A Look Back on the Tufts Geotechnical Symposium

The 2026 Geotechnical Symposium was the fourth annual symposium in the current series, but the fifth overall in the history of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. In July 1984, an organizing committee arranged a two-day geotechnical symposium at Tufts University. During the program, seven leading geotechnical practitioners spoke about foundation engineering and the design of earth structures. The event raised money for the International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, which was held the following year in the United States. The 1985 International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering marked the first time the gathering had been held in the United States since 1936. Professor Lew Edgers (now Professor Emeritus) was on the organizing committee for the 1984 event and continues to attend the current CEE geotechnical symposia. 

Read more about Professor Emeritus Lew Edgers’ experience at the 1984 Geotechnical Symposium.

How did you get involved in the 1984 Geotechnical Symposium at Tufts?

I was active in professional engineering organizations, especially the Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (BSCES/ASCE). I was BSCES/ASCE President 1989-90. The 1984 symposium grew out of discussions between me and BSCES leadership.

What was your experience like attending the 1984 symposium?

I was proud to host this impressive group of experts and to see the continued growth and recognition of the Tufts Geotechnical program nationally and internationally.

Which speaker was most memorable to you at the 1984 symposium?

Ralph B. Peck. After Karl Terzaghi and Arthur Casagrande, Peck established the modern discipline of geotechnical engineering and fostered interactions between the practitioner and academic communities.

What was your biggest takeaway from the recent Geotechnical Symposium held in February 2026?

• The speakers, audience, and poster sessions show continued growth and recognition of the Tufts Geotechnical program.
• The opportunity to see colleagues, former students, and friends.
• Recognition of Dr. Juan Pestana.

What has changed in geotechnical engineering between the 1980s and now?

• New technologies for laboratory and field measurements
• Growth of risk assessment techniques
• Interdisciplinary risk-based decision making.
• New challenges, green energy (wind), environmental issues.

What has stayed the same?

• Importance of technical rigor, communication skills.
• Concern for public health and safety.
• Classic problems are still with us -tailings dams, foundation issues.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I was 40 years old in 1984, in the midst of my career, impressed by these superstars. I am 80+ years old now, with a more contemplative and retrospective view of the profession.