Sebastian Bryson, Hardin-Drnevich-Huang Professor of Civil Engineering with a joint appointment in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, has been named chair of the University of Kentucky Department of Civil Engineering effective July 1. Bryson has taught at UK since 2006 and served as director of graduate studies for civil engineering since 2021.
Bryson received his Ph.D. from Northwestern University in 2002, his Master of Engineering degree from Howard University in 1992, and his Bachelor of Science degree from the Florida A&M University in 1987.
Before receiving his Ph.D., Bryson worked as a design manager and project manager for CH2M HILL, Inc. (now Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.), an international engineering consulting firm. Before CH2M HILL, Bryson was a Highway Research Fellow for the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Turner-Fairbank Research Center, and earlier was a research engineer at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Bryson’s research interests focus on applied geotechnics, including field instrumentation and monitoring of constructed facilities, in-situ response of earth structures, performance prediction of supported excavations, in-situ and laboratory testing of soils, and soil improvement and ground modification
Bryson was named a Fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction in the Fall of 2021. Also, in 2021 Bryson received certification as Diplomate Geotechnical Engineer (D.GE) by the Academy of Geo-Professionals (AGP) of ASCE in recognition for his specialized knowledge and skills, professional ethics, commitment to lifelong learning and continued professional development in the field of geotechnical engineering.
Bryson succeeds Reginald Souleyrette, professor and Commonwealth Chair in Transportation Engineering, who had served as department chair since 2011.
