Engineering Prof Receives "Educator of the Year" Award

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) New Jersey Section honored Rowan University Civil Engineering Professor Dr. Douglas Cleary, of Turnersville, with its 2010 Educator of the Year Award. The award is “presented to an outstanding educator who has contributed substantially to the field of civil engineering,” according to the organization’s website. The ASCE New Jersey Section will mark Cleary’s achievement with a plaque and a presentation discussing his life and contributions to civil engineering at an awards dinner on May 7.

Dr. Douglas Cleary

Cleary’s research interests include reinforced concrete design, epoxy-coated reinforcement, reliability theory, rehabilitation of structures, marine and coastal engineering and composites. Before joining the Rowan faculty in 1998, Cleary earned a bachelor of science, master’s and Ph.D. in civil engineering from Purdue University.

“I am humbled to receive this award recognizing my efforts to educate the next generation of civil engineers,” said Cleary. “Many great teachers and engineers have helped me reach this point in my career and I have modeled much of what I do on these mentors. Civil engineers are responsible for the infrastructure we use in our daily lives such as transportation, water and power distribution systems and the buildings we occupy. The work they do is not always recognized by the public unless something goes wrong. I am proud to be in a field where the students I work with go on to impact society in such a positive manner.”

Established in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers New Jersey Section consists of 4,100 members “dedicated to the advancement of the individual civil engineer and advancement of the science and profession of civil engineering through education,” according to the organization’s website.