Steven J. Fenves

Steven J. Fenves is University Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and is currently a guest researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

He received his BS (1957), MS (1958) and Ph.D. (1961) degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois, and served on the faculty there (1958-71). He joined Carnegie Mellon University in 1972, serving as Head of the Civil Engineering Department (1972-75) and Director of the Design Research Center (1980-84), attaining the position of University Professor in 1984. He retired from active teaching in 1998.

Dr. Fenves' research and teaching has been devoted to computer-aided engineering, an emerging discipline that seeks to understand, model and improve the processes civil and environmental engineers use in the planning, design, construction and operation of engineered facilities. He was the co-developer of one of the earliest structural analysis systems (STRESS, 1962). His research has dealt with design standards, engineering databases, knowledge-based systems, machine learning, and comprehensive design environments.

Dr. Fenves is the author or co-author of six books, over 100 journal articles and book chapters, and over 120 articles and conference papers. His 38th Ph.D. student graduated in May 1998. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and an Honorary Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Among his awards are the Huber Prize and the Moisseif and Winter Awards from ASCE, the Alumni Honor Award and Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Illinois, and the Teare Award and Doherty Prize from Carnegie Mellon University.

Abstract

Two Carnegie Mellon startups: Engineering design research and DanSiewiorek's career

While the beginnings of modern engineering design education at Carnegie Mellon are well documented, the beginnings of engineering design research are shrouded in two urban myths, both of which happen to be true. This talk will briefly describe the early engineering design research at Carnegie Mellon (approximately 1974 to 1986) and the concomitant start of Dan Siewiorek?s career in this field.