Dr. Jean Louis-Briaud is a self-described family man who places value on his work-life balance. That balance keeps Briaud grounded while he serves as a distinguished professor, Spencer J. Buchanan Chair Professor and Regent’s Fellow in the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M University, as well as the director of the National Geotechnical Experimentation Site. Understanding the importance of family, he plans to strengthen the sense of community within the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) during his future tenure as president.
“The overarching impact I would like to have on (the) ASCE during my tenure is to create a deep sense of family among all the members,” Briaud said. “I want to help that family progress and have some ideas and changes that may make a difference once I am in office.”
Briaud will not take office as president of the ASCE until October 2020, but he is already at work building a vision for the future. Some components of his vision include voting rights for ASCE student chapter members, to increasing communication between members and the organization’s leadership, and more. When his term begins, Briaud will be responsible for representing the ASCE on the world stage, promoting the civil engineering profession and serving the organization’s members.
“Something I am passionate is involving young members in to the affairs of the society,” Briaud said. “This is also a part of my focus on family. I plan to promote cooperation between ASCE regions and institutes so that we foster these professional relationships and we can think of our professional colleagues like family members,” Briaud said.
Briaud’s election as future president of the ASCE is another chapter in a long career of service to the civil engineering profession. Briaud has taught civil engineering for more than 40 years and views his teaching and mentoring of students as his greatest contribution.
“My greatest joy has been helping my students,” Briaud said. “I never quite realized how big of an impact you can have as a professor.”
Briaud’s teaching career began during his time as a teaching assistant in Canada. When he came to Texas A&M in March 1978, Briaud stepped off the plane in a suit and tie ready for a professional job interview only to be greeted by Dr. Harry Coyle in a cowboy hat with an open shirt and an old pickup truck. After his initial surprise, Briaud discovered the people behind the cowboy culture and fell in love with the university.
“I remember wondering: What kind of a place is this? Then I met the people,” said Briaud. “People with a fantastic can-do, enthusiastic attitude. That kind of attitude and enthusiasm just convinced me that this was the place for me.”
Briaud maintains that this same attitude was crucial to his election success and that the support from others has made him feel fortunate. Now he plans to do his best to serve as a standard bearer for the ASCE community during his tenure.
“I’m certainly happy to be in this position, but there is more to it than that,” Briaud said. “I am so happy for all those that were a part of this effort with me. I am thankful for them and am looking forward to showing them their efforts were not in vain, and that their work has paid off through my service to ASCE.”