Norbert R. Morgenstern

Norbert Rubin Morgenstern (born May 25, 1935) is a Canadian geotechnical engineer and professor, specializing in geotechnical engineering. He has over 300 research publications and more than 40 awards for achievement in engineering.

Early life and education

Morgenstern was born in Toronto on May 25, 1935 to parents Joel and Bella Morgenstern. He earned a Bachelors degree in engineering from the University of Toronto in 1956. He was awarded the Athlone Fellowship for post-graduate studies, the purpose of which was to send Canadian engineering students to Britain for further study. With the Fellowship, he enrolled at Imperial College London, achieving his Doctorate in soil mechanics in 1964 under the supervision of Sir Alec Skempton.

Career

Morgenstern joined the faculty at Imperial College in 1958 as a Research Assistant, before becoming a lecturer in 1960. He was chairman of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering between 1995 and 1998, and he retired from teaching in 1999.

The 1965 publication of his article "The Analysis of the Stability of General Slip Surfaces" with V.E. Price in Géotechnique led to the development of a new limit equilibrium slope stability method called the Morgenstern-Price Method, which is included in various commercial slope stability software programs. This research explored the mechanics of slope stability as it applies to the evaluation of landslides and the design of dams. The 1965 article received the British Geotechnical Association prize (an award he had also received in 1960).

Awards and honours

Morgenstern is the recipient of over 40 major honours and awards, including honorary degrees from the University of Toronto, Queen's University, and the University of Alberta. He was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

Personal life

Morgenstern has been married to his wife Patricia (née Gooderham) since 1960, and the couple have three children and seven grandchildren. Morgenstern had a younger sister, Hilda Friedman.