NSSA Kiesling Award
The Kiesling Award was established in 2014 to recognize and honor the industry-changing contributions made to the storm shelter industry by Dr. Ernst Kiesling. Dr. Kiesling joined the faculty at Texas Tech University in 1968 as the chairman of the civil engineering department. He helped establish the Institute for Disaster Research (IDR) in response to the EF-5 tornado that hit Lubbock in 1970. The IDR later became the National Wind Institute (NWI), and Dr. Kiesling was a leader in creating the Debris Impact Facility at the NWI.
Dr. Kiesling became known as the "Father of the Safe Room" because of his tireless efforts to work with researchers, design professionals, and FEMA in the creation of safe room standards that would protect families in the face of violent weather events. In February of 2000, Dr. Kiesling invited several companies who had had their shelters tested by the Debris Impact Facility to meet and address quality issues in the storm shelter industry. By 2001, he had established the National Storm Shelter Association and served as our Executive Director from May 2001 until his retirement from TTU in 2018.
Even after his retirement from the university, Dr. Kiesling was a driving force in the continued improvement of storm shelters in the U.S. He was a sought-after speaker, educator, mentor, and advisor for many of us in the industry until his passing in October, 2021.
In his honor, and memory, the NSSA presents the Kiesling Award annually to an individual who has been nominated by his or her peers. The purpose of the award is to recognize persons who have made very significant contributions to the storm shelter industry through activities such as legislation, programs, media campaigns, standards, publications, conferences, workshops, webinars or symposiums to advance the storm shelter industry. A call for nominations is made each summer in anticipation of the award being presented at the NSSA's annual fall storm shelter conference.
Dr. Kiesling became known as the "Father of the Safe Room" because of his tireless efforts to work with researchers, design professionals, and FEMA in the creation of safe room standards that would protect families in the face of violent weather events. In February of 2000, Dr. Kiesling invited several companies who had had their shelters tested by the Debris Impact Facility to meet and address quality issues in the storm shelter industry. By 2001, he had established the National Storm Shelter Association and served as our Executive Director from May 2001 until his retirement from TTU in 2018.
Even after his retirement from the university, Dr. Kiesling was a driving force in the continued improvement of storm shelters in the U.S. He was a sought-after speaker, educator, mentor, and advisor for many of us in the industry until his passing in October, 2021.
In his honor, and memory, the NSSA presents the Kiesling Award annually to an individual who has been nominated by his or her peers. The purpose of the award is to recognize persons who have made very significant contributions to the storm shelter industry through activities such as legislation, programs, media campaigns, standards, publications, conferences, workshops, webinars or symposiums to advance the storm shelter industry. A call for nominations is made each summer in anticipation of the award being presented at the NSSA's annual fall storm shelter conference.
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