from ISSMGE Bulletin – Volume 5 Issue 2 April 2011 (pp. 1-26)
Message to ISSMGE Members
Prof. R. Terzariol, The Vice President for South America
Currently the ISSMGE Vice President for South America is Professor Roberto Terzariol. His term will continue until 2013. Roberto E. Terzariol graduated Civil Engineering of National University of Córdoba, Argentine, in 1981. During 1983-1985, he did graduate studies in geotechnical engineering and structures at the University of Rome “La Sapienza”. In 2003 he majored university education at the National Technological University of Argentine. He started teaching in 1982 when he was appointed Professor of Geotechnical Engineering at the National University of Cordoba. He was promoted to the position of Academic Secretary for Research and Graduated Studies and then Head of Civil Construction Engineering Department both at the University of Córdoba, and became a member of the Academic Council and Executive Board at the same university. Currently he is Vice Dean of the School of Engineering at the same University. He is also Leading Professor at the National Technological University where he taught Foundation Engineering. He teaches courses of geotechnical engineering for Masters and Doctoral degree from several universities in Argentine. He is a very active member of various state and university scientific agencies, serving as the chairman of evaluation committee for research projects and grants.
SOUTH AMERICAN REGION
It is necessary to explain from where we are, who we are, what our significance is in ISSMGE, what our presence is, and what will be the future challenges.
WHERE WE ARE:
Figure 1. Location of SA and distance to other ISSMGE regions
We are located from the Central to the South part of the American Continent. The region includes countries from Central America, Caribbean and South America, both speaking Spanish or Portuguese.
The distance to the other regions ranges between 8.500 and 18.000 km, and the maximum distance from one end to the other of the region is 8.000 km.
This is the problem that threatens the easy communications and exchanges among the member societies. Our continent is the only that is subdivided into two regions.
WHO AND HOW MANY WE ARE:
The region have more than 1300 members in the ISSMGE, and they contribute with the 6% approx. of the ISSMGE`s subscriptions in 2009.
Members of the region, from Argentine, Brazil, Chile and Peru, work in more than ten TCs, like “Unsaturated soils”, “Laboratory testing”, “Underground construction” and others, with a significant involvement in each of them.
The chair of “Megacities” TC is located in the region (Prof. A. Negro of Brazil).
Prof. Victor De Melo, President of the Brazilian Society and formerly VP for South America, was one of the most representative presidents of the ISSMGE.
Figure 2. Societies in region and number of member of each one
The region is composed of 13 member Societies representing many countries. Some of them are very old as the Argentine Society which is 62 years old, and others are very recent as Dominican Society was founded just 3 years ago. There are now three countries that have interest in joining the ISSMGE.
Guatemala has already completed the paperwork and from next year become a new member. Table 1 shows a list of the constituting Societies, and the presidents of each one.
Download ISSMGE Bulletin – Volume 5 Issue 2 April 2011 (pp. 1-26)
PDF format
