Ronald Kerry Rowe graduated from the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia, where he was awarded a BSc (Computer Science) in 1973, a BE (Hons I, Civil Engineering) and the University Medal in 1975, a PhD in 1979, and a D.Eng in 1993. He served as a geotechnical engineer with the Australian Government Department of Construction (1974-1978). He spent 22 years as a professor at the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada (1979-2000). From 2000 to 2010, he served as Vice Principal (Research) at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, where he was responsible for the administration of all research conducted at Queen's. He is the Barrington Batchelor Distinguished University Professor and the Canada Research Chair in Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering in the Department of Civil Engineering at Queen’s. He has been elected to the world’s oldest and most prestigious scientific Society recognizing fundamental contributions to science, the Royal Society (of London, UK). He was appointed an Office of the Order of Canada for his seminal contributions to the field of geoenvironmental engineering, notably for his pioneering research on waste barrier systems. His research and consulting include contaminant migration through soil and rock, landfill design, containment of contaminated sites, geosynthetics (including geotextiles, geomembranes, geogrids, geonets, etc.), tailings storage facilities, heap leach pads, dams, etc.