Fellow Dr Mike Shand honoured with Honorary Fellowship of SAAE and insert Citation under
In May 2018 the Executive Committee of the SAAE unanimously bestowed the accolade of Honorary Fellow on Dr Michael John Shand. This accolade was considered appropriate recognition of:
• His achievements in engineering projects, particularly in the fields of water resource planning, design and management and dam design and construction, for which he is widely respected throughout South Africa and in many States in sub-Sahara Africa, and
• His significant contributions to the SA Academy of Engineering and to the engineering profession in South Africa over many years.
Mike was born in 1941 and, after attending Bishops High School in Cape Town he was admitted to the University of Cape Town where a BSc Eng (Civil) degree was bestowed on him in 1960. Soon thereafter he attended the University of California, Berkley, for post graduate studies in civil engineering. He completed a Master of Science programme in civil engineering and continued with further work in hydraulics for which he earned a PhD degree in 1969. His post graduate studies at Berkley has stood him in good stead during his long career in the engineering profession.
In the engineering profession we all know Doreen, to whom Mike has been married for a long time, as that quite, reliable supporter, who is always standing by Mike when he is busy with the many activities for the SAAE.
PROFILE IN THE PROFESSION
Shand is an iconic name in the engineering profession in South Africa. Mike’s father, Ninham Shand, could be credited with being the doyen of consulting engineers in South Africa. He started the professional practice, which in later years came to be known as Ninham Shand Incorporated, or more colloquially, simply Shands. Today that pioneer firm is part of the international engineering practice Aurecon. In 1969, on his return from Berkley with a PhD, Mike joined Shands and was appointed Resident Engineer on the construction of Xonxa Dam near Queenstown. That was about 50 years ago!
Mike has managed various Shand offices, including those in Maseru, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban. From 1977 he was the Head of the firm’s Hydro Department which provided professional engineering services in water-related projects including, inter alia, hydrology, water resources, dam engineering, pipelines, water hammer analyses, river engineering and stormwater management.
During his long career in water engineering Mike has fulfilled responsible roles in numerous major engineering projects such as the planning and design of spillways for major dams, including Katse Dam in the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and Maguga Dam in Swaziland. He was Project Leader on a number of important water resource planning and management assignments, usually for the Department of Water and Sanitation, which informed the resource development planning of major water supply systems to meet anticipated reasonable water needs over planning horizons of 20 years and longer. Typical such engineering assignments, on a Catchment Management Area scale, are for water supplies to East London, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. Similar large area water resource assignments for which Mike has carried significant responsibility are the Orange River Replanning Study and the Mzimvubu River component of the Vaal Augmentation Planning Study. Of particular interest to Mike is the management of urban river catchments in the Western Cape.
His untiring, active career in engineering has provided Mike with the opportunity to write numerous technical papers, sometimes as co-author, for publication in refereed engineering journals and elsewhere.
Mike has been a very active member of various institutions in the South African engineering profession, particularly the SA Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) where he is a Fellow. In such situations he has usually filled leadership roles and was Chairman of the SAICE Western Cape Branch and of the SAICE Water Engineering Division. Mike has contributed greatly to the organization and presentation of numerous congresses, symposia and social events for SAICE.
His other activities in the engineering profession include being a Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and a Member of the Water Institute of SA (WISA).
Mike was Elected as Fellow of the SAAE in 2000 and as member of the Executive Committee in 2008. He has been responsible for the Membership portfolio since his election to the Exco, was Treasurer from 2014 to 2016, and was elected Vice President from 2016 to 2018. Mike has made himself available to represent the SAAE at various CAETS Council meetings and on the CAETS Energy Committee.
Mike has for many years, particularly since being a member of the Exco, been a stalwart in Cape Town for arranging Academy Lectures, meetings of members, and annual Induction Dinners. This detailed and impeccable attention to the social needs of members is highly appreciated. Doreen’s backing and assistance in making a success of these events is recognised and equally appreciated.
This biographical sketch of Michael John Shand, the very brief overview of his significant achievements in engineering in South Africa, and the significant contribution that he has made to the engineering profession, informed the Executive Committee to unanimously bestow on him the highest accolade from the SA Academy of Engineering, that of Honorary Fellow.