Dr. Giroud was among 65 newly elected members into the Academy. The NAE was founded in 1964 and operates under a congressional act of incorporation signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 that established the NAE’s sister organization, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). The NAE provides engineering leadership in service to the nation. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature,” and to the “pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.”
Dr. Rudy Bonaparte, President and CEO of Geosyntec and himself a member of the NAE said: “Dr. Giroud is one of the foremost engineers in the world specializing in geosynthetics research and the application of these materials in the design of transportation, water resources, and waste containment systems. At Geosyntec, his leadership and technological innovations were instrumental to the success of the firm, and I have had the great privilege to have him as a colleague and friend for more than 25 years. He has been a teacher and mentor to hundreds of engineering professionals both within Geosyntec and throughout the profession. He has always been generous in giving his time and talents helping both individuals and the profession.”
Dr. Giroud co-founded Geosyntec in 1983 and served as board chairman until assuming emeritus status in 2001. He has been engaged in the practice of geotechnical engineering since 1962. Dr. Giroud has done pioneering work in the field of geosynthetics for 40 years and is recognized throughout the world as a leading expert in geosynthetics engineering. He coined the words “geotextile” and “geomembrane” in 1977 and was instrumental in the formation of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS). Now, an honorary member of IGS, he is noted as being the father of the geosynthetics discipline, among his other notable accolades. In 2005, the Geo-Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers selected Dr. Giroud as its Lifetime Hero Award recipient and in 2008 he was selected to give the prestigious Terzaghi Lecture. Dr. Giroud has authored and co-authored seven books and over 350 technical papers on subjects relating to foundation design, geosynthetics, dams, and waste containment facilities. He earned his engineering degree from the Ecole Centrale de Paris and his doctoral degree from the Universite de Grenoble in France. He is also Doctor Honoris Causa of the Technical University of Bucharest, Romania.
Dr. Giroud currently operates as an independent consultant and can be reached at or by contacting Dr. Bonaparte at .
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