American Rock Mechanics Association

Peter Smeallie is executive director of ARMA. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of ARMA and the ARMA Foundation. He serves as the primary contact for members and can be reached at:

Peter H. Smeallie
American Rock Mechanics Association
600 Woodland Terrace
Alexandria, VA 22302
smeallie@armarocks.org
703.683.1808
Fax: 703.683.1815

In 1995, Peter Smeallie was appointed the first Executive Director of both the American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA) and the ARMA Foundation. As Executive Director, he manages a professional society of approximately 350 individuals with an interest in rock mechanics and rock engineering. Part of ARMA's responsibility is the annual U.S. Rock Mechanics Symposium. Mr. Smeallie has undertaken four projects with the National Science Foundation through the ARMA Foundation.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Smeallie worked for 12 years at the National Academy of Sciences where his responsibilities included directing advisory research studies in areas such as geotechnology, manufacturing, energy engineering, construction technology, infrastructure and urban systems, and advanced technologies applied to design and engineering practice. Mr. Smeallie's last position at the Academy was Director of the Geotechnical Board and its U.S. National Committee for Rock Mechanics; he also served as a senior staff officer of the Building Research Board.

While at the Academy, Mr. Smeallie was study director for over 20 major projects, including Rock Fractures and Fluid Flow: Contemporary Understanding and Applications. Results from these reports included the establishment of NSF's Engineering Research Centers; the selection of the first Manufacturing Technology Centers for NIST; the adoption of anti-terrorist design and engineering recommendations for new U.S. embassy buildings for the Department of State; recommendations to NSF for a forward-looking infrastructure research agenda; presentation of construction safety guidance to DOE for the proposed Yucca Mountain high-level nuclear waste facility and the Superconducting Super Collidor; and recommendations to DOE for an advanced drilling and excavation research program.

From 1979-82, Mr. Smeallie was Vice President of Thomas Vonier Associates, Inc., an architectural and construction research firm. Among his clients were the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Building Museum, the National Park Service, and Solar Energy Research Institute. During this time, Mr. Smeallie authored (with J. Eberhard) A Guide to the Federal Government for Design and Building Professionals.

Before Vonier Associates, Mr. Smeallie was a program manager at the American Institute of Architects Research Corporation from 1975-79. There his clients included the Federal Energy Administration and the Energy Research and Development Administration (both predecessors to DOE), as well as NOAA and the United Nations.

Mr. Smeallie has a degree in Urban Studies from St. Lawrence University. He is author (with P. Smith) of New Construction for Older Buildings: A Design Sourcebook for Architects and Preservationists, published by John Wiley & Sons in 1990. He serves on the City of Alexandria's Board on Architectural Review for the Old and Historic District. Mr. Smeallie is a member of the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C