California State University, USA

Professor Braja Das is the Dean Emeritus of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, California State University, USA. He is a geotechnical engineering by profession and received his Ph.D. degree in 1972 from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. For more than three decades, Professor Das has worked as a faculty member and in academic administration in several universities. He is a Fellow and Life Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers; Life Member of the American Society for Engineering Education; and Emeritus Member of TRB’s AFS-80 Committee on Stabilization of Geomaterials and Stabilized Materials.

As a teacher, he has received many teaching awards including the Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching Excellence, University of Texas at El Paso (1983); AMOCO Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching, University of Texas at El Paso (1983); Western Electric Fund Award, ASEE (1984); Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award, Society of Automotive Engineers Inc. (1985).

Professor Das has published more than 300 papers in various journals and peer-reviewed conference proceedings. They are mostly in the areas of shallow foundations, earth anchors, and geosynthetics. He published some of the early founding studies on the bearing capacity of shallow foundations on geogrid-reinforced sand. His past editorial activities in geotechnical engineering journals include Editorial Board member of Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, ASCE (1988-1992); Lowland Technology International, Japan (1999-2007); Geotextiles and Geomembranes, Elsevier, UK (2008 – present). He was the Associate Editor of the International Journal of Offshore and Polar Engineering (1995-1998); and Co-Editor of Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, Springer (2001-2006). He is founder and Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering (Taylor and Francis, UK) since 2007 up to the present. 

Dr. Das has been a very popular keynote / or invited speaker in many conferences and special meetings in various countries. These countries include Mexico, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, India, University of Birmingham, UK, Korea, Bolivia, Venezuela, Turkey, Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, and Tunisia. He has been named as the first Eulalio Juárez Badillo Lecturer by the Mexican Society of Geotechnical Engineers (November 2016).

Professor Das is the author/co-author of several text and reference books in the area of geotechnical engineering, probably having written more than any other individual in geotechnical engineering. His textbooks have been translated into several languages and are used throughout the world. His clear, concise, and singularly-unique style of presentation is very much admired; thereby attracting many students over the last 25 years who might not have considered geotechnical engineering as a profession.
This is truly his most outstanding achievement which has endeared him to many young geotechnical engineers around the world. This is his legacy -- now and for years to come.

Pedro Simão Sêco e Pinto

ISSMGE Past President

EDUCATION
1965 - 1971 - Licenciated in Civil Engineer (6 years course)(with honors).
1975 - 1977 - Master of Engineering (with honors)
1979 - 1983 - Specialist in Geotechnique (Ph.D Degree) (with honors)
1992 – Director of Research (Full Professor degree) (with high honors)

POSITIONS
- ISSMGE Board Member(2017-2021)
- ISSMGE Immediate Past President (2009-2013)
- ISSMGE President (2005-2009)
- ISSMGE Vice President for Europe (2001-2005)
- Full Professor of Geotechnical Engineering of University of Coimbra.
- World Bank Consulting for Dams Safety (2013-2015).
- Invited Professor of Master Courses "Soil Mechanics" and "Engineering Geology" of New University of Lisbon (1983-1995).
- United Nations Consulting for Design and Instrumentation for Dams (1988-1992).
- Invited Guest Lecturer of University of California, USA, (1992-1994).
- Chairman of TC4 “Earthquake Geotechnical Engineer “Committee of ISSMGE (1994-2000).
- President of Portuguese Society for Geotechnique (1996- 2000).

Professional Experience
Consulting Engineer of 450 major projects in Dams, Power plants, Bridges, Tunnels and Quay Walls, in Portugal, Angola, Argelie, Brazil, Cabo Verde, China, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guine- Bissau, Guine Ecuatorial, India, Lebanon, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Senegal, Syria, Tunisia, Uganda, Venezuela and Zambia, covering field and laboratory testing, dynamic analyses, earthquake engineering, numerical analyses, ground improvement, slopes, special foundations, instrumentation and safety evaluation.

Conferences
He has presented more than 350 State-of-the Art Lectures and Special Lectures in 80 countries of the 5 Continents.
Awards and Honours
He has received more than 50 international Awards including American Biographical Institute USA, "Special Volume for the Contributors of Earthquake Engineering, Nagadi Lecture by Indian Geotechnical Society, Széchy Lecture by Hungarian S M Society and Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Nonveiller Lecture- by Croatia Geotechnical Society, Sukle Lecture by Slovenia Soil Mechanics Society, Chin Lecture by Huanzhou University (China), Qian Jia Huan Lecture by Hohai University (China) and Chin Fung Kee Memorial Lecture by Institute of Engineers of Malasia.

Editorial Boards and Reviewer
- Editor of International Journal of Case Histories
- Co-editor of Geotechnical and Geological Engineering Journal, Springer Publisher
- Member of Editorial Board of several Journals, namely "Geotecnia", “Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering”, “Acta de Geotecnia”, “International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering”.
- Editor of Proceedings of 4 International Conferences.

Publications
He is author or co-author of 500 Technical and Scientific Reports, more than 180 papers for national and international conferences and journals and has contributed for 10 books.

Lecture Title: Understanding Pile Foundations Design Through Case Histories of New Tagus Bridge and Leziria Bridge