COL Aaron Hill is a professor at the United States Military Academy (USMA) and the Deputy Department Head in the Department of Civil & Mechanical Engineering (CME), responsible for teaching, scholarship, and leadership at the academy and department levels.
He was commissioned as an Engineer Officer from West Point in 1997, where he majored in Civil Engineering. He has served in various assignments worldwide, including Afghanistan, the Sinai Peninsula, Bosnia, and Croatia. COL Hill served in CME from 2006-09 and from 2016 to the present. Along the way, he earned a master’s degree in Engineering Management (Missouri S&T) and Civil Engineering (Virginia Tech) and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (University of Texas at Austin). He has taught several courses in the civil engineering curriculum, ranging from structural engineering and steel design to infrastructure systems and construction management. Each spring, he co-teaches Project Management Professional (PMP) prep classes to the West Point community.
His research interests include topics in structural engineering and engineering education. He is Chair of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Committee on Education and Vice Chair of the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Partners in Education Committee. Additionally, he serves as the Head Officer Representative for Army Men’s Basketball.
He is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in Virginia and a PMP. District Support Program Manager, USACE LRD, Cincinnati, OH (2019) Operations Officer, Mission Command Center of Excellence, Ft. Leavenworth, KS (2012-13) Resident Officer in Charge, USACE, Kunduz, Afghanistan (2011–12) Operations Officer, Task Force Sinai, Egypt (2009–10) Commander, MDW Engineer Company, Fort Belvoir, VA (2002-04) Plans Officer, US Army Garrison Fort Belvoir, VA (2001–02) Engineer Company Executive Officer, 91st Engineer Battalion, Fort Hood, TX (1999-2000) Engineer Battalion Logistics Officer, 91st Engineer Battalion, Fort Hood (Known as Fort Cavazos since 2023), TX (1999) Engineer Platoon Leader, 91st Engineer Battalion, Fort Hood, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina (1997-99).
Ph.D., Civil Engineering - University of Texas at Austin
M.S., Civil Engineering - Virginia Polytechnic University
M.S., Engineering Management - University of Missouri-Rolla
B.S., Civil Engineering - U.S. Military Academy
Research Interests
Engineering education, project management, structural steel blast
Current Research
Structural Steel Behavior, USACE Lock and Dam Component Design and Standardization, Interdisciplinary Teams in Engineering Education, Project-Based Learning in Engineering Curricula
Selected Publications
Hill, A., and Williamson, E., “A Finite Element Analysis Engineering Solution to Short Riveted Connections under Dynamic Loadings.” International Journal of Protective Structures. February 2021. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2041419621990676
Hill, A., Nelson, M., “Application of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) in an Interdisciplinary Capstone: The AISC Steel Bridge Competition,” International Journal of Engineering Management. Vol. 3, No. 1, 2019, pp. 17-24. doi:10.11648/j.ijem.20190301.14 http://article.ijengmgmt.org/pdf/10.11648.j.ijem.20190301.14.pdf
Doshi, N., Hancox, J., Karkhai, P., Tawakkol, A., Smith, C., White, S., Nowicki, M., Bristow, E., Hill, A., McCoy, B., “Designing a Physical Model for the Emsworth Lock and Dam Filling and Emptying System,” Proceedings from the 2022 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition. Paper IMECE2022-95481.
McCoy, B., Hill, A., Tawakkol, A., Sawyer, S., Nyakundi, C., Smith S., “K-12 STEM Outreach: A Model to Reinforce Undergraduate Fundamentals and Inspire Future Generations,” Proceedings from the 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition. https://peer.asee.org/41619
Rocha, B., Hill, A., Hedgecock, N., Franz, S., Sallot, M., Ernst, M. “Evidence of the Benefits of Interdisciplinary Engineering Teams: Incorporating Systems Engineering into Civil Engineering Design,” Proceedings from the 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, 2022. https://peer.asee.org/41531
Retherford, J., Mobley, S., McCoy, B., Hill, A., “Student Perceptions of Project-Based Learning as Applicable to the Formation of Trusted Professionals,” Proceedings from the 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, 2022. https://peer.asee.org/41362
Ramos, L., Yoshii, H. Beyer, K., Corliss, M., Hill, A., Arnett, K., and McCoy, B. “Design Review: A Teaching Tool for Project-Based Learning,” Proceedings from the 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference, 2021. https://peer.asee.org/36921
Marshall, R., McGhee, D., Ngeme, L., Price, J., Arnett, K., Hill, A., and McCoy, B. “Teaching STEM to K-12 Students: Undergraduate Students Engaged in Engineering Pedagogical Development,” Proceedings from the 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference, 2021. https://peer.asee.org/37823
Fleaher, C., Suwanakeree, D., Collins, S., Kirk, G., La Torre, A., Pisacane, P., Arnett, K., McCoy, B., and Hill, A., “Project-based Learning in a Persistent COVID-19 Environment,” Proceedings from the 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference, 2021. https://peer.asee.org/37613
Wambeke, B., and Hill, A., “Applying Army Doctrine to Engineering: Is That Complex?” Proceedings from the 2021 ASEE Annual Conference, 2021. https://peer.asee.org/36689