MORACI, A VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN IGS CHAPTER (AGI-IGS), HAS BEEN ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE AGI
By Daniele Cazzuffi, AGI-IGS President and IGS Past President
IGS Council Member Nicola Moraci was elected president of the Italian Geotechnical Society (AGI) on April 10. Moraci, who is a Full Professor of Geotechnical Engineering, Ph.D., and the Head of the Department of Civil, Energy, Environmental and Materials Engineering (DICEAM) of the Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria in Italy took office on April 15 and will lead AGI until spring 2021.
Founded in 1947, AGI is headquartered in Rome, and its mission is to promote scientific culture in geotechnical engineering. The group is very active, and it focuses on the dissemination of geotechnical engineering knowledge with a goal of increasing individual membership (now about 1,000) and corporate members.
Moraci’s new role as president of AGI is a continuation of his active role in the geosynthetics industry. In 2008, Moraci received the IGS Award, which acknowledged his contributions on the subject of geosynthetic-soil interaction at the international level. He also receives significant funding for scientific research in the field of industrial research. Currently, Moraci is involved in the formation of a school of excellence at the Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria that will focus on international research in the fields of geosynthetic and geotechnical engineering. Moraci has a broad range of geotechnical interests, including geosynthetic engineering, soil reinforcement, landslide and slope stability, embankments and dams, in situ testing and laboratory testing, soil improvement, environmental geotechnics, and more obscure geotechnical problems such as design of geotextile filters.
During his tenure, Moraci wants to emphasize enhanced participation of the members in education and research activities. “I wish to promote many ideas dear to the AGI members and want to remain very responsive to their concerns,” Moraci says. “I am a firm believer in the value of continuing education and want to offer regular events on topics emanating from research work.”
AGI’S INTERNATIONAL REACH
AGI organizes national and international conferences on geotechnical engineering topics. The organization’s first National Conference of Geotechnical Engineering was held in Naples in 1953. The most recent national conference – Geotechnics in Defense of Land and Infrastructure From Natural Disasters – took place in Baveno (near Milan) in 2014. The official journal of the Society is Rivista Italiana di Geotecnica (the Italian Journal of Geotechnical Engineering), founded in 1967.
The AGI and its President are national representatives of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) and the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM). In this role, AGI takes part in the election of the governing bodies and the activities of the various committees. AGI chooses representative members who participate in international working groups that prepare standards and recommendations. It also selects Italian papers to present to international conferences.
Moraci is the vice-president of the Italian Chapter of IGS (AGI-IGS), which is hosted by AGI. The Italian Geotechnical Society is in contact with scholars at geotechnical Italian universities, the National Research Council, and the Civil Protection and the Board Council of Public Works.
On behalf of the entire geotechnical and geosynthetic engineering community, we wish Nicola all the best.