Overseas professor to speak at geotechnical lectures
September 22, 2015
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — An Italian professor will speak about two of the world's significant structures during a visit to Purdue University this week.
Michele Jamiolkowski, professor emeritus at the University of Torino in Italy, will be the speaker for the 13th annual C.W. Lovell Distinguished Lecture for the Lyles School of Civil Engineering. The event is scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 23) at Lawson Computer Science Building, Room 1142.
For the formal lecture, Jamiolkowski will speak on the soil mechanics and foundation challenges of one of the world's largest copper tailings disposal facilities, located at Zelazny Most in southwest Poland.
In addition, Jamiolkowski will offer insight on a historically well-known structure, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, during an informal lecture at 1:30 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 24) in Lawson Computer Science Building, Room 1142. He also will talk about the threats to the stability of the structure, as well as geotechnical stabilization and structural strengthening work done 15 years ago.
Among his achievements, Jamiolkowski was president from 1990 to 2001 of the international committee devoted to saving the Tower of Pisa. He has consulted on several famous projects, including the reconstruction and development of the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl.
The C.W. Lovell Distinguished Lecture series was established in 2003 in honor of C. William Lovell. Each year, lecturers with outstanding accomplishments in geotechnical engineering research are invited to speak at Purdue, providing students a chance to meet important names in the field.
"Bill felt that these lectures gave the students a broader knowledge of what civil engineers have given the world and where knowledge stands today," said his wife Mary Ellen Lovell. "We are very happy that through the CWL lecture series, we can better prepare our Purdue students to face the challenges that they will face in their careers."
Writer: Brian L. Huchel, 765-494-2084, bhuchel@purdue.edu
Sources: Monica Prezzi, 765-494-2166, mprezzi@purdue.edu
