The Shaw Lecture Series is an annual event that brings nationally and internationally recognized leaders in civil engineering to NC State. Each lecture offers students, faculty, alumni and industry partners the opportunity to engage with forward-thinking ideas, emerging research and real-world engineering leadership.

Established in 1966, the series was created to enrich the department’s academic environment and expand perspective beyond the classroom. The endowment enables the department to host a distinguished speaker each year whose work reflects excellence, innovation and service within the broad fields of civil, construction and environmental engineering. 

More than a single event, the Shaw Lecture represents a long-standing commitment to connecting NC State engineers with the thinkers and doers shaping infrastructure, public works, environmental systems and resilient communities across the globe.

About Henry M. Shaw Sr.

Henry M. Shaw Sr. was a 1922 graduate of NC State in mechanical engineering and a respected leader in the quarrying, aggregate production and concrete manufacturing industries. As founder and president of North Carolina Products Corporation and an organizer of Superior Stone Company, he helped strengthen North Carolina’s industrial growth.

Throughout his life, Shaw remained closely connected to his alma mater. He generously supported students, welcomed engineering classes into his manufacturing facilities and invested in hands-on learning experiences that extended engineering education beyond the classroom.

In recognition of his professional achievements and his continued commitment to engineering education at NC State, faculty and friends established the Henry M. Shaw Lecture Series in Civil Engineering in 1966.

Contact

For questions about the Shaw Lecture Series, please contact Dr. Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson, Twisdale Family Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering Department Head and Professor.