Julio F. Davalos, the Benedum Distinguished Teaching Professor at West Virginia University (WVU), earned all three of his civil engineering degrees at Virginia Tech: a B.S. in 1985, an M.S. in 1987, and a Ph.D. in 1989.



Dr. Davalos joined the WVU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) faculty in 1989, and two years later was named Outstanding Young Researcher of the Year. His primary research interests are analytical and applied mechanics, characterization of wood and fiber-reinforced composites, structural engineering, and effective teaching methods. In 1993, he was invited by the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Science Technology and Space to provide expert testimony on Advanced Composites in Civil Infrastructure: Research and Education. He has produced bridge design manuals for state and federal agencies and has taught short courses on composite materials and the design of timber bridges to practicing engineers. In 1995, the WVU College of Engineering named Dr. Davalos Outstanding Researcher of the Year.



His publications record of more than 130 articles includes a 1996 Best Design Paper Award from the Composite Institute's 51st Annual Conference and the 1997 Best Research Paper Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers Journal of Composites for Construction. Dr. Davalos currently is the principal investigator on a National Science Foundation project to develop teaching guides for collaborative learning of advanced composite materials in civil engineering.



His work with students and his research in concepts of effective teaching have garnered more than 20 teaching and advising awards. In 1994, Dr. Davalos received an Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award from the WVU College of Engineering, the J.C. Burchinal Teaching Award and the Outstanding Faculty Participation Award by vote of undergraduate CEE students, and an Excellence in Teaching Award based on student evaluations. He was named Teacher of the Year by the engineering college in both 1995 and 1996. In 1995, he also received the WVU Outstanding Teaching Award, which is the highest teaching honor conferred at the university.



In 1996, Dr. Davalos received the Chi Epsilon Excellence in Teaching Award from the 13 chapters of the Cumberland District of the civil engineering honor society, and he was nominated that year for the Carnegie Foundation U.S. Professor of the Year Award. Four more teaching and research awards at WVU followed in 1997, and in 1998 he was named the Benedum Distinguished Teaching Professor, the first named professorship at WVU presented in recognition of outstanding teaching and leadership in teaching innovation and research.



Julio Davalos and his wife, Cristina, a lecturer in the WVU Department of Foreign Languages, live in Morgantown. Their son, Julio Jr., is a WVU medical student.