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 leading expert in civil and environmental engineering at Duke University (North Carolina, United States). This distinction highlights Professor Hueckel’s exceptional commitment to fostering scientific collaboration between France and the United States, and more specifically with the Laboratory of Mechanics and Civil Engineering (LMGC) in Montpellier.
Tomasz Hueckel has been a visiting professor in Montpellier on numerous occasions since 2008 and 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 multiphysical geomechanics with applications to geothermal energy and environmental geomechanics. He also works on the theory of plasticity as applied to clays. His collaborations have resulted in numerous joint publications and have brought international recognition to the work of the LMGC.
This honorary doctorate also recognizes a remarkable academic career that began in Poland, continued in Italy and France, and was further established 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, as evidenced by the numerous cooperation agreements and exchange programs between the University of Montpellier and American institutions, as well as by a steadily growing body of joint research.