Dr. Robert E. Randall has been honored with the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award by Western Dredging Association (WEDA) for his service to the dredging and marine industry for more than 50 years. Randall is the W. H. Bauer Professor in Dredging Engineering and director of the Center for Dredging Studies in the Department of Ocean Engineering at Texas A&M University,
WEDA is a nonprofit organization that promotes environmental awareness, technological applications and efficiency in the marine and dredging industry.
“Dr. Randall has made available information of far reaching consequences in the areas of navigation, dredging, beneficial uses of dredged material, capping and marine construction to the dredging industry,” said Dr. Ram Mohan, president and chair of WEDA. “He is an internationally recognized authority in dredging and marine engineering.”
Randall began his career in the marine industry as a submarine officer serving the United States Navy. From there he earned his M.S. and Ph. D. in ocean engineering from the University of Rhode Island. He worked at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, a private oceanographic institution, before starting his academic career at Texas A&M in 1975.
Over the years, Randall has taught courses such as Ocean Engineering Design, Underwater Systems and Mooring Design, Underwater Acoustics and Marine Dredging.
He has been a member of WEDA’s board of directors and editor of the organization’s annual conference proceedings since 1994. He is also an associate editor of WEDA’s Journal of Dredging Engineering since its initiation in 1999, and has contributed to the journal actively.
“The entire worldwide dredging industry is thankful to Dr. Randall,” said Mohan. “Dr. Randall’s unselfish ability to share insights in dredging and marine engineering has been of tremendous value to not only members of WEDA, but also to dredgers and engineers worldwide.”