APRIL 4, 2024 — JoAnn Browning, interim vice president for the UTSA Office of Research and Purdue University alumna, has received the Civil Engineering Alumni Achievement Award from her alma mater. The award recognizes some of the university’s “most influential graduates,” as well those who have distinguished themselves in “their illustrious careers."
“Purdue’s recognition of JoAnn is an incredible testament to her professionalism and individual career accomplishments as well as her continued work in growing UTSA’s research and knowledge enterprise,” said UTSA President Taylor Eighmy. “I am so grateful to Purdue for honoring her work and talents in this way, and I’m even more grateful to work alongside her as a colleague.”
Browning joined UTSA in 2014 as dean of the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design (Klesse College). In June 2023, Browning took on her current role in the university’s research office, where she has fostered the growth of research activities and implemented large-scale, high-impact initiatives. Under her leadership, UTSA recently topped $100 million in research expenditures for the fourth year in a row, and over $150 million in 2023 — an increase Browning herself contributes to the world-class faculty UTSA attracts, and its internal strategies that support existing faculty.
As a student, I saw first-hand the level of excellence and rigor at Purdue University, so it is a great honor to receive this award now, as an alumna,” Browning said. “Purdue University provided me with exceptional training and career preparation. It is because of this experience that I have been privileged to serve with the outstanding academic community in the UTSA Klesse College, which enables other aspiring engineers to earn their degrees and impact the world around them. For these reasons and more, I will always be grateful for the opportunities that my Purdue engineering education has provided to me.”
“Dr. Browning has been a leading researcher in structural engineering, earthquake engineering, and reinforced concrete design and analysis,” Eric Brey, interim dean of the Klesse College, added. “More importantly, throughout her career, she has provided leadership in developing educational programs that support student success through experiential learning and mentoring, served as a role model for faculty and students as they navigate their careers, and inspired the next generation of engineers.”
The rigorous selection process for the alumni achievement award is faculty-led, according to Robert Jacko, chair of the Civil Engineering Alumni Achievement Awards Committee.
“Names of alumni who have performed in an exemplary manner as practitioners and leaders in the civil engineering profession are solicited from the entire engineering faculty,” he said. “After copious discussion by the faculty committee ... a short list of candidates is formally presented to the entire faculty for a final vote.”
Jacko described the winning engineers as “among the best in the world.”
Purdue awarded Browning her Ph.D. in civil engineering in 1998 and named her a Distinguished Woman Scholar in 2015. In addition to Purdue, other organizations have honored Browning throughout her career. She received the American Concrete Institute’s Young Member Award for Professional
Achievement in 2008 and was named an ACI Fellow in 2009. In 2016, INSIGHT into Diversity magazine presented her with an Inspiring Women in STEM award. She received the San Antonio Business Journal Women’s Leadership Award in 2018. Just last month, Browning was inducted into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame Class of 2024.
Browning participates in the engineering community as a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and as a member of the American Society of Engineering Education. As a researcher, Browning’s interests include structural engineering, earthquake engineering, engineering materials, reinforced concrete design and analysis, and engineering education. She is a licensed professional engineer in the states of Texas and Kansas.
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