About
John F. Abel is a retired Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University, where he has been active since 1974. He holds a B.C.E. from Cornell (1963), M.S. from Stanford (1964), and Ph.D. in Structural Engineering from UC Berkeley (1968). His research focuses on structural engineering innovations such as concrete shells, earthquake engineering, and computational mechanics. He co-authored the influential textbook Introduction to the Finite Element Method (1972) and remains involved in the CEE History Project.
- Leadership roles: President of IASS (2006–2012), Editor-in-Chief of IASS Journal (1995–2007), and organizer of the 2008 International Conference on Computation of Shell and Spatial Structures.
- Professional recognition: Fellow of ASCE, registered professional engineer, and contributor to multiple technical societies.
Abel’s work bridges historical engineering techniques with modern computational methods. His research spans structural art, educational tools using interactive graphics, and the preservation of engineering heritage. Recent activities include oral history projects with peers like Thomas O’Rourke and Anthony Ingraffea, emphasizing Cornell’s structural engineering legacy.
