ASCE has honored William E. Kelly, Ph.D., P.E., ENV SP, F.ASCE, and Ryan Kobbe, P.E., M.ASCE, with the 2020 President’s Medal.
Kelly is recognized for his tireless efforts to advance sustainability globally, particularly through implementation of the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals, and for his ongoing commitment to share his knowledge of sustainability through education.
Kelly is Adjunct Faculty, Sustainability at George Mason University. He serves as director of external affairs at the American Society for Engineering Education in Washington, D.C., and is currently a member of the ASCE Committee on Sustainability, also chairing its subcommittee on formal education. He has held faculty and administrative positions at the University of Rhode Island, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and the Catholic University of America. He is an ASCE Fellow and a licensed professional engineer in the state of Rhode Island. His interests in sustainability – professional, teaching and research – go back almost 20 years.
Kobbe is recognized for dedicated service to ASCE student members, both as an inspirational University of Wyoming faculty advisor and as an astute leader and student advocate within the Society.
Kobbe’s life and career, like most interesting problems, has been far from linear and has presented many unforeseen challenges and opportunities. From a young age, he had a passion for construction and the built environment. These interests led him to a rewarding construction career in and near Wyoming during his teens and 20s. He then relocated to Laramie, Wyoming, and later to Pullman, Washington, to earn his B.S. and M.S. in structural engineering.
For over two decades, he has held a variety of engineering positions with consulting firms, contractors, Idaho National Lab, and most recently left an academic appointment at the University of Wyoming to join the team at T-O Engineers. Kobbe’s diverse knowledge and experiences, combined with his passion for civil engineering, will be put to good use as he works to solve new and emerging problems alongside his colleagues at T-O.
The ASCE President’s Medal recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of eminent engineers to the profession, the Society or the public.
