Grace Named University Distinguished Professor

Southfield, Mich. – Nabil Grace has been named the first university distinguished professor at Lawrence Technological University by the Board of Trustees.

Grace is chair of the Civil Engineering Department and director of the Center for Innovative Materials Research (CIMR) at Lawrence Tech.

The university distinguished professor is the highest faculty rank at Lawrence Tech. It is awarded for exemplary achievements that have brought special distinction to the university. A university distinguished professor must demonstrate excellent teaching skills in addition to widely recognized accomplishments and extensive publications.

Grace is best known for his research on bridge design methods that take advantage of carbon-fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs). Unlike steel that is typically used for structural reinforcement, CFRPs won’t deteriorate quickly when exposed to water, salt and chemicals.

He has a patent for hybrid ductile fabric, an unusual combination of carbon and glass fibers that can be used to reinforce bridges and buildings.

Under Grace’s leadership, Lawrence Tech developed its Center for Innovative Materials Research with the help of a five-year, $11 million cooperative agreement involving both the Army Research Laboratory and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC). The $3.2 million research facility opened this year.

Grace also is the principal investigator for a three-year, $899,996 grant awarded in September by Michigan’s 21^st Century Jobs Fund to develop, implement and commercialize new materials and engineering practices that are expected to double the lifespan of highway bridges that use box-beam construction.

“Dr. Grace’s innovative research in carbon-fiber, reinforced concrete designs has received international recognition. His contributions will increase the sustainability of our nation’s highway infrastructure,” Lawrence Tech President Lewis N. Walker said. “He is a bold leader who has found creative ways to expand the civil engineering program at Lawrence Tech.” 

Grace did his undergraduate work at the University of Cairo in Egypt and earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Windsor. He joined the Lawrence Tech faculty in 1988.

Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, offers more than 60 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degree programs in Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and Management. Founded in 1932, the 5,000-student, private university pioneered evening classes nearly 75 years ago, and today has a growing number of weekend and online programs. Lawrence Tech’s 125-acre campus is in Southfield, with education centers in Livonia, Clinton Township, Traverse City, and Petoskey. Lawrence Tech also offers programs with partner universities in Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Asia.