ISSMGE Bulletin Volume 8, 2014: Issue 4: Page 12: Terzaghi Oration
The Terzaghi Oration:
The Terzaghi Oration is the highest honor that our society bestows on one of its members for her or his contributions to the advancement of our field. The selection is the sole decision of the President after consultation with the members.
The Terzaghi Orator at the Paris Conference was Dr Suzanne Lacasse. Born in Canada, she got degrees from the University of Ottawa, Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal and a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She then taught at MIT and headed the soil mechanics laboratory for several years. She moved to the Norwegian Geotechnical Institutes and became NGI Director in 1991. Dr Suzanne Lacasse was President of CGS, the Member Society in Canada, and is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering in the USA.
President Jean-Louis Briaud presented the following address:
“Suzanne Lacasse worked in three different countries Canada, USA, Norway and every time rose to the top of the geotechnical world. She truly exemplifies the very best we have in geotechnical engineering. Suzanne represents the ideal blend of academician and practitioner, the perfect mix of theories and experiments, a demonstrated devotion to her profession, and all this with a friendly and approachable attitude. In my opinion, the Terzaghi Oration is the Nobel Prize of geotechnical engineering. Please help me congratulate the ISSMGE 2013 Terzaghi Orator Suzanne Lacasse
