Two faculty members from the College of Engineering were selected to receive a 2025 Distinguished Achievement Award for research from Texas A&M University and The Association of Former Students.
Dr. Jean-Louis Briaud, Spencer J. Buchanan Chair Professor in the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Dr. Jaime Grunlan, the Leland T. Jordan ’29 Chair Professor of Mechanical Engineering, are among 24 outstanding members of the university's faculty and staff to be honored.
The awards, funded by The Association, are among the most prestigious awards presented to Texas A&M faculty and staff, recognizing achievement in teaching, research, individual student relationships, continuing education/extension, graduate mentoring, staff and administration.
"This recognition is a testament to the dedication, innovation and lasting contributions of Dr. Jean-Louis Briaud and Dr. Jaime Grunlan," said Dr. Robert H. Bishop, vice chancellor and dean of Texas A&M Engineering. "Their outstanding research not only advances engineering knowledge but also enhances the reputation of our college. We celebrate their achievements and appreciate The Association of Former Students for recognizing excellence among our faculty."
This recognition is a testament to the dedication, innovation and lasting contributions of Dr. Jean-Louis Briaud and Dr. Jaime Grunlan. Their outstanding research not only advances engineering knowledge but also enhances the reputation of our college.
Dr. Jean-Louis Briaud
Briaud is a distinguished member and past president of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a professional engineer. His expertise is in foundation engineering and, more generally, geotechnical engineering. He pioneered bridge scour in geotechnical engineering and helped drastically reduce the number of bridge failures to scour. His influential contributions include developing a patented soil erosion device and calculating the depth of scour around the bridge supports based on a targeted risk of failure. His techniques are used worldwide. Over the last 30 years, Briaud’s research focused mostly on foundations and retaining walls.
"It is particularly meaningful because it has the name 'students' in it — The Association of Former Students. I consider it to be one of the top awards that Texas A&M bestows upon faculty, so I am very honored," Briaud said.
He has also been president of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. He has published extensively, including his latest book, "Geotechnical Engineering." He has supervised 60 Ph.D. students, 100 master's students and 3,000 undergraduate students and worked with 200 engineering faculty colleagues across the world.
"That is the size of the team that contributed to making this award possible," he said of the students and faculty he has worked with. "I was only driving the bus."
Briaud was nominated for the award by Dr. Zachary Grasley, department head of civil and environmental engineering.
"Professor Briaud is one of the most accomplished civil engineers I have ever met," Grasley said. "Yet despite his accolades, which include having served as president of the American Society of Civil Engineers, he is down-to-earth, sincerely cares about our students, and is a valued colleague. He is a phenomenal representative of our department, the college and all of Texas A&M."
Dr. Jaime Grunlan
Grunlan has been recognized for his research on thermal and transport properties of polymer nanocomposites. He is a world leader in gas barrier layers for food and electronics packaging and environmentally benign, flame-retardant nanocoatings. Grunlan is actively working with several companies to commercialize these technologies. He holds 17 issued U.S. patents and several foreign patents that have been licensed to more than 10 companies.
"This is a huge honor. I feel like this is an award that celebrates a tremendous body of work, which is supported by the terrific students I've had over the years, many of whom are now former students," Grunlan said.
Grunlan is an active member and fellow of the American Chemical Society, serving in various leadership positions and collaborating to organize workshops and symposia for the society. He was also named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors in 2024 and the Roy W. Tess Award in 2025.
"My overall research is protective polymeric materials/coatings, primarily for fire prevention and gas barriers for food, pharmaceutical, and electronics packaging," he said. "It's an exciting time to be working in this field, and I believe bigger things are on the horizon."
Grunlan was nominated for the award by Dr. Guillermo Aguilar, department head of the mechanical engineering department.