Geosynthetics June/July 2021 - 8

UPDATE
GMA honors Jie Han with Dr. Robert
M. Koerner Award and Lecture Series
By Todd R. Berger
T
Jie Han, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE
he Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA), led by a Koerner awardee selection
task force, selected Jie Han, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, as the recipient of the 2021-23 Dr.
Robert M. Koerner Award and Lecture Series. The award and lecture series is named
for the late Robert M. Koerner, Ph.D., the founder of the Geosynthetic Institute (GSI).
" I was very surprised and of course honored, " Han said when asked how he felt about
receiving the award and lecture series. " Bob Koerner was my role model and I'm very
pleased, honored to have my name associated with Professor Koerner. I really appreciate
the recognition from the industry, as well. Even though I work at the University of Kansas
doing research, the industry recognition means a lot to me, indicating that the research
we have conducted has been useful to the industry. "
The award and lecture series, created in 2016, honors an individual who has had a
measurable impact on the geosynthetics industry; who has a background in education,
design or testing of geotextiles, geomembranes, geogrids, geonets, geosynthetic clay liners
or erosion control materials; and who works with or for geosynthetic manufacturers in
North America. Past honorees include George R. Koerner, Ph.D., P.E., CQA (2017), and
Barry Christopher, Ph.D., P.E. (2019).
GMA established a special task force to select the Koerner award honoree. The task
force included John Henderson (TenCate Geosynthetics North America), Keith Gardner
(Dalco Nonwovens LLC), Joel Sprague (TRI/Environmental Inc.), Mark Wayne (Tensar
International) and Fred Chuck (GMA).
Han is the Glenn L. Parker Professor of Geotechnical Engineering in the Department
of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at the University of Kansas. He
received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in geotechnical engineering from Tongji University in
Shanghai, China, in 1986 and 1989, respectively, and his Ph.D. degree in civil engineering
from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta in 1997. His research has focused on
geosynthetics, ground improvement, pile foundations, buried structures and roadways.
Han is the sole author of the book, Principles and Practice of Ground Improvement, and
he has published more than 400 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers.
Han said he had learned about geosynthetics during one of his undergraduate courses
To view Jie Han's presentation
from the 2021 Geosynthetics
Virtual Conference, visit www
.geosyntheticsconference.com/
geo21videos.
in China at Tongji University as early as 1985. At Georgia Tech, his Ph.D. thesis dealt with
fiber-reinforced polymeric piles used for geotechnical applications, under the supervision
of J. David Frost, Ph.D.
After graduation, Han worked at Tensar International, first as a design engineer
designing geosynthetic-reinforced slopes, retaining walls and roadways, and
later as a technology development manager, working on technology development
8
Geosynthetics | June July 2021

http://www.geosyntheticsconference.com/

Geosynthetics June/July 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Geosynthetics June/July 2021