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T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award
Congratulations to the 2026 T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award recipient, Caroline Bennett, PE, PhD!
Keep an eye out in the spring of 2026 for information about nominating someone for the 2027 T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award.
What is the T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award?
Each year, AISC's T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award recognizes an outstanding lecturer and author whose technical paper or papers, published during the eligibility period, are considered an outstanding contribution to the engineering literature on fabricated structural steel.
The award is named for Theodore R. Higgins, former AISC Director of Engineering and Research, who was widely acclaimed for his many contributions to the advancement of engineering technology related to fabricated structural steel. The award honors Higgins for his innovative engineering, timely technical papers, and distinguished lectures.
Winners will receive a framed certificate, which is presented at NASCC: The Steel Conference. Winners receive a $15,000 cash award and will present their lecture, upon request, at professional association events.
Fatigue and Fracture Expert Caroline Bennett, PE, PhD Recognized with the 2026 T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award
Caroline Bennett is the Charles E. & Mary Jane Spahr Professor in and chair of the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering (CEAE) at the University of Kansas (KU). Her research has addressed some of the most pressing challenges in structural engineering, including fatigue and fracture performance of steel infrastructure, constraint-induced fracture in steel bridges, and innovative structural retrofit strategies for a wide range of structures.
"The jury was very impressed by Dr. Bennett's accomplishments, particularly her research leading to extending the life span of critical infrastructure," said AISC Vice President of Engineering and Research Christopher Raebel, SE, PE, PhD. "In particular, her work in improving the quality of galvanized steel has been very impactful. I look forward to hearing her insights this spring."
AISC will present the award, which includes a $15,000 honorarium, at the opening session of NASCC: The Steel Conference in Atlanta on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. She will also present the closing keynote on Friday, April 25 and repeat her presentation on request throughout the country.
About Caroline Bennett
Bennett has led national projects with the Federal Highway Administration, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineer Research and Development Center, and several state Departments of Transportation, delivering solutions that extend the service life of structures and improve infrastructure performance.
She serves on AISC’s Committee on Research as well as the TC10 Materials and Fabrication Committee. She recently served on AISC’s Game Changer panel. She also contributes to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Steel Bridge Task Force and Transportation Research Board committees, strengthening connections between research and practice.
Bennett received AISC’s Special Achievement Award in 2024 for her work on advancing knowledge about the behavior of hot-dip galvanized steel structures as well as AISC’s inaugural Early Career Faculty Award in 2016. In 2013, AISI named her the Robert J. Dexter Memorial Lecturer.
2025 Lecturer: Ronnie Medlock, PE
Ronnie Medlock, PE, of High Steel Structures, LLC, received the 2025 T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award for his contributions to the Federal Highway Administration’s Bridge Welding Reference Manual.
Medlock is vice president of technical services at High Steel Structures LLC in Lancaster, Pa. He is responsible for quality control and for fabrication and inspection technology advancements at High Steel, which produces fabricated steel for steel railroad bridges and other types of steel bridges.
Prior to joining High Steel in 2006, Ronnie worked for TxDOT, starting in 1988. Originally from El Paso, Texas, Medlock is a licensed professional engineer in Texas and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. He received an AISC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.
SCHEDULING A LECTURE
If your organization is interested in hosting a T.R. Higgins lecture, contact Christina Harber, director of education, at [email protected]. AISC reimburses the speaker's travel expenses for qualifying events.
ABOUT T.R. HIGGINS
Theodore R. Higgins joined the Institute in 1940 as chief engineer and was its director of Engineering and Research from 1945 to 1968. During his tenure, he was involved in all aspects of the Institute's wide variety of research activities. He played an especially prominent role in the more than 20 years of research, which led to the development of plastic design techniques for steel structures. Theodore authored the Institute's first manual on plastic design, Plastic Design in Steel.
A resolution adopted by the Institute's Board of Directors honored Higgins for his unparalleled service to the structural steel industry. The resolution defines him as a pioneer in developing the research and engineering principles which form the basis of steel design and construction today. "Theodore Higgins possessed that unique ability to translate research results into practical applications," the resolution reads.
JURY
Each year AISC invites a distinguished panel of industry experts to judge the nominations for the T.R. Higgins Lectureship Award. The jury reflects a blend of professional insight, industry experience, and academic excellence.
AISC thanks the following jurors for evaluating the nominations for the 2026 award:
Ted Goldstein
Atlas Tube
Harrison, N.Y.
Jordan Jarrett
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colo.
Amit Kanvinde
University of California - Davis
Davis, Calif.
Kerry Kreitman
Pivot Engineers
Austin, Texas
Brett Manning
Schuff Steel
Stockton, Calif.
Thomas MurphyModjeski & Masters, Inc.Mechanicsburg, Pa.