The Department of Civil and Systems Engineering (CaSE) in Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering has been awarded the 2025 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Walter LeFevre Award, a national honor that recognizes original, novel, creative, or inspired innovations in curricula that promote ethics, professionalism, and licensure with significant and positive impact.
The award is named for the late E. Walter LeFevre, PhD, PE, Dist.M.ASCE, a civil engineer known for his contributions to engineering education and practice, accreditation of engineering programs, and leadership within multiple professional engineering organizations. Bestowed annually, the award recognizes ABET-accredited programs demonstrating innovation and effectiveness in preparing future engineers for responsible practice.
The award follows the department’s comprehensive, multi-year transformation of its civil and systems engineering curriculum. Over the past five years, the department has aimed to educate students who not only know how to design the next generation of sustainable infrastructure, but who also understand how each design element functions in a system that can be analyzed with physics-based and data-centric models and optimized to reduce societal costs and maximize societal benefit. The revised courses and co-curricular activities also incorporate professional licensure, ethics, and civic leadership—key tenets of the LeFevre Award criteria.
“Receiving this award from ASCE is reflection of the path we’ve taken as a whole in the department,” said James Guest, department head and professor in CaSE. “Over the past five years, we have reimagined how we prepare civil engineers—not just as technical experts, but as creative, innovative, and ethical leaders equipped to address complex societal challenges within a broader system. This recognition reflects the shared commitment of our faculty and students in achieving that vision.”
While topics related to engineering licensure, ethical decision-making, and professionalism in the workplace are formally built into the program through required courses, CaSE facilitates student participation in voluntary activities as well, like ASCE’s yearly national ethics competition, the Daniel Meade Prize, and professional networking in ASCE Maryland Section events. Additionally, students are required to take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam prior to graduation, but they are not required to pass the exam. Therefore, it’s notable that the department’s FE exam pass rate reaches exceptionally high levels, often 100%, demonstrating the students’ understanding of the importance of professional licensure.
“As educators of students who will soon be entering the workforce, we understand the importance of equipping graduates with the skills they need to thrive in a professional setting–including communication, empathy, and service,” said Rachel Sangree, associate teaching professor and director of the department’s undergraduate studies for civil engineering. “To reinforce what we’re teaching our students, we’re giving them lots of opportunities to practice what they’ve learned.”
“JHU CaSE is honored to receive the Walter LeFevre Award,” said Guest. “This is a recognition of where we are today and a reminder to continue teaching our students that integrity and technical excellence go hand-in-hand.”