Marsia Geldert-Murphey of Glen Carbon, Illinois, president of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and a Missouri University of Science and Technology graduate, was awarded the doctor of civil engineering, honoris causa, during a Missouri S&T spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 11. 

A civil engineer for over three decades, Geldert-Murphey is the Illinois State Director for Lochmueller Group. She has founded two consulting engineering firms and a construction business, testified before congress, is listed as one of St. Louis Business Journal’s Most Influential Business Women, and authored a memoir published in 2023. She is also a gifted speaker who addresses a variety of audiences on leadership, entrepreneurial pursuits, public policy and the career of civil engineering. She enjoys serving as a role model for young engineers and entrepreneurs and helping them reach their goals.

Geldert-Murphey first joined ASCE in 1990 as a student, and now leads the 164,000-member worldwide organization. She is a 2016 recipient of ASCE’s Edmund Friedman Professional Recognition Award for outstanding performance and dedication to the profession. 

Geldert-Murphey earned a master’s degree in civil engineering from Missouri S&T in 1997 after earning a bachelor’s degree in the field from South Dakota State University in 1992. She was inducted into Missouri S&T’s Academy of Civil Engineers in 2018, and in 2023 she was honored with S&T’s Alumni Achievement Award and inducted as a chapter honor member into the Missouri S&T chapter of civil engineering honor society Chi Epsilon. For more information about Missouri S&T’s civil, architectural and environmental engineering programs, visit care.mst.edu.