Iowa State’s engineering dean W. Samuel Easterling receives national ASCE distinguished member honor

W. Samuel Easterling, the James L. and Katherine S. Melsa Dean of Engineering at Iowa State University, has been elected a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). A distinguished member is a person who has attained eminence in some branch of engineering including the fields of engineering education and construction. This year 10 engineers across the country received this prestigious honor. The award dates back to 1853 and approximately 735 individuals have been recognized since its inception.

Easterling has served as dean of the Iowa State College of Engineering since July 2019. He is an Iowa State alumnus, receiving his doctorate in structural engineering from the university. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from West Virginia University. Following his graduation from Iowa State, Easterling joined the Virginia Tech faculty and rose to the position of department head and Montague-Betts Professor of Structural Steel Design in the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Easterling is an accomplished educator, scholar, administrator and is active in many professional organizations. His primary research interests are the areas of composite and cold-formed steel structures. He has received numerous awards for his research and professional service.

Read the official announcement from ASCE here.