University of Nevada, Reno Civil and Environmental Engineering Professors Ahmad Itani and Ian Buckle received the American Institute of Steel Construction's joint 2015 Educator Special Achievement for their work related to the seismic design of horizontally curved steel bridges. The institute honored individuals who have made a positive impact on the structural steel design and construction industry at the annual Steel Conference this month in Nashville, Tenn.

"This award demonstrates yet another major accomplishment that speaks to Ian and Ahmad's major contributions in structural engineering which are recognized nationally and internationally," Manos Maragakis, dean of the College of Engineering, said. "This type of accomplishment brings prestige to the College of Engineering and the University. It is also a major contribution to the College's pursuit of excellence."

This honor by the American Institute of Steel Construction highlights the distinguished research that they conduct in the University's world-renowned seismic engineering facility. Buckle, Itani, along with other faculty and a team of graduate students have been investigating the seismic effects of multi-span curved bridges using large models of a bridge which rests on four shake tables in the Earthquake Engineering Laboratory. The goal of this research is to provide information which will help structural engineers design curved bridges to withstand the effects of strong earthquakes.

"This national award is another testimony on the quality and the practicality of the research that we conduct here at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department," Itani said. "Professor Buckle and I are thankful to our staff and students who worked with us as a team on the project which led to this award."

For more information about the Special Achievement Award, visit www.aisc.org/newsdetail. For more information about the University's Civil and Environmental Engineering program, visit www.unr.edu/cee.