Professor Katherine G. Kuder, Ph. D., P. E.
Seattle University
Professor Katherine G. Kuder, Ph. D., P. E., Seattle University has been selected as the recipient of the 2022 Academic Engineer of the Year Award in recognition of her exceptional career as a structural engineering educator; her significant contributions to the characterization and optimization of cement-based composites, and her dedicated efforts as a teacher and mentor of engineering students.
She is deeply committed to improving student learning and educational experiences and has led efforts to improve the level and scope of engineering education. She teaches a wide range of courses, spanning first year to graduate, mechanics-based to design, and lecture and laboratory courses. She is passionate about engaging students, both inside and outside of the classroom, to help them develop both technical and professional skills. She advises senior capstone projects and led the creation of Seattle University’s Master of Science in Structural Engineering program. She serves on the College of Science and Engineering diversity committee studying issues of equity and inclusion in engineering and implementing initiatives to increase diversity.
Her research is experimentally based, using mechanics and materials science principles to understand and model composite performance with an aim to improve sustainability. She focuses on the development of newly engineered cement-based composites that can be tailored for specific applications, with an emphasis on sustainability. She has been involved in efforts to develop cementitious composites to be used in reinforced concrete shear panels, concrete-filled tubes, and residential construction.
She also serves as an academic leader. She was Chair of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department for six years and currently is an Associate Dean of the College of Science and Engineering.