The West Virginia Academy of Civil Engineers recently inducted three new members.

James E. Laier of Mobile, Ala., and David S. Taylor of Roanoke, Va., were present for induction into the academys third class at its meeting at the Erickson Alumni Center on WVU s campus in Morgantown. Richard T. Feller of Fairmont was inducted posthumously.

The West Virginia University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering founded the academy in 2005 to recognize graduates and others who have brought honor to the profession of civil engineering or who have been of outstanding service to the state of West Virginia.

More about each of the inductees follows:

Laier is the chief executive officer of Southern Earth Sciences, a geotechnical, environmental and construction materials testing company in Mobile. He also is a registered professional engineer in 11 states. He received his bachelors degree in civil engineering from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, in 1964, his masters in civil/geotechnical engineering from WVU in 1965 and his doctorate in civil/geotechnical engineering from the University of Florida in 1973. Laier founded Southern Earth Sciences in 1976.

Taylor attended Cornell University, graduating in 1952 with a bachelors degree in civil engineering. He spent four years in the Air Force flying F-86 Saber Jets in Europe and Africa. In 1958, Taylor moved back to West Virginia and began his engineering career with Union Carbide Corp. in Charleston as a design engineer. Taylor was instrumental in forming the West Virginia Utility Contractors Association, the state branch of the National Utility Contractors Association.

Feller, a native of Fairmont, graduated from WVU s College of Engineering in 1942 with a bachelors degree in civil engineering. While at the University, he was drum major for the Mountaineer Marching Band and served as president of Kappa Alpha fraternity. In his professional life, he worked for many years on the staff of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. He was named to WVU s Academy of Distinguished Alumni and received many other honors during his life and career. He passed away in 2002 and is buried at the National Cathedral.