UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) has selected Vincent F. Hock Jr. as the recipient of the 2016 GEMS Alumni Achievement Award for his influential work in protecting the nation’s waters and infrastructure.
Hock was recognized on Friday, Sept. 30, at the college’s annual Obelisk Society dinner, held at The Nittany Lion Inn on the University Park campus.
The GEMS Alumni Achievement Award is given annually by the EMS Alumni Society, GEMS (Graduates of Earth and Mineral Sciences), to recognize outstanding achievement by EMS alumni. All EMS alumni are eligible to receive this award.
Hock is senior scientist and technical adviser with the Materials and Structures Branch of the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Engineering Research Development Center (ERDC), and Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) in Champaign, Illinois. After retiring in 2010, ERDC CERL asked Hock to return to work as a senior technical research advisor and mentor to young investigators.
“Being selected as the recipient of the 2016 GEMS Alumni Achievement Award in recognition for my many years of service to the Corps of Engineers, Army, DoD and the nation is one of most important accomplishments,” said Hock.
During his career, Hock developed innovative solutions for corrosion prevention and control and integrated security water systems for the Department of Defense. He also developed aquatic nuisance control for Asian carp, an invasive species, for the USACE Chicago District, and provided consulting services to the Departments of Justice and State.
“Hock is widely recognized within the Department of Defense, the U.S. Army, and the Engineer Research and Development Center as the primary driver and innovator for developing not one but two novel materials and engineering systems: the Corrosion Prevention and Control Program for the military and civil works infrastructure and the Integrated Water System Security Program,” said Ilker Adiguzel, director of the USACECERL.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorism attack, the Pentagon enlisted Hock to lead the development of safe and secure potable water systems worldwide. Hock developed dynamic modeling and simulation tools and counter-terrorism measures for mitigating chemical and biological threats to the water supply. Based on this research, he was invited to brief the national governments of Australia and the United Kingdom on water security.
Hock’s research has yielded seven patents — with three more near the final approval stages — producing practical methods of controlling water intrusion in challenging conditions. The technology he developed has been used to protect historic buildings, parking garages, military munitions storage facilities and locks and dams.
Hock has recently performed a number of corrosion-related failure analyses, including the corrosion of hydronic heating and cooling water systems for the Department of State and the corrosion of aluminum bulkheads in the Ohio River.
Hock has authored or co-authored more than 190 publications and received numerous research awards from the U.S. Army, the Society of American Military Engineers, FIATECH (Fully Integrated and Automated Technology), Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC), National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) and The Electro Chemical society. He currently is a member of the American Water Works Association, the Society of American Military Engineers and the National Association of Corrosion Engineers, where he was elected as a Fellow. He is also a distinguished U.S. Army veteran having served two tours in Vietnam.
Hock earned his master’s degree in metallurgy, with honors, from Penn State in 1978.