David Lucht has had a distinguished career of over 40 years in business, government and academia.
In his early positions he worked as a field engineer in the insurance industry and fire research and test engineer at The Ohio State University. He later served as the Ohio State Fire Marshal. In 1975, with the advice and consent of the US Senate, President Gerald R. Ford appointed him as the first deputy administrator of the newly created US Fire Administration. He continued his leadership in this fledging agency under US President Jimmy Carter as well.
In 1978 Lucht moved to the State of Massachusetts to take a position as executive vice president of a Boston-based fire consultancy and, simultaneously, as part-time head of the newly created Center for Firesafety Studies at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He, like David Rasbash at Edinburgh, was the founding head of a new postgraduate degree program in fire engineering. In 1985, after the new academic program had reached a critical size, he left the consultancy to expand his work at WPI on a full-time basis. He retired from WPI in 2005 after 26 years of service.
Over the years Professor Lucht has been honored with numerous professional recognitions including the SFPE President's Award (1988), Harold E. Nelson Service Award (1993), John J. Ahern President's Award (2000) and the Arthur B. Guise Medal and Prize (2002). In 2005 the SFPE created the David A. Lucht Lamp of Knowledge Award to be presented annually to individuals and corporations who stand out in their support of fire engineering education.
Lucht is a registered professional engineer and Fellow and past president of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers.
Institution of Fire Engineers
