Sharp named technical director at ERDC

25 Jul 07 -- Vicksburg, Miss. -- Dr. Michael Sharp was recently selected as the technical director (TD) for Water Resources Infrastructure at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Miss.

In this position, Sharp will serve as the technical advisor for all research related to water resources infrastructure including dams, locks, levees and other water retention structures. He is also responsible for research conducted with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office of Homeland Security and the Department of Homeland Security. His duties include serving on the Board of Directors for ERDC's Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL) for which he provides leadership and management of a workforce totaling more than 300 people and an annual budget of more than $100 million per year.

Sharp began his career with the Corps in 1987 as a research civil engineer in the Earthquake Engineering Branch of GSL. In 2000, he was named director of the Centrifuge Research Center at ERDC and served in that capacity for four years. For the past three years, Sharp has served as acting TD in GSL.

Sharp earned a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Mississippi, a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M University, a master's degree in civil engineering from Mississippi State University and his doctorate in civil engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York.

Sharp is a registered professional engineer in the state of Mississippi and is an active member in the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, American Society of Professional Engineers, United States Society on Dams, and the International Committee on Large Dams.

The ERDC is the premier research and development facility for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with more than 2,000 employees, $1.2 billion in facilities, and an annual research program of $850 million.  It conducts research in both military and civil works mission areas for the Department of Defense and the nation.