Mlakar

Dr. Mlakar is Engineer Emeritus at the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC).  From 2003 through 2015 he was the Army’s Senior Research Scientist for weapons effects and structural dynamics.  He also served as the Class of 1953 Distinguished Chair in Civil Engineering at West Point from 2010 through 2014.  He was a key member of the Interagency Performance Evaluation Taskforce that studied the behavior of the New Orleans hurricane protection infrastructure in Katrina.  Following the September 11 airliner crash into the Pentagon, Dr. Mlakar was selected by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) to lead a study of the structural behavior.  The published results of these studies are guiding the engineering profession in designing resilience into critical projects to increase public safety.

From 2000 to 2003 Dr. Mlakar was the Technical Director of the ERDC responsible for innovations in military engineering to rapidly upgrade transportation infrastructure and assure cross country mobility.  From 1995 to 2000 he served as the Chief of the Concrete and Materials Division of the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station (WES).  In the winter of 1996, Dr. Mlakar was the Chief Engineer of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization Task Force that rapidly restored a critical, war-damaged, century-old bridge on the main line of supply for Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia.

From 1984 to 1995 Dr. Mlakar founded and guided the Structures Division of JAYCOR as a Vice President.  This group researched and consulted on structural engineering and related problems for a variety of government and commercial clients.  The results included the invention of a patented hardened air cargo container capable of resisting the effects of internal explosions.  Other projects involved the design of structures to resist explosive effects including the protection of embassies and other visible targets against terrorist bombings.  Dr. Mlakar also served on the ASCE team that assessed structural performance in the 1995 Oklahoma City terrorist bombing.

As a research engineer for the WES from 1973 to 1984, Dr. Mlakar was the leader of a team that investigated the mechanics of structural elements.  Projects included the seismic response of hydraulic structures, the behavior of field fortifications subjected to weapons effects, and the application of probability to structural design.  During 1966 to 1973, Dr. Mlakar served as an officer in the Corps of Engineers.  This encompassed an assignment as an Assistant Professor at West Point, as well as command and staff assignments in Vietnam and the U.S.

Dr. Mlakar graduated from West Point and subsequently earned an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Engineering Science from Purdue University.  He is a licensed professional engineer and the author of some 160 technical publications.  Dr. Mlakar is a Distinguished Member of ASCE, a Fellow of the Structural Engineering Institute, and a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute.  His honors include Membership in the National Academy of Construction, the Army Engineer Association Silver de Fleury Medal, and the Purdue Alumni Achievement Award.