Lynch receives national award

Dr. Larry N. Lynch, a research engineer in GSL, has been awarded the 2002 Wheeler Medal by the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME).

The Wheeler Medal is awarded to a military or civilian member of the U.S. Army for an outstanding contribution to military engineering in design, construction, administration, research or development.

Lynch was recognized for his efforts and leadership in TeleEngineering, a "reach back" engineering capability that allows personnel deployed worldwide to talk directly with experts in the United States when a problem in the field needs quick resolution. Deployed troops can be linked to subject matter experts within the Corps of Engineers, private industry, and academia for detailed analysis of complex problems, such as flooding potential due to dam breaches, the load carrying capacities of roads and bridges, field fortifications and force protection, and evaluation of transportation networks.

Lynch led the development of TeleEngineering since its beginning in 1997. He was instrumental in providing responses to deployed personnel in an easy-to-understand format that describes engineering challenges with specific courses of action.

Lynch also helped develop and field the TeleEngineering Communications Equipment (TCE). This communication system allows remote sites to conduct secure voice, data and video teleconferences. The deployable system has evolved from seven large containers to its current version of one small box, a laptop computer and a satellite telephone. This system has become one of the main components of TeleEngineering and is currently deployed with military units in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Lynch directed the development of a toolkit software system that allows soldiers to accurately pinpoint engineering problems on a digital map and transmit the data rapidly back to subject matter experts. The experts then transmit responses back to the deployed soldiers that can be graphically displayed in the field.

Lynch also assisted in developing a reconnaissance kit that can be attached easily to any vehicle. The kit contains a digital camera, a global positioning system antenna, a gyro-accelerometer and a laptop. Soldiers can collect visual data, slope, curvature and roughness of routes at highway speeds that are tied directly to a map display. The system generates a standard reconnaissance report and saves the soldiers invaluable time.

In addition to the Wheeler Medal, Lynch also received two awards from the Vicksburg Post of SAME - the 2002 Technology Advancement Award and the 2002 Military Engineer of the Year Award.

Lynch received his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1985 and his master's degree 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.