UNM professor named American Society of Civil Engineers Fellow

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has selected Fernando Moreu, associate professor in the Gerald May Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, to join its class of fellows. Moreu will be inducted at the ASCE OPAL Gala and OCEA Awards Ceremony on Oct. 10 in Seattle.

Moreu was among just nine people elected to ASCE fellow status in June 2025. Only 3% of the organization's members hold the title. To be considered, a potential fellow must have a record of longstanding membership in the organization, unique subject matter expertise and demonstrated excellence in decision-making, among other things.

"I am deeply honored to achieve this milestone in my engineering career, relatively early when you see the careers of the other fellows selected this year," Moreu said. "ASCE leaders compare the careers of many talented civil engineers across the world when naming fellows. It is definitely a humbling experience, but also a recognition of the work of my students."

Moreu's research centers on the smart management of infrastructure. He has conducted extensive work using wireless smart sensor networks and augmented reality to enhance structural health monitoring, among other things. He developed the low-cost efficient wireless intelligent sensor (LEWIS), which has enabled greater access to structural dynamics solutions due to its accuracy and low cost. He has used the technology to develop a network capable of informing communities of imminent flood risks after wildfires.

In the last ten years, he has received 48 research and outreach grants totaling over $8.9 million. Moreu is considered a global leader in the smart management of infrastructure by ASCE.

"Becoming an ASCE fellow is also a higher responsibility that calls me to increase the amount of research on dynamics, digital twins, smart structures, human-machine interfaces so more UNM students can be trained and become the future leaders of engineering," he said.

In addition to his contributions to smart infrastructure management and structural dynamics, Moreu frequently seeks ways to engage with the New Mexico community, whether through teaching K-12 students how to build and deploy their own LEWIS sensors or having graduate students complete their midterm exams on the New Mexico Railrunner Express. Learn more about Moreu's career and his induction as fellow on the ASCE website.