Dr. Rafael L. Bras Named Recipient of Drexel University's 2010 Anthony J. Drexel Exceptional Achievement Award

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dr. Rafael L. Bras, a leading authority on soil-vegetation-atmosphere system modeling, has been named the recipient of Drexel University's 2010 Anthony J. Drexel Exceptional Achievement Award. This year's award includes a $50,000 prize. The Award, named for the University founder, was created to recognize collaborative, multidisciplinary research focused on real-world solutions that change society.

Bras's career in academics and higher education administration spans 35 years. His career includes positions at MIT, University of California, Irvine, and in September 2010 he was appointed Provost at Georgia Institute of Technology.

He holds three degrees from MIT: a bachelor's in civil engineering (1972), a master's in civil engineering (1974) and a science doctorate in water resources and hydrology (1975). His academic career began as a professor at the University of Puerto Rico, and he joined the MIT faculty in July 1976.

At MIT, he was the Edward A. Abdun-Nur Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and held an appointment in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. Dr. Bras served as head of the Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory at MIT from 1983 to 1991, head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering from 1992 to 2001, and chair of the MIT faculty from 2003 to 2005. Prior to his appointments at Georgia Tech, Bras was Distinguished Professor and Dean of the Henry Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California, Irvine.

Bras, a native of Puerto Rico, maintains an active international consulting practice. Presently he chairs a panel of experts that supervises the design and construction of a multibillion-dollar project to protect the City of Venice from flooding during unusually high tides. The project is scheduled for completion in 2014.

The focus of Drexel's award changes annually. This year it was presented for work in civil engineering. Last year's focus was  biomedical engineering. The 2009 award was presented to biomedical engineering pioneer James J. Collins, University Professor, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Co-Director and Co-Founder of the Center for BioDynamics in the College of Engineering at Boston University, known for his work in improving the brain functions of stroke victims.

SOURCE Drexel University

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