UM honors Tomasz Hueckel, professor emeritus at Duke University
On May 16, 2025, the University of Montpellier awarded the prestigious title of Doctor Honoris Causa to Professor Tomasz Hueckel, a distinguished specialist in civil and environmental engineering at Duke University (North Carolina, United States). This distinction highlights Prof. Hueckel's exceptional commitment to developing scientific cooperation between France and the United States, and more specifically with the Laboratory of Mechanics and Civil Engineering (LMGC) in Montpellier.
A visiting professor in Montpellier on multiple occasions since 2008, Tomasz Hueckel has contributed to cutting-edge research in the field of environmental geomechanics, particularly on the effects of capillarity in granular materials. He 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. His collaborations have resulted in numerous joint publications and international recognition for the work of the LMGC.
This honorary doctorate also recognizes a remarkable academic career, which began in Poland, continued in Italy and France, and was consolidated in the United States at Duke University. The recipient of several international awards, including the John Booker Medal (2008) and the Institution of Civil Engineers' Geotechnical Research Medal (2021), Tomasz Hueckel is recognized as a leading authority in his field.
This distinction is part of a broader effort to strengthen transatlantic ties, embodied by numerous cooperation agreements and exchange programs between the University of Montpellier and American institutions, as well as by a steadily growing body of joint scientific research.