History
Image courtesy Jorge Zornberg, 8 January 2014
The International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) is a learned society dedicated to the scientific and engineering development of geotextiles, geomembranes, related products and associated technologies. Since the society’s beginnings the IGS has grown to over 2,600 individual members, 1000+ student members and 168 Corporate Members. With 47 chapters worldwide, it’s easy to be involved with the society by joining a local IGS chapter.
Early Beginnings
The International Geosynthetics Society can trace its roots back to 1977 when the International Conference on the use of Fabrics in Geotechnics occurred in Paris, France. Today the event is referred to as the First International Conference on Geotextiles. During the conference Dr. J. P. Giroud presented a paper on the Valcros Dam in France, coining the words “geotextiles” and “geomembranes.”
Founded in Paris, France in 1983 as the International Geotextile Society (IGS), the IGS General Assembly approved the change of name to the International Geosynthetics Society in 1994. The society published the first issue of the newsletter, the IGS News, in 1985. The society is now headquartered in Jupiter, Florida, USA.
For a detailed overview on the development of the society, download the IGS History Archives.
Download IGS History Archives (pdf)
COUNCIL HISTORY
Click on any tab to view the council members for that year.
Current Council Members
2018
IGS President:
Chungsik Yoo
IGS Vice President:
Nathalie Touze
IGS Secretary:
Edoardo Zannoni
IGS Treasurer:
Ian Fraser
Immediate Past President:
Russell Jones
Council Members:
Dimiter Alexiew
Sam Allen
Augusto Alza
Gerhard Bräu
Laura Carbone
Jacques Cote
Francesco Fontana
Ian Fraser
Erol Guler
Jie Han
Warren Hornsey
Chiwan Hsieh
Russell Jones
Takeshi Katsumi
Jacek Kawalec
Preston Kendall
Hong Kwan (Hogan) Kim
Junichi Koseki
Flavio Montez
Boyd Ramsey
Pietro Rimoldi
Nathalie Touze
M. Venkataraman
Kent von Maubeuge
Chao Xu
Chungsik Yoo
Edoardo Zannoni
Martin Ziegler
2016
IGS President:
Russell Jones
IGS Vice President:
Chungsik Yoo
IGS Secretary:
Elizabeth Peggs
IGS Treasurer:
Peter Legg
Immediate Past President:
Jorge G. Zornberg
Council Members:
Sam Allen
Augusto V. Alza
Gerhard Brau
Jacques Cote
Kazem Fakharian
Francesco Fontana
Ian Fraser
Erol Guler
Warren Hornsey
Chiwan Hsieh
Rajagopal Karpurapu
Takeshi Katsumi
Jacek Kawalec
Hong Kwan
Junichi Koseki
Flavio Teixeira Montez
Boyd Ramsey
Pietro Rimoldi
Nathalie Touze-Foltz
Kent von Maubeuge
Chao Xu
Edoardo Zannoni
Martin Ziegler
2014
President:
Dr. Russell Jones
Vice President:
Prof. Chungsik Yoo
Secretary:
Mrs. Elizabeth Peggs
Treasurer:
Mr. Peter Legg, PrEng
Immediate Past President:
Dr. Jorge G. Zornberg, P.E.
Council Members:
Mr. Sam R. Allen
Prof. Dennes T. Bergado
Mr. Eric Blond
Dipl.-Ing. Gerhard Bräu
Jacques Cote
Mr. Ian Fraser
Dr. Fazli Erol Guler
Mr. Warren Hornsey
Dr. Hsieh, Chiwan
Dr.Eng. Takeshi Katsumi
Dr. Jacek Kawalec
Prof. Jiro Kuwano
Eng. Flávio Teixeira Montez
Prof. Nicola Moraci
Eng. Victor Eduardo Pimentel
Prof. K. Rajagopal
Mr. Boyd J. Ramsey
Ing. Pietro Rimoldi
Dr. Nathalie Touze-Foltz, Ph.D.
i. V. Kent P. von Maubeuge
Mr. Edoardo Zannoni
Univ.Prof.Dr.-Ing. Martin Ziegler
2012
December 2012 Prof. Martin Ziegler co-opted December 2012 Edoardo Zannoni added as a non-voting, invited member
President:
Dr. Jorge G. Zornberg, P.E.
Vice President:
Dr. Russell Jones
Secretary:
Mrs. Elizabeth Peggs
Treasurer:
Mr. Peter Legg, PrEng
Immediate Past President:
Prof. Fumio Tatsuoka
Council Members:
Mr. Sam R. Allen
Mr. Eric Blond
Prof. Chungsik Yoo
Dr. Neil Dixon
Dr. Nathalie Touze-Foltz, Ph.D.
Mr. Juan Carlos Rivera Baca
Prof. K. Rajagopal
Mr. John W. Cowland
Prof. Jun Otani
Mr. Pedro Abad Santos
Prof. Xiao-Wu Tang
Dr. Fazli Erol Guler
Prof. Dennes T. Bergado
Mr. Warren Hornsey
i. V. Kent P. von Maubeuge
Prof. Nicola Moraci
Univ.Prof.Dr.-Ing. Martin Ziegler
Eng. Victor Eduardo Pimentel
Prof. Jiro Kuwano
Mr. Boyd J. Ramsey
Mr. Edoardo Zannoni
2010
John Cowland served as Treasurer from May of 2010 through March 12 of 2011.
President:
Dr. Jorge G. Zornberg, P.E.
Vice President:
Dr. Russell Jones
Secretary:
Mrs. Elizabeth Peggs
Treasurer:
Mr. Peter Legg, PrEng
Immediate Past President:
Prof. Fumio Tatsuoka
Council Members:
Mr. Sam R. Allen
Mr. Eric Blond
Prof. Chungsik Yoo
Dr. Neil Dixon
Dr. Nathalie Touze-Foltz, Ph.D.
Eng. Germán Vivar
Prof. K. Rajagopal
Mr. Peter Legg, PrEng
Prof. Jun Otani
Mr. Pedro Abad Santos
Prof. Xiao-Wu Tang
Dr. Abdelmalek Bouazza
Prof. Dennes T. Bergado
Ing. Pierpaolo Fantini
Dr. Han-Yong Jeon
Mr. Mike Sadlier
Univ.Prof.Dr.-Ing. Martin Ziegler
Eng. Victor Eduardo Pimentel
Prof. Jiro Kuwano
German Vivar resigned in March of 2011 and was replaced by Co-Opted Juan Carlos Rivera.
President:
Dr. Jorge G. Zornberg, P.E.
Vice President:
Dr. Russell Jones
Secretary:
Mrs. Elizabeth Peggs
Treasurer:
Mr. Peter Legg, PrEng
Immediate Past President:
Prof. Fumio Tatsuoka
Council Members:
Mr. Sam R. Allen
Mr. Eric Blond
Prof. Chungsik Yoo
Dr. Neil Dixon
Dr. Nathalie Touze-Foltz, Ph.D.
Mr. Juan Carlos Rivera Baca
Prof. K. Rajagopal
Mr. John W. Cowland
Prof. Jun Otani
Mr. Pedro Abad Santos
Prof. Xiao-Wu Tang
Dr. Abdelmalek Bouazza
Prof. Dennes T. Bergado
Ing. Pierpaolo Fantini
Dr. Han-Yong Jeon
Mr. Mike Sadlier
Univ.Prof.Dr.-Ing. Martin Ziegler
Eng. Victor Eduardo Pimentel
Prof. Jiro Kuwano
2008
President:
Prof. Fumio Tatsuoka
Vice President:
Dr. Jorge G. Zornberg, P.E.
Secretary:
Mr. Peter E. Stevenson
Treasurer:
Mr. John W. Cowland
Immediate Past President:
Dr.Ing. Daniele A. Cazzuffi
Council Members:
Mr. Sam R. Allen
Prof. Dennes T. Bergado
Dr. Abdelmalek Bouazza
Dipl.-Ing. Gerhard Bräu
Prof. Yun-min Chen
Dr. Neil Dixon
Ing. Pierpaolo Fantini
Eng. Jose Ferreyros
Mr. Nicolas Freitag
Dr. Han-Yong Jeon
Dr. Russell Jones
Prof. Jiro Kuwano
Mr. Peter Legg, PrEng
Prof. Michele Maugeri
Prof. Jun Otani
Dr. Ennio Marques Palmeira
Mrs. Elizabeth Peggs
Eng. Victor Eduardo Pimentel
Mr. Mike Sadlier
Univ.Prof.Dr.-Ing. Martin Ziegler
2006
President:
Prof. Fumio Tatsuoka
Vice President:
Dr. Jorge G. Zornberg, P.E.
Secretary:
Mr. Peter E. Stevenson
Treasurer:
Mr. John W. Cowland
Immediate Past President:
Dr.Ing. Daniele A. Cazzuffi
Council Members:
Mr. Patrice Allemand
Dipl.-Ing. Gerhard Bräu
Mr. John H. Dixon
Mr. Nicolas Freitag
Prof. Michele Maugeri
Prof. Jun Otani
Dr. Ennio Marques Palmeira
Mrs. Elizabeth Peggs
Eng. Jose Ferreyros
Prof. Yun-min Chen
Mr. Peter Legg, PrEng
Dr. Abdelmalek Bouazza
Prof. Masashi Kamon
Mr. Bernard Myles MICE SVR DECEASED
Mr. Mike Sadlier
Dr. Eun-Chul Shin
2004
2005 January – Fettig/Halloran resigned E. Peggs Co-Opted
President:
Dr.Ing. Daniele A. Cazzuffi
Vice President:
Prof. Fumio Tatsuoka
Secretary:
Mr. Peter E. Stevenson
Treasurer:
Ir. Wim Voskamp
Immediate Past President:
Dr. Richard J. Bathurst
Council Members:
Dr. Abdelmalek Bouazza
Ing. Pierpaolo Fantini
Mrs. Danette R. Halloran
Mr. John W. Cowland
Prof. Masashi Kamon
Mr. Bernard Myles MICE SVR DECEASED
Mr. Mike Sadlier
Dr. Jorge G. Zornberg, P.E.
Dipl.-Ing. Gerhard Bräu
Mr. Stephen P. Corbet
Mr. Philippe Delmas
Prof. Michele Maugeri
Dr. Ennio Marques Palmeira
Mr. Seung-Mock Shin
2002
President:
Dr.Ing. Daniele A. Cazzuffi
Vice President:
Prof. Fumio Tatsuoka
Secretary:
Mr. Peter E. Stevenson
Treasurer:
Mr. Philippe Delmas
Immediate Past President:
Dr. Richard J. Bathurst
Council Members:
Dipl.-Ing. Gerhard Bräu
Mr. Stephen P. Corbet
Prof. Michele Maugeri
Dr. Hiroshi Miki
Ir. Wim Voskamp
Eng. Ernesto Alió
Prof. Bao Cheng-Gang
Dr. Barry R. Christopher. P.E.
Prof. Bao Cheng-Gang
Mrs. Danette R. Halloran
Mr. John W. Cowland
Prof. Masashi Kamon
Dr. Valentin Feodorov
Prof. Jean Lafleur
Dr. Eun-Soo Lee
Maria de Lurdes Lopes
Mr. Bernard Myles MICE SVR DECEASED
Mr. James Paul DECEASED
Mr. Mike Sadlier
2000
President:
Dr. Richard J. Bathurst
Vice President:
Dr.Ing. Daniele A. Cazzuffi
Secretary:
Mr. Peter E. Stevenson
Treasurer:
Mr. Philippe Delmas
Immediate Past President:
Prof. Colin J.F.P. Jones
Council Members:
Mr. John W. Cowland
Mrs. Danette R. Halloran
Prof. Masashi Kamon
Prof. Jean Lafleur
Prof. Song Lee
Maria de Lurdes Lopes
Mr. Bernard Myles MICE SVR DECEASED
Mr. James Paul DECEASED
Dr. Valentin Feodorov
Mr. Mike Sadlier
Dr. James G. Collin, P.E.
Mr. Stephen P. Corbet
Prof. Jean-Pierre Gourc
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Georg Heerten
Dr. Ennio Marques Palmeira
Ing. Pietro Rimoldi
Prof. Fumio Tatsuoka
