Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering

Retired Faculty Updates, Fall 2005

Ken Brewer (Retired May 2001)

In September 2004, I was presented the Iowa Section ASCE Award for 2003. The presentation was made a year late since my wife and I were out of the state on family travel during the Iowa Section ASCE Annual Meeting in 2003. Family travel continues to consume a significant portion of our time and provide both Nan and me a significant amount of joy, since we have four grandchildren in Des Moines, six grandchildren in central Illinois, and three grandchildren in the Dayton, Ohio, area.

In October 2004, I was the ASCE ABET Accreditation Visitor to the Civil engineering program at the University of Nevada—Las Vegas. I have continued to respond to ABET with respect to the ongoing process of revising and modifying the Accreditation Report as needed. I expect to move off the regular ASCE Accreditation Visitor List when this report is finally completed in July 2005 and only respond to special accreditation visit requests from ASCE after that.

I continue to participate in the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying Fundamentals of Engineering Examination Committee where I write exam questions, conduct analysis of exam complaints, and work on continued development of the FE Reference Manual. Working with practicing engineers and various faculty members who value greatly the quality of the engineering profession is extremely satisfying.

In December 2004, I made a presentation on Engineering Ethics Codes and Practices at the Iowa County Engineers Conference. In March 2005, I made a presentation on Engineering Ethics Codes and Issues of Practice at the Iowa Section ASCE Geotechnical Conference.

In August 2004, I completed the update and revision of the AASHTO Maintenance manual for Roadways and Bridges under contract from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program.

I am still volunteering as a civil engineer with Engineering Ministries International (EMI). In September 2004, an EMI team in which I participated completed the site analysis and the design for the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church Conference and Retreat Center on the edge of the Jordan River Valley in the Gilead District west of Amman, Jordan. This project was managed under the EMI office in Colorado Springs.

I have volunteered to join an EMI team to travel to the Tamil Nadu state of India in June 2004 to conduct surveying and planning for, and to begin the design of, a retirement complex for native Indian Christian missionaries. This proposed project will be managed under the EMI office in Mussoorie, India.

My wife, Nan, has been pieced-quilt quilter for many years. In November 2004, I joined her on a bus tour trip to the International Quilt Show in Houston, Texas, where I became interested in the long-arm quilting process. I have since joined Nan in making baby quilts and "hired-hand" quilts to donate to shelters.

Future Plans: I hope to continue to respond as opportunities to serve the Lord God in the engineering field are presented to me and as opportunities arise for Nan and I to volunteer together.

R. L. (Sam) Carstens (Retired 1986)

I am doing very little, slowing down from a fairly extensive travel schedule in recognition of having achieved a rather advanced level of maturity.

I attended a WWII reunion in Tennessee in September 2005. Interested parties can learn about the 163rd Engineer Combat Battalion at our website.

Jack Mickle (Retired 1992)

I am semi-retired! I serve on national committees and have been lecturing. I plan to continue doing so in the future.

Wallace Sanders (Retired 1998)

I am the secretary of the Steel Bridge Committee, American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association. I serve on the Board of Directors of American Baptist Homes of Midwest (a multi-state not-for-profit corporation serving older Americans in the Midwest).

I plan to travel in the future.