Speakers
Christopher Dunn, PhD, PE
Dr. Christopher L. Dunn currently serves as the New Orleans District Chief of Engineering Division and as the District’s Levee Safety Officer. In these roles he is responsible for leading a team of approximately 250 engineers, scientists, technicians, and other support staff, in preparing quality engineering products in support of the New Orleans District Civil Works program and providing direct oversight of the District’s Levee Safety Program.
Dr. Dunn obtained his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Louisiana State University in 1998 and his M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of New Orleans in 2001. Dr. Dunn’s academic pursuits culminated in receipt of his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University in 2013 after completion of his dissertation entitled, “Assessing Levels of Reliability for Design Criteria for Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction Structures.” As a direct follow-on to his academic research, Dr. Dunn was the lead author of, “Statistical representation of design parameters for hurricane risk reduction structures,” published in Structural Safety in 2013. In August 2021, Dr. Dunn earned a Certificate in Risk Assessment and Management from the Notre Dame of Maryland University. He has been a licensed Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering in the state of Louisiana since 2002. He is also currently a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Society of American Military Engineers.
Dr. Dunn’s career began with a two-year tenure with URS Corporation as a structural engineer before joining the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New Orleans District (MVN) in 2000. Now in his 22nd year with USACE, Dr. Dunn has spent most of his time in Engineering Division, where he served in multiple leadership roles within Structures Branch culminating in his selection as Branch Chief in 2014. He has also served as Acting Branch Chief for the New Orleans District Hydraulics and Hydrologic Design Branch and in 2016 he was selected to serve as the Assistant Chief of Engineering Division before being selected to his current role as Chief of Engineering Division in late 2021.
Dr. Dunn currently lives in Metairie, Louisiana, with his wife Kelly, their three daughters, and two dogs.
Presentation Description
The Evolution of the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lock ProjectThis presentation will provide an overview of the lock history from original construction to present day, including evolution of replacement design concepts.
