Embry-Riddle Professor John Weavil to chair new Civil Engineering Department

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Embry-Riddle’s College of Engineering is pleased to announce the appointment of aerospace engineering Professor John Weavil as the chair of the newly formed Civil Engineering Department, effective fall 2012. Formerly, Civil Engineering was included in the Mechanical, Civil and Engineering Sciences Department, chaired by Dr. Charles Reinholtz, which is now called the Mechanical Engineering Department.

“The new organization is consistent with the significant growth the College of Engineering has experienced in recent years, the maturity of its programs and its strategic direction as a comprehensive college,” said Dr. Maj Mirmirani, dean of the College of Engineering. “I am confident that Professor Weavil’s leadership and vision will be an asset to the growth of the program.”

Over the course of his 30 years in the Embry-Riddle faculty, Weavil was the Civil Engineering Program Chairman for the first three years of its existence. He developed its curriculum, taught the Civil Engineering degree program and was faculty advisor to numerous civil engineering students.

He has maintained contact with the civil engineering community through his involvement in the Florida Engineering Society, serving on numerous local and state committees. He was recently appointed as the South-East Region Vice-Chair of the Executive Board of the National Society of Professional Engineers/Professional Engineers in Higher Education.

“Civil engineering is the backbone of most engineering colleges and currently enjoys a strong enrollment trend nationally,” Weavil said. “It’s a discipline that attracts females to engineering and presents bright job prospects for graduates for years to come, given the need for rebuilding the aging infrastructure in the United States. “

The B.S. in Civil Engineering degree offered at the Daytona Beach campus meets the demand for civil engineers educated in the subjects of airports, transportation, aviation and aerospace planning, and analysis and design, a demand that is strong and is expected to grow rapidly in the future. Air and ground transportation systems have substantially expanded in the last few years and are expected to continue to grow at an increasing pace. In addition, space utilization and exploration initiatives are likely to produce further demand for civil engineers with aerospace knowledge.

Weavil has received many awards for his service, dedication and leadership. Some of his Embry-Riddle honors include a 1999 special recognition award for the development of the civil engineering program. He has twice received the Embry-Riddle Presidential Award for Innovation, in 1998 for excellence in teaching engineers and mentors and in 1995 for excellence in civil engineering and airport planning and design. In another accolade, the Florida Engineering Society presented him with a plaque in 2007 in recognition of his outstanding service to the group as the 2005-2007 chair.

Weavil holds an M.S. in Engineering from the University of Central Florida and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida. He is an industrial and consulting engineer.