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Dr. Mary Beth Hueste
Dr. Mary Beth Hueste | Image: Texas A&M Engineering
Dr. Mary Beth D. Hueste was recently honored by the American Concrete Institute (ACI) for her contributions to educating the next generation of engineers and her leadership in advancing the concrete industry through research and committee activities.

Hueste, professor and associate department head for undergraduate programs in the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M University, was presented with ACI’s Joe. W. Kelly Award for 2021.

Established in 1974, the award recognizes the contributions of Joe W. Kelly, past president of the institute, to concrete technology, his devotion to teaching, the advancement of his profession and the use of concrete in construction. The award is given only for outstanding contributions to education in the broad field of concrete.

“To be recognized with the Joe W. Kelly Award means a lot to me. ACI has supported my professional development for over 20 years and has allowed me to develop a wonderful professional network of colleagues from around the world,” Hueste said. “I am truly honored to be recognized by ACI with this award.”

Hueste joined Texas A&M in 1998. She is the major highway structures program manager and acting division head for the construction, geotechnical and structures division within the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. She is an ACI Fellow and an ACI Technical Activities Committee member. She has served on numerous committees and subcommittees and was most recently appointed to ACI Committee 318 — Structural Concrete Building Code.

“Through my service on ACI committees, I have had opportunities to work with other professionals to make an impact on the concrete industry and the structural engineering profession,” Hueste said. “ACI has also provided a wonderful venue to share my research and stay up to date, which helps me to be a better educator for my students.”

Hueste's research interests include the earthquake-resistant design of reinforced concrete structures, performance-based seismic design, design and evaluation of prestressed concrete bridge structures, and assessment of aging infrastructure. She has authored or coauthored over 100 technical papers and reports. She teaches courses in structural engineering, including structural concrete design, prestressed concrete design and advanced reinforced concrete design, along with an undergraduate capstone design course.

Hueste received her Bachelor of Science from North Dakota State University, Master of Science from the University of Kansas and doctorate from the University of Michigan, all in civil engineering. She is a licensed professional engineer in Kansas and Texas.