Fonds F0317 - Dr. Michel Sargious fonds

Dr Michel Sargious was a Professor of Civil Engineering in the Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary. Born in Cairo, Egypt in 1930, he received his BSc (1951) and MEng (1957) degrees from the University of Cairo, and his PhD (1960) from the University of Stuttgart. Prior to immigrating to Canada in 1968, Dr Sargious worked in Egypt and then as the Chief resident Engineer for the design and supervision of construction of the Kuwait International Airport. He joined the Faculty of Engineering as an Associate Professor, and was promoted to Professor in 1976.

Dr Sargious held administrative positions within the Faculty, including Acting Associate Dean, Academic (1984-1985) and Acting Head, Department of Civil Engineering (1986-1988); and participated as member or chair of numerous committees established by professional organizations he was affiliated with. He was named Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering upon his retirement in 1990, and received the Distinguished Lifetime Leadership Award from the Shulich School of Engineering in 2010. He was named a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (1989), the American Concrete Institute (1989) and the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers (1990).

Dr Sargious focused his research on transportation engineering, including such topics as planning urban transit and roadway systems, freight transportation, accident analysis, energy conservation in urban transportation, and issues related to rigid pavements. He authored 90 articles and a book, “Pavement and Surfacings for Highways and Airports” (1975). In addition to his academic work, he was involved in consulting activities in Canada and abroad, designing airports, stadiums, major hotels, industrial buildings, transit systems, and pavement designs; and as an expert witness in court cases which drew on his knowledge of transportation systems, road surfaces and accident analysis. From 1991-1997 he was involved in a CIDA initiative to establish a Faculty of Engineering in Nepal.

Dr Sargious died on May 8, 2011 at the age of 81. A scholarship bearing his name, which he established in 1991, is offered to Civil Engineering students at the University of Calgary.