Virginia Tech lost one of its preeminent scholars and educators on Aug. 18, 2026, with the passing of James Michael “Mike” Duncan, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

For more than four decades, Duncan was a defining figure in Virginia Tech’s world-class geotechnical engineering program, which he built through his teaching, research, mentorship, philanthropy, and professional connections. Beyond the university, his expertise was sought on some of the world’s most significant geotechnical engineering challenges, from dams and offshore infrastructure to the Panama Canal and the investigation of levee and floodwall failures following Hurricane Katrina.

Duncan earned his B.S. in 1959 and M.S. in 1962, both in civil engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. During his undergraduate years, he was a co-op student and worked for the Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After completing his master’s degree, he spent eight months working at the Waterways Experiment Station in Vicksburg, Mississippi, before beginning his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley.

Duncan earned his Ph.D. from Berkeley in 1965, scoring the highest mark ever recorded on the university’s Ph.D. written examination, a record that stood until the exam format changed more than two decades later.

He joined the Berkeley faculty that same year and quickly established himself as a leading scholar, educator, and consultant in geotechnical engineering. He was internationally recognized for his work in soil strength and slope stability, particularly the analysis of slopes, embankments, and dams. He became a full professor in 1973 and earned numerous university and national honors, including the Collingwood Prize, Walter Huber Research Prize, Thomas A. Middlebrooks Award, and George Westinghouse Award. He also received five teaching awards during his time there.

Building a world-class program

In 1984, Duncan and his wife, Ann, left Berkeley for Virginia Tech, where he was named the W. Thomas Rice Professor.

When colleagues in the geotechnical engineering community wondered why Duncan would leave one of the country’s largest and most highly regarded programs, he consistently gave two reasons. The first was that he was excited to work with G. Wayne Clough, then head of Virginia Tech’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and one of Duncan’s first Ph.D. students at Berkeley. Second, he embraced the challenge of building a world-class geotechnical engineering program from the ground up.

He understood that a top program required more than talented faculty and students. It also needed facilities and equipment. When he arrived at Virginia Tech, the graduate teaching laboratory lacked equipment needed for common geotechnical tests. Duncan purchased materials for triaxial pore-pressure boards of his own design and built them in his basement. The equipment was subsequently used in the graduate teaching laboratory for more than a decade.

He also advocated for a shared space where geotechnical graduate students could study and work together. After recalling the collaborative environment he experienced at Berkeley, Duncan successfully lobbied for a dedicated room in Patton Hall for master’s students, purchasing desks, file cabinets, and whiteboards for their use.

Duncan similarly established a dedicated geotechnical engineering library in Patton Hall, seeded by his own personal collection. He purchased journals and computers for students, developed a computerized search system for the collection, and solicited technical references from retiring professionals.

A commitment to students

For Duncan, graduate education extended far beyond technical knowledge.

He believed students should leave Virginia Tech with strong writing and public speaking skills, the ability to think on their feet, and an understanding of the professional organizations that would shape their careers.

Duncan volunteered to teach the graduate seminar course in addition to his regular courses, revamping it to focus on professional communication and personally critiquing student presentations.

He also encouraged students to become active in professional organizations and attend conferences. As conference costs increased, Duncan provided seed funding for the Duncan Endowment for Graduate Student Travel, ensuring that Virginia Tech students would continue to have opportunities to participate in the profession.

A lasting professional legacy

Duncan’s most enduring institutional legacy at Virginia Tech may be the Center for Geotechnical Practice and Research (CGPR), which he established to connect faculty and graduate students with professionals in government and private geotechnical practice.

The center provided professional members with opportunities for research collaboration, professional development, short courses, consulting, and access to Virginia Tech’s graduate students. For students, the CGPR became an important connection to the profession and often to future employers.

Duncan continued to excel as both a scholar and practitioner throughout his career. He was appointed University Distinguished Professor in 1987, the highest academic rank at Virginia Tech, and became University Distinguished Professor Emeritus upon retirement. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1985 and received numerous honors, including the American Society of Civil Engineers Terzaghi Lecture, H. Bolton Seed Medal, Karl Terzaghi Award, and Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) Award for lifetime achievement in education.

His consulting career included some of the most significant geotechnical projects in the United States and abroad. He consulted on projects ranging from the first Ekofisk offshore oil platform in the North Sea to the Panama Canal to more than 30 dam projects. He also served as co-chair of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ team examining the performance of floodwalls and levees following Hurricane Katrina and served on the Geotechnical Advisory Board for the Panama Canal Commission for more than two decades.

His consulting work became part of his teaching. Duncan made a point of sharing his real-world experiences with students, using projects as opportunities to demonstrate how geotechnical engineering principles applied beyond the classroom.

The Duncans made significant contributions to Virginia Tech’s geotechnical facilities, including a major gift toward construction of the W. C. English Geotechnical Research Laboratory. Their generosity was recognized when they were inducted into the Virginia Tech Ut Prosim Society in 2002.

Duncan’s impact on Virginia Tech extends far beyond the program he helped build. His influence lives on through the students he mentored, the colleagues he inspired, and the geotechnical engineering community he strengthened.

Members of the university community who seek support or assistance are encouraged to contact these resources:

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