21 August 1992 Lincoln Names New Engineering Professor

Auckland-born engineer Dr Laurence Richards, who for the past 20 years has been based in Britain with one of the world's largest earth science consulting organisations, Golder Associates, has been appointed Professor of Natural Resources Engineering at Lincoln University.

Dr Richards, aged 50, succeeds Professor G.T. ("Tony") Ward who retired last year.

Married with a daughter and two sons, one of whom is studying at Lincoln, Dr Richards will be returning to New Zealand from Maidenhead, England, where he is a Senior Principal of Golder Associates, an organisation with over 1400 staff in more than 40 offices worldwide. Over the past three years he has, however, made numerous visits to New Zealand in relation to the Clyde Dam project.

Early in his career Dr Richards was with the Ministry of Works on a number of civil engineering projects including road construction in volcanic areas, for example the Wairakei-Taupo State Highway. He was also involved with a construction phase at Auckland International Airport.

Dr Richards' engineering skills have taken him to projects and consultancy work in many countries of the world. In addition he has been closely involved with academic circles as a visiting professor and examiner at various universities in the United Kingdom.

He is Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a fellow and member of many other engineering and associated bodies.

Dr Richards' professional experience has focused mainly on natural resource projects and the investigation of natural and man-made hazards. He graduated Bachelor of Engineering (First Class Honours) from Auckland University in 1970 and followed that with an MSc and a PhD (in rock mechanics) from the University of London. His doctoral thesis dealt with "Shear strength of joints in weathered rock".

Dr Richards is expected to take up his Lincoln post at the start of 1993.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand