Whittaker recognized for advancing structural engineering

By Peter Murphy

According to ASCE, the prestigious award is presented annually to an ASCE member who has made a definite contribution to the advancement of structural engineering, either in research, planning, design or construction, including methods and materials.

Throughout his career, Whittaker has made significant contributions in many areas associated with structural engineering, including earthquake, blast, impact and performance-based engineering. He has also been recognized for his work with seismic isolation and damping systems for buildings, bridges, and nuclear power plants.

Whittaker has worked directly to shape many of ASCE’s guidelines and standards — widely regarded as authoritative in civil and structural engineering — including ASCE 4, ASCE 7, ASCE 41, ASCE 43, and ASCE 59. These standards cover standards for seismic analysis nuclear structures, load designs for buildings and structures, assessing and upgrading existing buildings for earthquake performance, and blast protection of buildings. He has helped shape everything from routine practice to mission-critical safety and hazards response.

“Andrew Whittaker continues to knock it out of the park,” says Alan Rabideau, professor and chair in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering. “This well-deserved award is another indicator of his international leadership in structural engineering, particularly his extensive and impactful publications.”

The Ernest E. Howard Award is the sixth recognition Whittaker has received from ASCE in the last decade. He was elected a fellow of ASCE’s Structural Engineering Institute in 2016, and received the Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr. Energy Award that same year. He earned the Walter P. Moore, Jr. Award in 2017, and the prestigious Nathan M. Newmark Medal in 2023. In 2025, Whittaker was named a distinguished member of ASCE — the highest honor the society can bestow upon its members.

Whittaker was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2026, in recognition of his work advancing performance-based earthquake engineering, seismic isolation, and damping systems for buildings, bridges, and nuclear power plants. Whittaker’s work within the nuclear energy sector is internationally renowned. He chaired the ASCE Nuclear Standards Committee from 2015 to 2026, is the co-chair of the ASCE 92 Committee, and has prepared contractor reports and a topical report on seismic isolation for the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission.