Inge Anderson Award of Merit

This award recognizes CDA members who have distinguished themselves through significant contributions to the advancement of knowledge and practices related to dams in Canada. Since 2021, the award is offered every year to a member of CDA. The Inge Anderson Award of Merit is CDAs’ highest award and it honours the memory of Inge H. Anderson, P.Eng..

Meet Dr. Dennis Becker, 2024 recipient:

Dr. Dennis Becker, Ph. D., P.Eng., FEIC, FCAE

Dr. Dennis Becker is a Fellow Geotechnical Engineer at WSP with 48 years of national and international experience on numerous large-scale resource development and civil engineering projects. Dr. Becker has substantial experience with all aspects of geotechnical engineering, and his expertise in Dams is well recognized. He has extensive project experience with water retention dams and tailings dams, including planning and conceptual studies, final design, construction, dam safety reviews, failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), risk assessment, and decommissioning, closure and abandonment of tailings dams. Dennis was the Engineer-of-Record for 90 m high tailings dams built on peat and very soft clays, and is a member of eight independent Geotechnical Review Boards for tailings dams in Canada, United States and Finland. 

Dennis is active in many key engineering and professional societies and maintains close liaison with universities. He was the Editor of the Canadian Geotechnical Journal, President of the Canadian Geotechnical Society, Vice-President (North America) of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, and was involved in the ASCE Geo-Institute's initiative to produce Guidance Document on Risk Informed Decisions in Geotechnical Engineering. Dennis has received senior awards from the Canadian Geotechnical Society, Engineering Institute of Canada, and Canadian Society of Civil Engineers, and he is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Engineering Institute of Canada. 

The previous recipients are:

  • 1993 - Inge Anderson
  • 1995 - Gary Salmon
  • 1997 - Barry Hurndall
  • 1999 - Guy Laroque
  • 2001 - Tony Tawil
  • 2004 - Ray Stewart
  • 2006 - Gaétan Guertin
  • 2008 - Desmond N.D. Hartford
  • 2010 - Gerard Verzeni
  • 2012 - A.R. (Tony) Bennett
  • 2014 - Jean-Pierre Tournier
  • 2016 - Stephen Rigbey
  • 2018 - Norbert (Nordie) Morgenstern
  • 2020 - Edward (Ed) C. McRoberts
  • 2021 - Richard Donnelly
  • 2022 - Gord McKenna
  • 2023 - Pierre Léger

Inge Anderson Award - Nomination Form

Who was Inge Anderson, P.Eng.?

The Inge Anderson Award of Merit is CDAs’ highest award. It honours Inge H. Anderson, an engineer who was instrumental in creating the foundation for CDA. Fittingly, he was the recipient when it was first awarded in 1993. Inge graduated in Civil Engineering with distinction in 1957 from the University of Alberta.  He also took post graduate courses in hydrology, soil mechanics and highway engineering. From 1956 to 1988, Inge worked for the Alberta Government, first on design and construction and then on dam safety. As the Director of the Design and Construction Division, Inge spearheaded dam safety legislation for Alberta and the formation of the Dam Safety Branch. That branch managed safety for the dams owned by the province, as well as regulating about 1400 dams.

After retiring from government, Inge was the Manager of Mine Development for Suncor overseeing their massive tailing dams, and then brought his experience to consulting, specializing in dam design and safety. Inge was passionate about creating a forum where all interested Canadians could share knowledge about dam safety. He was the first President of the Canadian Dam Safety Association (CDSA) and was the moving force in the development of national dam safety guidelines. The guidelines were of interest not just in Canada but internationally; Inge was part of a team presenting workshops in India, Malaysia and Central America.  When CDSA merged with CANCOLD to form CDA, Inge was the Chair of the Guidelines Committee.  Inge also presented numerous technical papers, conducted workshops and guest lectured at universities across Canada.

The name Inge Anderson is synonymous with the CDA and the development of guidelines of engineering practice for the safe management of dams. In 2008, the Engineering Institute of Canada inducted Inge as a Fellow, in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the engineering profession in Canada.

 

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