Alexander S. Brand, associate professor in the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, received the Early Career Award from the Cements Division of the American Ceramic Society.

The honor was announced in June at the 15th Advances in Cement-Based Materials Conference hosted by the University of Colorado Boulder.

This prestigious award recognizes “an outstanding early career scientist who is conducting research in the field of cement and concrete in an academic, industry, or government-funded laboratory.”

Brand’s work focuses on microstructural characterization, reaction kinetics, recycled and byproduct materials, and 3D printing of cementitious composites. Since joining Virginia Tech in 2018, he has established a strong research portfolio that bridges materials science and infrastructure engineering. He previously served as a National Research Council postdoctoral research associate at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and earned his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“The Cements Division of the American Ceramic Society includes top national and international experts in cement and concrete research,” said Brand, who holds affiliate faculty positions in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Myers-Lawson School of Construction. “I’m deeply honored to be recognized with this award given the caliber of past recipients. It affirms that my work is making an impact.”

In addition to this national recognition, Brand has been named the 2025–26 chair of the Cements Division, with his term beginning in October.

Other recent awards for Brand include an National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award in 2023, a Certificate of Teaching Excellence in 2023, a College of Engineering Faculty Fellowship in 2025 and two Le Chatelier Distinguished Paper Awards from Cement and Concrete Research.

 

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