W. Allen Marr Elected to National Academy of Engineering

W. Allen Marr, Ph.D., has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Engineering. Dr. Marr is the founder of Geocomp Corporation which is a leader in risk assessment and management in the engineering industry.

Boxborough, MA (PRWEB) November 20, 2008 -- W. Allen Marr, of Harvard, MA, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering. Dr. Marr was selected for his "innovative applications of numerical methods, risk analysis, advanced laboratory techniques, and field instrumentation to geotechnical engineering and construction."

"Election to the Academy is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer," said Kurt Sanborn, Geocomp's director of Business Development. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature," and to the "pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education." The National Academy of Engineering, together with the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, make up the National Academies who advise the nation on issues in Science, Engineering and Medicine. The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) mission is to promote the technological welfare of the nation by marshaling the knowledge and insights of eminent members of the engineering profession.

Dr. Marr received a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California at Davis in 1966. He received his Masters and PhD degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he also taught and led research for ten years.

In 1982, Allen founded Geocomp Corporation which helps clients identify and manage risk associated with construction in the natural and built environments. He has led the company's efforts to develop Internet-based sensor systems that can remotely monitor the effects of construction on existing structures to reduce the potential for unexpected damage and failure. One application of these devices is to remotely monitor deficient bridges in real time to help avoid an unexpected sudden collapse. He also developed a group of automated testing machines that test soils and rocks for strength and stiffness. These devices are used in universities, governmental labs and private companies all over the world.

Dr. Marr has also advised owners and contractors on major construction projects all over the world. He is presently working on the reconstruction of the World Trade Center in New York City and the construction of new twin tunnels to carry commuters between Queens and the Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, NY. Most of his current work focuses on helping clients determine what factors threaten a project's cost and schedule and how to manage those factors to deliver projects on time and within budget. He serves as President and Chief Executive officer of Geocomp which has 77 employees in offices in Boxborough, New York City and Atlanta.

For more information contact Kurt Sanborn at 978-635-0012 or via email at ksanborn@geocomp.com

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