UWs Edgar Named ASCE Fellow

University of Wyoming Civil Engineering Associate Professor Thomas V. “Thom” Edgar has been elected as a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

The honor, which is held by fewer than 4 percent of ASCE members, recognizes Edgar’s contributions to the civil engineering profession, including his work as an educator and mentor.

The ASCE fellowship is just the latest honor for Edgar, who last year received a Lifetime Achievement Award from ASCE’s Region 7. He also received UW’s 2014 John P. Ellbogen Lifetime Teaching Award, which recognizes the long, distinguished and exemplary career of one senior faculty member who has excelled as a teacher at UW.

Edgar has been an ASCE adviser at UW for 29 years. Supervised by Edgar, the UW ASCE student chapter has won many awards, including four Certificates of Commendation, plus two letters of honorable mention. The UW chapter qualified for the national steel bridge competition five times, and Edgar has hosted four ASCE student conferences.

A registered professional engineer in both Wyoming and Colorado, Edgar specializes in soil and water relationships such as flow in porous media, groundwater hydrology and the design of dams. He has researched electro-kinetic remediation of soils, deformable and expansive soils, septic system leachate remediation and wellhead protection of public water supplies.

Edgar received his doctoral and master’s degrees in civil engineering, both from Colorado State University; and his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Colorado.