Robert and Mitchell Landreth “Steward of the Environment” Award
 
Robert E. Landreth (1939-2021) rose to the rank of Captain in the U.S. Department of Public Health. As a research director at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) he advocated for research funding which made it possible to spearhead efforts in geosynthetics during the 1980’s and 90’s. The pioneering research which transpired changed regulations and the way that waste is managed throughout the world.

Established: 2021 by action of the GSI Officers and GSI board of Advisors

Award Amount: $10,000

Recipient: One award will be presented annually

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Applicant must be a matriculated graduate student, post doctorate or young assistant professor in good standing and registered full-time during the award period at an accredited University.

  • Applicants must be working on original environmental research projects. Those related to geosynthetics are preferred.

  • Graduate and post doctorate students need to be already engaged in research with faculty to be eligible to apply.

  • An individual may receive a maximum of one Landreth award and apply for it only once.

  • All recipients are strongly encouraged to consult with their financial aid officer to ensure they understand any tax or financial aid consequences with receiving such an award.

Application Due Date: June 30, 2026 - Letter and Resume should be emailed to jamie@geosynthetic-institute.org

Award Announcement Date: August, 2026
Robert and Mitchell Landreth “Steward of the Environment” Award Recipients
2021 - Dr. Joseph Scalia IV
Dr. Joseph Scalia IV is an Assistant Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department in the Walter Scott Jr. College of Engineering at Colorado State University.
2022 - Dr. Theresa Andrejack Loux Dr. Theresa Andrejack Loux is the Chief Technical Officer of Aero Aggregates of North America and an adjunct Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rowan University
2023 - Dr. Michael Perez
Dr. Michael A. Perez is an assistant professor in civil and environmental engineering in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering at Auburn University.
2024 - Dr. Fady Badran Abdelaal
Dr. Fady Badran Abdelaal is an assistant professor with the Department of Civil Engineering (Smith Engineering) at Queen’s University, located in Kingston Ontario, Canada.
2025 - Dr. Kuo Tian
Dr. Kuo Tian is an assistant professor with the Department of Civil, Environmental and Infrasturcture Engineering at George Mason University, located in Fairfax Virginia.