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

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

On Friday, May 16, 2025, Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, will award an honorary doctorate from the University of Montpellier to 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 of 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, Director of the Laboratory of Mechanics and Civil Engineering (LMGC), and Moulay Saïd El Youssoufi, Director of the IUT of Nîmes.

By invitation only

Tomasz Hueckel will receive an honorary doctorate

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

What does the title "Doctor Honoris Causa" represent?

Created by decree on June 26, 1918, the origins of the honorary doctorate date back to the 17th century. It recognizes foreign figures who highlight and echo the values of the university through their contributions to the world of ideas, culture, arts, and 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.