Lynch named division chief at ERDC

Oct 2007 -- Vicksburg, Miss. -- Dr. Larry Lynch was recently selected as chief of the Engineering Systems and Materials Division (ESMD) in the Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory (GSL) at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Miss.

In this position, Lynch will be responsible for the daily operations of ESMD as well as the management of more than 125 researchers and support personnel and a program of more than $35 million in research.

GSL conducts research primarily within the realm of geotechnical and structural engineering and geosciences, addressing both civil works and military engineering challenges facing the warfighter and the nation. ESMD supports this research through the development of innovative technologies in military engineering for airfields and pavements, impact explosive effects, reach-back operations and maneuver support; and in civil works through advanced materials science investigations to maintain and rehabilitate our nation's water-resource infrastructure.

Lynch began his career with the Corps with a summer appointment as an engineering aide in 1982 and was hired as a civil engineer in the Pavement Systems Division of GSL in 1985. He was named the director of the TeleEngineering Operations Center in 1997, and the program manager of the Countermine program in 2003. In 2004, he served as the deputy director, Restore Iraqi Electricity, while deployed to Iraq. In March 2007, he was selected as acting chief of ESMD and served in that position prior to being named to his current position.

Lynch received his bachelor's in chemical engineering in 1985 and his master's in civil engineering in 1991, both from Mississippi State University. He earned his doctorate in civil engineering in 1995 from the University of Washington and is a registered professional engineer in Mississippi. He is currently attending the U.S. Army War College distance education program.

Lynch is a member of several professional engineering societies, including the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Society of American Military Engineers, the American Standards of Testing and Materials, and the Transportation Research Board. He serves on several technical committees and has published numerous technical reports and papers. He is also a registered professional engineering in the state of Mississippi.

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.