Vicki L. Brown

Vicki L. Brown, PhD, PE

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Affiliated Programs

Education

  • PhD, Civil Engineering (1988)
    University of Delaware (DE)

About Me

My technical expertise is in the application of high-performance fiber-reinforced polymer composites for reinforced concrete structures, and I serve on the editorial board for the ASCE Journal of Composites in Construction.

I am a fellow of the American Concrete Institute, a past member of the board of directors of the Philadelphia section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and a member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).

I am actively involved with student outreach efforts in all these organizations and am particularly proud of the award-winning engineering girls camp that I organize each year to introduce high school girls to the possibilities of a career in engineering. The camp is a joint effort between Widener and the Philadelphia Section of the Society of Women Engineers, and over the past 15 years more than 2,000 high school girls have attended Widener's Engineering Mini-Camp which won Dow-Corning's national "Outstanding Outreach Event" in 2009.

Research Interests

My research interests are focused on the characterization and use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites as a substitute for steel in reinforced concrete construction. My work encompasses both internal reinforcement for new construction and external reinforcement for strengthening and repair of existing structures, contributing to the development of an innovative technique for mechanically-fastening FRP laminates to the tension soffit of concrete beams.

As a fellow of the American Concrete Institute, I was recently appointed chairman of the ACI international committee that is tasked with developing code language for the design of structural concrete reinforced with FRP bars.

Media Expertise

  • Concrete design
  • The use of advanced composite materials in construction
  • Reinforced concrete structures

Publications

  • Napoli, Annalisa, Lawrence C. Bank, Vicki L. Brown, Enzo Martinelli, Fabio Matta, and Roberto Realfonzo. "Analysis and Design of RC Structures Strengthened with Mechanically Fastened FRP Laminates: A Review." Elsevier Composites Part B 55, (2013): 386–399.
  • Brown, Vicki L., Andrew Dinh, and Giovanna Iacono. "Flexural Behavior of Mechanically-Fastened FRP-Strengthened Concrete Members." Presentation at the ACI Special Publication 275: Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Fiber-Reinforced Polymer in Reinforced Concrete Structures (FRPRCS-10). Farmington Hills, MI, 2011.
  • Bakis, C.E., L.C. Bank, Vicki L. Brown, E. Cosenza, J.F. Davalos, J.J. Lesko, A. Machida, S.H. Rizkalla, and T.C. Triantafillou. "Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites for Construction State-of-the-Art Review." ASCE Journal of Composites for Construction, 6, no. 2 (2002): 73–87.

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

American Concrete Institute (ACI), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)

Awards

  • Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching (1994)
  • ASCE Philadelphia Section Outstanding Civil Engineering Educator (2005)
  • American Concrete Institute Fellow (2008)

Noteworthy

  • Distinguished University Professor Designation goes to Engineering Professor

    School of Engineering faculty member Vicki Brown has been honored with the distinguished university professor designation. The recognition honors individual faculty members of distinction and represents the university’s commitment to recognizing excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service throughout faculty members’ careers. The honor was announced at the 2022 faculty awards program. 

    To be eligible for the designation, a faculty member must hold a tenured appointment at the rank of professor and be clearly identified by students and colleagues as an outstanding teacher.  They must also have national or international recognition for scholarly research activities, and have made significant contributions as a leader at the university or in the faculty member’s profession or academic discipline. The designation has a three-year term.

    Brown has been an active member of the university faculty for 41 years, including 18 as chair of the Civil Engineering Department, successfully guiding it through three accreditation visits under her leadership.

    Brown has also played an active role in university faculty governance and has served several times on the Faculty Council Executive Committee. She was instrumental in the development of the laboratory curriculum, and in infrastructure for the undergraduate civil engineering program.

    Brown’s belief that “in-the-classroom learning” is most effective when combined with “real-world learning,” she seeks out opportunities to provide students with networking experiences – taking them to professional society meetings and continually challenging them in a supportive environment.

    She also established and administers student competitions at national and international levels for the American Concrete Institute. One of Brown’s most visible and important contributions is the development and execution of the Engineering Girls Camp. Given the under-representation of females in the engineering field, her efforts to bring young women interested in engineering together with female engineers and female engineering students has impacted numerous young women and helped them gain the confidence to pursue a traditionally male-dominated field.

    In addition, Brown has made a significant impact in her area of expertise – the use of fiber reinforced polymers as a substitute for steel in reinforced concrete. She serves as chair of an international committee tasked with developing design codes for FRP-reinforced structural concrete. 

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