JAMES K. MITCHELL
University Distinguished Professor, Emeritus
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A.
Consulting Geotechnical Engineer
Jim Mitchell received his Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1951, and Master of Science and Doctor of Science degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1953 and 1956.
He was a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, from 1958 until 1993. He developed courses in soil behavior, soil and site improvement, and foundation engineering. He was Chairman of the Department of Civil Engineering from 1979 through 1984. After retirement from UC Berkeley, he joined Virginia Tech in 1994 as the first Charles E. Via, Jr. Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was appointed University Distinguished Professor in 1996, and University Distinguished Professor, Emeritus in 1999.
His research activities focused on experimental and analytical studies of soil properties and behavior, admixture stabilization of soils, soil improvement and ground reinforcement, in-situ measurement of soil properties, and mitigation of ground failure risk during earthquakes. He supervised the Ph.D. dissertation research of 76 students, and has authored about 400 publications, including three editions of the book, “Fundamentals of Soil Behavior.” During the 1960’s and early 1970’s he served as the Principal Investigator for the Soil Mechanics Experiment that was a part of the U.S. Apollo Moon landing and exploration program.
Dr. Mitchell is a consultant on geotechnical problems and earthwork projects of many types. Recently these have included the design of liquefaction mitigation options for several existing dams, ground improvement for a major bridge replacement project, a stability review board for large mine waste rockpiles, a seismic safety peer review panel for an urban rapid transit system, development of a new marine terminal, and a design review board for a large tailings disposal and containment embankment.
He is a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and has served on many boards and committees of several professional and technical organizations. He was Vice President of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering from 1989-1994. Dr. Mitchell has received awards from the American Society of Civil Engineers, including the Norman Medal (twice), the Middlebrooks Award (4 times), the H. Bolton Seed Medal, the Terzaghi Lecture and the Terzaghi Award; the Rankine Lectue of the British Gotechnical Association; the Distinguished Teaching Award and the Berkeley Citation from the University of California; the Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the 2001 Kevin Nash Gold Medal of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. He is a member of the United States National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences. He was the 2006 winner of the ASCE Outstanting Projects and Leaders Award (OPAL) in Education.
August 6, 2014
