In recognition of his contributions to the field of structural stability, Benjamin Schafer, the Willard and Lillian Hackerman Professor of Civil and Systems Engineering (CaSE) in the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering, has been selected as the recipient of the Structural Stability Research Council’s (SSRC) 2026 Lynn S. Beedle Award. As the organization’s premier award, it is named in honor of the late Lynn Beedle who was an international authority on structural stability and code criteria for steel and composite structures.
The Beedle award acknowledges leading stability researchers and individuals who have made significant contributions to national and international design code development.
“I am incredibly honored to receive the Lynn S. Beedle Award,” said Schafer. “This isn’t just a personal achievement, but one that acknowledges the collaborative efforts of my students and research partners. It’s really rewarding to be recognized for our work enabling engineers to not just avoid issues in stability, but to harness knowledge of structural stability to build more efficient buildings and structures while maintaining safety and resilience for communities.”
Schafer’s research broadly spans structural engineering, including the history of structures, the behavior and design of steel structures, thin-walled structures, and structural optimization and reliability.
Schafer’s notable accomplishments include developing the Direct Strength Method of design—an internationally approved method for predicting the strength of cold-formed steel building components—leading the first full-scale seismic tests on a cold-formed steel framed building and recently testing the world’s largest cold-formed steel framed-building at ten stories tall. Additionally, he is the founding director of the Ralph S. O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute at Johns Hopkins, where he spearheads initiatives focused on sustainable engineering practices and technologies. Under his leadership, the institue has grown from its inception to include 42 core and associate faculty members.
Professor and Department Head, James Guest, lauded Schafer’s award. “Ben’s selection for the Beedle Award is a recognition of his contributions to the advancement of structural engineering. His research not only raises the bar for academic inquiry but also translates into practical applications that benefit the structural engineering industry and the communities that rely on safe structural design.”
The award announcement was made ahead of the SSRC’s 2026 Annual Stability Conference, which is set to take place in conjunction with the North American Steel Construction Conference in Atlanta, April 21-24. During this event, Schafer will present his innovative research on structural stability and receive the Beedle Award.