Dr. Craig Benson, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, will speak at Missouri S&T at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, as part of S&T’s Shamsher and Sally Prakash Distinguished Lecture Series. 
 
The lecture, titled “Does harvesting coal ash for use as a cementitious material promote sustainability?” will be held in Room 120 Butler-Carlton Civil Engineering Hall. It is free and open to the public. The lecture can also be viewed umsystem.zoom.us/j/92041546392. 

Benson will discuss the potential benefits of using coal ash, which may need to be removed from disposal sites to comply with environmental regulations, as a supplemental cementitious material in concrete, and how this could reduce environmental harm while improving concrete quality. 
 
As an authority on waste management, waste containment systems and other methods for protecting the environment, Benson has published more than 300 refereed academic research articles on these topics. He was recognized by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists as the organization’s 2024 Kappe Lecturer. 
 
Benson has emeritus status as a Wisconsin Distinguished Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and at the University of Virginia as dean of engineering. 
 
He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences.  
 
S&T’s civil, architectural and environmental engineering department will host Benson’s talk in partnership with the Center for Research in Energy and Environment.

About the Prakash Lecture Series  

The Shamsher and Sally Prakash Distinguished Lecture Series was established through a gift from Dr. Shamsher Prakash, professor emeritus of civil, architectural and environmental engineering, and his wife, Sally. 
 
Shamsher Prakash joined the Missouri S&T civil engineering faculty in 1978 as an associate professor in geotechnical engineering and retired in 2000. He has made numerous contributions to the field of geotechnical earthquake engineering, and he is recognized for advancing the study of soil dynamics and earthquake engineering. Prakash is considered a pioneer in the liquefaction of silts and clays, as well as soil-pile-structure interactions. 

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit  www.mst.edu.