At the 2024 ASCE Michigan Section Strategic Planning session in September, the group decided to update and improve the ASCE Awards submittal process. Submittals for Branch and Section awards will now be completed electronically using Microsoft Forms.
The Michigan Section will review and share the submittals received with the respective Branches for judging. The Branches will select Branch award winners and notify the Section which submittals should be judged for ASCE MI Section Awards, which will be presented at the Michigan Infrastructure Conference. ASCE Branches are allowed to enter their top 2 award winners for each category into the Michigan Section competition.
Entry information for 2026 will be posted when available.
2025 Award Winners
Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award:
Innovate Mound
Owner: Macomb County Department of Roads
Engineer: HNTB
Quality of Life Award
Hemlock Park
Owner: City of Big Rapids
Engineer: Fleis & VandenBrink
MSU Assistant Professor Dr. Surya S.C. Congress Honored with
2026 Arthur Casagrande Professional Development Award
In a significant recognition of excellence in geotechnical engineering, Surya S.C. Congress, Ph.D., M.ASCE, Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan State University, has been selected by the American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) Geo-Institute to receive the 2026 Arthur Casagrande Professional Development Award. This prestigious honor acknowledges Dr. Congress's exceptional leadership, innovative research, practical applications, and profound dedication to the profession.
The award, which includes a certificate and an honorarium, will be presented to Dr. Congress during the ASCE Geo-Congress 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah, on March 9, 2026. Established by ASCE's Geotechnical Engineering Division (now the Geo-Institute) as a memorial to Arthur Casagrande, Hon.M.ASCE, the award celebrates his groundbreaking contributions to teaching, research, and practice in geotechnical engineering. Funded through generous donations from Casagrande's students, colleagues, and friends, it aims to foster professional development for outstanding young practitioners, researchers, and educators in the field.
Dr. Congress, an FAA-certified drone pilot, has made remarkable strides in leveraging advanced technologies for infrastructure assessment and management. His research integrates image processing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning with uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) and close-range photogrammetry to inspect and monitor civil infrastructure. Key areas of focus include stabilizing problematic soils, designing resilient transportation geotechnical assets, evaluating climate change impacts on infrastructure and communities, creating digital twins for structural health monitoring, and applying computer vision to real-world challenges.
At MSU, Dr. Congress has secured funding from prominent agencies such as the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), and various state Departments of Transportation. His commitment extends beyond academia; he actively contributes to the transportation research community, serving on committees for the Transportation Research Board and ASCE, including a vice-chair position. Dr. Congress frequently presents at national and international conferences, sharing insights that advance the profession.
His impressive accolades include the 2023 Quigley Award from the Canadian Geotechnical Society for the best paper in the Canadian Geotechnical Journal, nominations for ASCE's Norman Medal and Arthur M. Wellington Prize in 2020, and the ISSMGE Bright Spark Lecture Award in 2018. Media coverage of his work, such as during Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts in 2017, highlights his practical impact, with features on NBC and ABC local news praising UAV applications in disaster response.
Dr. Congress holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington (2018), an M.S. from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (2014), and a B.S. from JNTU Kakinada (2012). His scholarly output is extensive, with recent publications in top journals like Transportation Geotechnics, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, and Transportation Research Record. Notable works include studies on UAV-based monitoring of bridge and airport assets, resilient moduli of cement-treated soils, and geotechnical slope stability using aerial photogrammetry.
Outside the lab, Dr. Congress enjoys outdoor pursuits like glacier hikes and sports, mirroring his exploratory approach to pushing technological boundaries in engineering.
The Geo-Institute, one of ASCE's nine specialty institutes, supports geo-professionals through its Board of Governors and volunteer-driven initiatives. Guided by a long-term strategic plan, the institute's vision is to guide the geoprofession to new frontiers in service to society, while its mission focuses on addressing challenges and enhancing the value of geoprofessionals.
This award underscores Michigan's role in fostering innovative engineering talent. Congratulations to Dr. Congress on this well-deserved recognition—his work not only elevates MSU but also advances sustainable and resilient infrastructure solutions nationwide.