Reginald DesRoches is Rice University’s eighth president. He also serves as professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and professor of Mechanical Engineering. As president, DesRoches serves as the chief executive officer of the university and its more than 8,200 students, 900 plus faculty, seven academic schools, the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, and many interdisciplinary institutes and centers. He previously served as Rice’s Howard Hughes Provost and William and Stephanie Sick Dean of Engineering.
DesRoches’ primary research interests are in the design of resilient infrastructure systems under extreme loads and the application of smart materials. He has published approximately 300 articles and delivered more than 100 presentations in over 30 different countries. He also has mentored more than 30 doctoral students, many of whom hold faculty positions at top universities around the world.
A member of the National Academy of Engineering, DesRoches’ distinctive research record has been recognized for its impact and innovation. He is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Structural Engineering Institute. He received the Distinguished Arnold Kerr Lecturer Award in 2019, the John A. Blume Distinguished Lecturer Award in 2018, and the 2018 Earthquake Engineering Research Institute Distinguished Lecturer Award, one of the highest honors in the field of earthquake engineering. DesRoches is a member of the Academy of Distinguished Alumni in Civil Engineering at Berkeley and an honorary alumnus of Georgia Tech.