Mujumdar

Dr. Vilas Mujumdar passed away on March 23, 2023, at the age of 81 in Reston, Virginia.

A 2021 NAC Inductee, Vilas Mujumdar was born in India where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Vikram University, India, and an M.S. in Civil/Structural Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee; he later moved to the US where he earned a Master of Business Administration, University Santa Clara, California; and a Doctor in Public Administration, University Southern California.

Vilas had a highly distinguished career. He was the Program Director for Engineering Research Centers and the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) Program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and provided counsel to numerous faculty investigators nationwide about these NSF programs. As Chief of Operations for the Division of the State Architect for the State of California for years, he led efforts in earthquake engineering for all state government buildings. He held the position of Executive Director and CEO of the Concrete Masonry Association of California and Nevada. Additionally, he was the President, CEO, and member of the Board of Directors for numerous firms in consulting engineering, manufacturing, and project management. A leader in shaping the civil and environmental field, he served as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Masonry Society, and several other professional organizations. He was also the Chief Engineering Editor of Natural Hazards Review, he was President of the India Association in Houston, Texas and Vice President and Principal of Foster Engineering Inc. He gave numerous presentations during his career and authored over 70 papers and two books.

Vilas was recognized frequently for his leadership and professional contributions. In addition to his membership in NAC, he was a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), a member of the Pan American Academy of Engineers (API) and a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma - Honor Society for Business Excellence. Vilas received the Kenneth Row award from the American Association of Engineering Societies; National Science Foundation (NSF) Director’s Award; NSF Outstanding Service Award; NEES Community Visionary Award and a Special recognition from Governor of California “for making a significant contribution to enhancing seismic safety in California”.

Vilas has served on numerous Boards and committees and provided valued leadership, knowledge, and expertise. He also served as a member of ASCE’s Board of Direction. In addition, to his knowledge as a structural engineer, Vilas was a recognized leader in resilience, climate change and sustainability. He was a strong supporter of universities, helping to initiate university programs across the country. As a member of the Industrial Advisory Board for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northeastern University, NU IAB Chair and NAC member, Christine Keville, stated “Vilas was a great leader and a valued member of our Board. He was a visionary who fostered interdisciplinary research linking engineering and public policy to address issues related to critical infrastructure resilience. Our industry lost a wonderful man and passionate engineer - Vilas will be forever missed!”

NAC member Patrick Natale said “I will personally miss Vilas. He was a great engineer and amazing leader and a true friend. When I facilitated any event about resilience or sustainability, Vilas was always my ‘go to person’ to present and he always did an outstanding job. Thank you for your many contributions to our profession!”

--Pat Natale and Christine Keville, 2023