Ceremony to confer an honorary doctorate from the University of Montpellier on Tomasz Hueckel

[Press Release] - Published on April 28, 2025 in Press Room

On Friday, May 16, 2025, Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, will confer an honorary doctorate from the University of Montpellier upon Tomasz Hueckel, professor emeritus at Duke University (Durham, North Carolina, United States). The ceremony will take place in the Jean-Jacques Moreau Amphitheater, Building 2 on the Saint-Priest Campus at 10:30 a.m., in the presence of François Pierrot, Vice President for International Relations; Stéphane Pagano, Director of the MIPS Research Center at the University of Montpellier and Director of the Laboratory of Mechanics and Civil Engineering (LMGC); and Moulay Saïd El Youssoufi, Director of the Nîmes University Institute of Technology (IUT).

By invitation only

Tomasz Hueckel will be awarded an honorary doctorate

Tomasz Hueckel, Professor Emeritus at Duke University (Durham, North Carolina, United States) and a specialist in civil and environmental engineering, is one of the pioneers of multiphysical geomechanics with applications in geothermal energy and environmental geomechanics. He also works on the theory of plasticity as applied to clays.  Co-founder and former co-editor-in-chief of the Elsevier journal “Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment,” Tomasz Hueckel has also established collaborations with numerous European universities, including the University of Montpellier, notably through the Laboratory of Mechanics and Civil Engineering (LMGC).

What does the title of "Honorary Doctorate" mean?

Established by decree on June 26, 1918, the origins of the honorary doctorate may date back to the 17th century. It is awarded to distinguished foreign figures who highlight and embody the university’s values through their contributions to the worlds of ideas, culture, the arts, and the sciences. Awarded during a formal ceremony, this academic title is the most distinguished and prestigious that can be conferred by the academic and scientific community.