Gold medal for Robert Pullen
- By Wits University
Wits University awarded a Gold Medal to civil engineer Robert Pullen during a graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Engineering an the Built Environment on 11 December 2013.
Pullen was honoured for his outstanding contribution to the practice of water resources engineering and especially to the wider engineering profession in South Africa. He obtained the degrees of BSc (Eng) in 1961 and MSc(Eng) in 1970 in Civil Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand, and an MBL at the University of South Africa in 1978.
During his professional career Bob Pullen was involved in investigations of major floods in South Africa and the development of national policy on flood management. He was the technical editor of the first major policy document published by the Department of Water Affairs in 1986 Management of the Water Resources of the RSA, which in updated form remains a standard reference for water resources in South Africa. He played a pioneering role in promoting consideration of the natural environment in engineering activities in South Africa, and was instrumental in the drafting of the policy document which led to the seven Built Environment Professions Acts of 2001. His outstanding professional achievements were rewarded by the award of a Gold Medal by the South African Institution of Civil Engineering in 2001.
Recognising the role of education in the development of the civil engineering profession, Pullen has maintained contact with tertiary institutions through postgraduate supervision and by serving on the Council of the University of the Witwatersrand.
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