SSPEED Center

The Civil and Environmental Engineering department the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing at Rice University celebrated the 50 th anniversary of Philip Bedient, Herman Brown Endowed Chair of Engineering and director of the Severe Storm Prediction, Education, and Evacuation from Disaster (SSPEED) Center, at Rice on May 9, 2025, at the Ralph S. 0’Connor Building for Engineering and Science.
 

Bedient was honored for five-decades of exemplary research, scholarship, teaching, and leadership in surface
water hydrology, flood modeling, predictions, and disaster management. He developed one of the first radar-
based rainfall flood alert systems (FAS5) in the U.S. and has several operational FAS systems in Texas. He founded the SSPEED Center at Rice University in 2007 to advance research and education related to mitigation and protection strategies from inland flooding and coastal surge due to hurricanes. He has evaluated flood issues in Texas, California, Florida, Louisiana, and Tennessee and worked on six of the largest and most devastating floods to hit the U.S. between 2001 and 2017, including modeling the environmental impact of Hurricane Harvey. 
 

In addition, Bedient established study abroad programs for Rice and Louisiana State University students to delve deeper into hydrology, nature-based solutions, and environmental sustainability at leading research institutions in England and Technical University of Delft at the Netherlands, a world-leader in hydraulics and coastal defense systems. He has published over 200 original research articles and is a lead author of the textbook, “Hydrology and Floodplain Analysis (6th Ed),” which is used in over 75 universities across the U.S.
 

Bedient’s 50 th anniversary celebrations commenced with dinner and a warm welcome address by Jim Blackburn, co-director of SSPEED and professor in the practice of environmental law at Rice, who read the poem he composed for his longtime collaborator and friend. This was followed by tributes by Luay Nakhleh, dean of Rice’s School of Engineering and Computing, Jamie Padgett, Chair of Rice’s Civil and Environmental Engineering department, Elle Anderson, Rice Trustee and alumni, Pedro Alvarez, director of the WaTER Institute, and his colleague, Jill Nesting. Padgett reminisced about Bedient’s boundless energy and enthusiasm for hydrology, his fun and generous personality, and the instrumental role he played in bringing her and several others to Rice to build a community of hydrology researchers. “The name Phil chose for the center—SSPEED—is quite apt since that is the vigorous pace and urgency with which he works, to this day!” Padgett said.

 

“Phil is driven by his deep passion for hydrology and has made enormous strides in identifying and implementing flood mitigation and protection strategies which have not only advanced science but have had an extraordinary and lasting impact on Rice, communities in and around Houston, and the broader world. He perfectly exemplifies the mission of our school—solving for greater good,” Nakhleh said. “Phil’s long and fruitful research and teaching tenure at Rice is a testament to his excellence, stamina, and love for nurturing the next generation of engineers, and reflects how deeply his students—many of whom are now researchers, educators, and leaders around the world—and his colleagues love and respect him.”

 

I was totally amazed by the many wonderful comments at the celebration event, and am humbled beyond belief by the amazing turnout that we had. I was surrounded by a wonderful family, great Rice colleagues, awesome students, and close friends that have been with me for many years.