The National Academy of Engineering has elected Professor Kumares C. Sinha, the Edgar B. and Hedwig M. Olson Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering, into its society. He is among the 65 new members and 9 foreign associates elected to the academy this year.

"Election to membership in the National Academy of Engineering is one of the highest distinctions that can be bestowed on an engineer," said Leah Jamieson, Purdue's John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering and a 2005 academy inductee. "Professor Sinha was elected for his contributions to the advancement of highway infrastructure engineering and management and to the education of transportation professionals worldwide."

Sinha has been on the Purdue faculty for 34 years. For the past 12 years, he has served as the director of the Joint Transportation Research Program, a collaboration between Purdue and the Indiana Department of Transportation.

His research on system performance, costing and network optimization are used worldwide and have been adopted in pavement, bridge, and safety management systems developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Highway Administration and National Research Council.

He received his bachelor's degree from Jadavpur University in India in 1961, and his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Connecticut in 1966 and 1968, respectively. Sinha was named an honorary member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and was honored by various other organizations. He is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Transportation Engineering, and he has served as a consultant for the World Bank for more than two decades. He also served as President of Transportation and Development Institute of ASCE and has mentored more than 200 masters, doctoral and post-doctoral students around the world.

"I am humbled by this honor because the recognition comes from my peers," Sinha said. "Purdue is known for its outstanding engineering programs and it's gratifying to be part of this team."

The National Academy of Engineering has 2,227 peer-elected members and more than 194 foreign associates who are among the world's most accomplished engineers in academia, business and government. Members are chosen for their outstanding contributions to "engineering research, practice or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature" and to the "pioneering of new and developing field of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education."

(Excerpt from a Purdue News Service article)