Dr. Braja M. Das is Dean Emeritus of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at California State University, Sacramento (USA). He received his M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Iowa and his Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin (USA). Das is the author of a number of geotechnical engineering reference books and textbooks and more than 250 technical papers in the area of geotechnical engineering. Dr. Das’ primary areas of research include earth anchors, shallow foundations, and geosynthetics. Beaja is a Fellow and Life Member of the American Society for Engineering Education, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and an Emeritus Member of the Chemical and Mechanical Stabilization Committee of the Transportation Research Board of the National Research Council (Washington D.C.). Braja has received numerous awards for teaching excellence, including the AT&T Award for Teaching Excellence from the American Society for Engineering Education, the AMOCO Foundation Award, the Ralph Teetor Award from the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching Excellence from the University of Texas at El Paso, Texas.