Structural engineering has changed dramatically in recent decades. Topics inconceivable 10 to 20 years ago, including artificial intelligence, full-scale whole building testing, and comprehensive building information modeling, now regularly inform the pages of the Journal of Structural Engineering, one of the oldest and most respected periodicals in the field. CSU Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor John van de Lindt will lead the American Society of Civil Engineers publication into its next phase as the new chief editor.
“This will be a ton of work, but I’ve always maintained that being an editor of one’s professional journal is probably the most worthwhile and rewarding professional service an academic can undertake,” Department Head Charles Shackelford said in response to van de Lindt’s appointment. “Journals published by the ASCE are recognized worldwide as among the most preeminent journals of the profession, and John’s appointment as the chief editor of this particular journal reflects his prestige in structural engineering.”
Van de Lindt looks forward to the challenge and said he will strive “to continue JSE’s trajectory as the preeminent journal through impact, readership, and the quality of papers published.” He aims to be proactive to the needs of the journal’s authors and worldwide readership and to align its content and publication practices with the needs of the profession and society as a whole.
As a top professional peer-reviewed journal of the ASCE, the Journal of Structural Engineering reports on state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice advances in structural engineering. Van de Lindt said it’s important to include new topics in the journal while maintaining the structural engineering focus that has made it the respected publication it is today.
“The idea of emerging areas within structural engineering, or at the intersection with other disciplines, is key as we move forward as a profession and a journal,” van de Lindt said. “Over the next decade and beyond, JSE will likely need to expand topical areas to include sustainability, resilience, and yet unforeseen areas that will engage and enrich our profession.”
Through his role as editor, van de Lindt anticipates “becoming a broader engineer and being able to leave some type of service legacy to the profession beyond my own research, projects, and students.”
Van de Lindt has been an ASCE member for more than 25 years and is a fellow of ASCE and the Structural Engineering Institute. He is the Harold H. Short Endowed Chair in Civil Engineering at CSU and co-directs the 14-university National Institute of Standards and Technology-funded Center of Excellence for Risk-Based Community Resilience Planning.
Van de Lindt has led numerous research projects related to improving performance and resilience to natural hazards, including the NSF-funded NEESWood project, “Development of a Performance-Based Seismic Design Philosophy for Mid-Rise Woodframe Buildings,” which culminated with the world’s largest shake table test of a 14,000-square-foot, six-story condominium in Miki, Japan.
He has published more than 400 technical articles and reports, including more than 200 archival journal papers. Among his ASCE awards are the Raymond C. Reese Research Prize in 2012 and 2015, the Ernest E. Howard Award in 2017, Best Paper in Structural Hazards (JSE, 2017) and the Best Paper Award (JAE, 2018). He has served as an associate editor for JSE, guest editor for four special collections, and section editor.
