Lawrence H. Roth

As ASCE’s Deputy Executive Director, Lawrence H. Roth is responsible for professional, technical, and educational activities. He also oversees ASCE’s publications and continuing education programs. Mr. Roth joined ASCE after a thirty-year career in consulting practice where he was a nationally recognized leader in civil and geotechnical engineering. During his years in practice, he specialized in geotechnical engineering for design and construction of water resource projects including dams and canals. Mr. Roth was with CH2M Hill’s San Francisco office for more than 20 years where he was senior vice president. He was also vice president and manager of the San Francisco office of Haley & Aldrich, and was vice president of Subsurface Consultants in Lafayette, California. He is a licensed professional engineer in six states and a licensed geotechnical engineer in California.

Following the events of September 11, 2001, Mr. Roth was instrumental in designing and implementing ASCE’s Critical Infrastructure Response Initiative (CIRI), which is defining ASCE’s efforts to improve anti-terrorism and asset protection methods. On behalf of ASCE, he was a founding member of The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP), a coalition of over 100 governmental agencies; professional, technical, and industry trade organizations; and educational institutions focused on the security of the built environment. Mr. Roth served as the TISP Chair in 2003.

Recently, Mr. Roth led the Society’s response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He is currently serving as the chief of staff and project manager for ASCE’s External Review Panel, which was assembled to provide an independent assessment of the performance evaluation of the New Orleans hurricane protection system that is being conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force.

Before joining ASCE, Mr. Roth was an active volunteer with the Society. He was a founding member of ASCE’s Geo-Institute, where he served on its Board of Governors and was its first President. Mr. Roth also chaired the Geotechnical Engineering Division Executive Committee, served as a member of the Strategic Planning Committee and the Committee on Professional Practice, and was President of ASCE’s San Francisco Section. For his accomplishments and contributions to the society and profession, Mr. Roth received the 1998 President's Medal from ASCE. He also served as President of ASFE/Professional Firms Practicing in the Geosciences and is a member of ASFE’s Council of Fellows. Mr. Roth is currently serving on the Board of Directors of Engineers Without Borders–USA.

Mr. Roth earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and serves on the Curriculum Advisory Committee of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering there. In the fall of 2000, Mr. Roth received the Distinguished Service Citation from the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering.