BYU professor elected civil engineering Fellow

November 2008

Rollin Hotchkiss, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Brigham Young University, has been elected to the fellow grade of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

According to ASCE, the fellow grade represents a recognized level of professional distinction and achievement within the realm of civil engineering. To qualify as a fellow, one must be an active member of ASCE for at least 10 years and during that time demonstrate an exceptional quality of work and research.

Hotchkiss’ area of expertise is hydraulics. At present, the majority of his research is in the area of environmental restoration – maintaining the benefits of the many water resources projects that have been completed in this country while at the same time restoring rivers and reservoirs to a more natural, healthy state.

On an international scale, Hotchkiss works with the International Sediment Initiative sponsored by UNESCO.  This project is aimed at restoring storage capacity to reservoirs upstream from dams. The water flowing in rivers carries sediment, and as the motion of the water slows (especially when a river is dammed or diverted) this sediment sinks to the bottom of the reservoir. Over time, enough sediment accumulates to significantly reduce the storage capacity of the body of water. As a member of the initiative, he is working to find  solutions to this growing problem.  He is also working on similar solutions for a National Academy of Sciences committee here in the U.S.
In addition to his work on sedimentation, Hotchkiss is currently serving as the principal investigator on projects with the Federal Highway Administration and the Utah Department of Transportation aimed at making culverts more passable for native fishes.

Hotchkiss received his PhD from the University of Minnesota in 1989. He was registered as a professional engineer in 1991 and joined the Order of the Engineer in 2005. He has been a professor of civil and environmental engineering at BYU since 2005.  That same year he was inducted as a charter member of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers, whose professional certificate recognizes significant contributions beyond the professional engineer level.

Outside of academe, many are surprised to learn that Dr. Hotchkiss is a root beer aficionado. He is the proud owner of more than 300 varieties of root beer ranging from the most popular, everyday store brands to rare, boutique brands. His favorite -- Hires.

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October 2009

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• Civil engineering professor honored as ITE Outstanding Transportation Educator
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• Graduation Information