Thomas Gernay, associate professor in the Department of Civil and Systems Engineering (CaSE) at Johns Hopkins University’s Whiting School of Engineering, has been named the 2025 Outstanding Educator of the Year by the American Society of Civil Engineers, Maryland Section (ASCE MD). The award recognizes Gernay’s sustained and exceptional contributions to civil engineering education and commitment to research that benefits society.
Gernay, who currently advises six graduate students and teaches both fundamental structural engineering and advanced fire engineering courses, joins past recipients Rachel Sangree (2015), Nicolas Jones (2012), Robert Scanlan (1997), and Ross Corotis (1992), who each earned the award during their time with CaSE.
Gernay is known for his work developing innovative computational methods that enhance the resilience of buildings against fire and other extreme hazards. His research, which integrates advanced modeling, risk assessment, and performance-based design, is translated into software and design methods used by structural engineers, architects, and policymakers to improve the safety and durability of the built environment.
As the founder and lead investigator of the Multi-Hazard Resilient Structures research group at Johns Hopkins, Gernay uses computational mechanics, experimental testing, and numerical analysis software to model how entire buildings respond to extreme events, like fires.
“Teaching and mentoring the next generation of engineers is one of the most important and rewarding parts of my work,” said Gernay. “It’s an honor to receive this recognition from ASCE Maryland. I am proud to be part of a department that strives for excellence and innovation in education and research, and I feel inspired by my students and colleagues at the university.”
One of Gernay’s key contributions to the field of civil engineering is his co-authorship of SAFIR®, a software tool used by engineers and researchers to accurately model a structure’s response to fire. Currently, SAFIR® is used by more than 300 institutions across 43 countries, playing a crucial role in projects as varied as the design of the Paris 2024 Olympics Aquatic Center and forensic analyses of the 2023 I-95 Philadelphia bridge collapse caused by a tanker truck fire.
Gernay is also actively involved in the development of building codes and standards. He was a primary author of the newly introduced fire appendix in the ANSI/SDI AISI S100-2024 specification for cold-formed steel and co-chairs the Fire Protection Committee of the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute.
This year’s ASCE MD Awards ceremony will be held at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore on June 12, where Gernay will receive the Outstanding Educator of the Year Award.