Geoffrey Eustace Blight

Setting higher doctoral degrees as research goals, Professor Blight was awarded a DSc(Eng) from University of London in 1975, a DSc(Eng) from Wits in 1985, a DSc(Eng) from University of Cape Town in 1993 and another DSc(Eng) from Wits in 2001. He was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Engineering by Wits in 2009. He completed his final textbook Unsaturated Soil Mechanics in Geotechnical Practice a few days before he died on 7 November 2013. He was married to Rhona and had three daughters.

For his significant contributions to civil engineering Blight was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Southern Africa (1991), Honorary Fellow of the South African Institute for Civil Engineers (SAICE) (1997) and Life Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (2000). In recognition of his work in geotechnical engineering he was the 1997 Rankine Lecturer.

In 1991 he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Southern Africa. Also in 1991, he was a Founder Member of the South African Academy of Science and Founder Member of the South African Engineering Academy. SAICE elected him an Honorary Fellow in 1997 and he was made a Life Member of the ASCE in 2000.

Blight received numerous awards including the ASCE's J James Croes Gold Medal for innovation in research (1975), A-grade researcher status by the South African Foundation for Research Development (1989-2002), Distinguished Research Award by SAICE (1989), the Telford Premium by the UK Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) (1991), delivering the Rankine Lecture to the British Geotechnical Society (1997), South African Geotechnical Gold Medal by SAICE (1997), the Institute for Waste Management of Southern Africa President's Award for exceptional service to the waste management profession (2002) and a commendation from the Italian National Group for Prevention of Hydrogeologic Hazards for research into flow failures of tailings dams (2003).

Blight re-joined Wits in 1969. Due to restrictions of his appointment, he diversified his research focus into the study of pavements, alkali-aggregate reaction in concrete, solid waste disposal, pressures in silos and underground ore passes. His focus later returned to soil mechanics with a focus on application to mine tailings, and other industrial and municipal solid waste.

Following this, he was awarded the Witwatersrand University Council Scholarship to study overseas and elected to do his PhD at Imperial College. Blight investigated the behaviour of partially saturated soils under Professor Alan Bishop, graduating in 1961. Results from his meticulous laboratory testing are used to this day in calibrating numerical models.

After spending a short time with the consulting company Kanthack and Partners, Blight returned to Wits to complete his MSc in 1958 on internal stability of filters under the supervision of Jere Jennings.

Geoffrey Eustace Blight (30 July 1934 – 7 November 2013) was a professor in the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits), serving twice as head of department.

Blight was born in Pietersburg, South Africa, on 30 July 1934 and educated at Benoni High School. He graduated from Wits with a BSc (Eng) in Civil Engineering in 1955.