Puppala’s research is also highly regarded by the professional community, as evidenced by his scholarly record of 6 Book Chapters, 125 journal and Geotechnical Special Publications, 30 Refereed Conference Papers, 48 Non-refereed Conference Papers and 30 Technical Reports. He has so far supervised 14 Doctoral and 40 Masters students. He was an invited keynote speaker at several major conferences all over the World.

Dr. Puppala is a current editorial member for several journals including American Society of Testing Materials’ Geotechnical Testing Journal, American Society of Civil Engineers’ Journals of Materials and ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering and a chief editor of Thomas Telford’s Ground Improvement Journal (UK). He also edited several books including ASCE’s Geotechnical Special Publication on Site Characterization. 

Anand Puppula