Army Corps of Engineers names new director of CRREL

HANOVER — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has named a new director of the U.S. Army’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, or CRREL, on Lyme Road.

Ivan Beckman, a Hanover resident, previously served as CRREL’s deputy director and before that, commander of the U.S. Army Engineer and Research Development Center, according to a Dec. 19 news release.

In his new role, Beckman will be responsible for providing “strategic guidance and policy direction for the laboratory’s operations,” and for spearheading its research, development, technology and program management initiatives, according to the release.

CRREL is one of seven laboratories that comprise the U.S. Army Engineer and Research Development Center, which seeks solutions to “the nation's toughest challenges in military engineering, installations and operational environments, civil works, geospatial research and engineering, and engineered resilient systems,” according to the center’s website.

Beckman holds a doctorate in engineering from Mississippi State University, a master’s in engineering management from the University of Missouri Rolla, a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College, and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from West Point.

He replaces Joseph Corriveau, who had served as director of CRREL since 2017. Corriveau will be returning to his research on chemical and biological warfare defense, with a special emphasis on cold weather.