Arun Valsangkar wins 2019 R.F. Legget Medal

Arun Valsangkar has won the Canadian Geotechnical Society’s 2019 R.F. Legget Medal. Arun, a senior geotechnical consultant with Stantec and professor emeritus at the University of New Brunswick (UNB), has over 50 years of combined experience in consulting, teaching, and research.

Arun was honoured during the R.F. Legget Award Luncheon at the GeoSt.John's 2019 conference – which took place at the St. John’s Convention Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland – on September 30.

The R.F. Legget Medal recognizes significant lifelong contribution to the geotechnical field in Canada. This annual award is the most senior and prestigious award from the Canadian Geotechnical Society. Established in 1970, the award honours Dr. Robert F. Legget, a civil engineer known nationally and internationally for his contributions to engineering, geology, building research, and the standardization of Canadian national building codes.

“Being recognized by the Canadian Geotechnical Society, in front of my peers and colleagues, is truly an honour,” says Arun. “It’s nice to pay tribute to the past, but I’d also like to look ahead to the future. I am sure that the next generation of geotechnical engineers will continue to do innovative research and come up with practical solutions to complex consulting tasks.”

Since arriving in Canada from India in the 1970s, Arun has made a significant impact on the Canadian geotechnical practice. He has taught at UNB for nearly three decades, delivering lessons from his vast experience with Stantec on numerous national and international projects.

Arun has provided significant contributions to numerous projects in Atlantic Canada while at Stantec, including the Hibernia Offshore Oil and Gas Platform, the Canaport LNG Terminal, Nalcor’s Muskrat Fall Hydroelectric Project, and numerous mining projects in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and New Brunswick. Outside of Atlantic Canada, he’s worked on the Simandou Iron Ore Mine in Guinea, the Canadian Forces Nanisivik Naval Facility on Baffin Island, the gas-fired power station project in New York, LNG terminals in British Columbia, and infrastructure projects in Alberta.

Throughout his 28 years as a professor of civil engineering, Arun has combined excellence in teaching, research, service, and professional practice. His research has been published in more than 60 peer-reviewed journal articles, and he has presented papers at 53 conferences in 12 countries. He also designed UNB’s world-class geotechnical centrifuge, in collaboration with many of his former students. A two-time UNB Merit Award recipient, Arun has received two awards for excellence in teaching: the Allan P. Stuart Memorial Award, and the Eric C. Garland Award. He has also supervised 63 graduate students and 130 undergraduate senior reports.

He has previously received awards from the Canadian Geotechnical Society, including the Meyrhoff Award for his contributions in foundation engineering, and the Quigley Award for his research papers. His contributions to the engineering profession in Canada were recognized by the Engineering Institute of Canada with The John B. Stirling Medal.

From 1990 to 1995, Arun served as the director of UNB’s geological engineering program. He has also acted as both the associate editor and editor of the Canadian Geotechnical Journal.

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