Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering

Hoover Mentoring Workshop

Passion. It’s a word that describes both former Iowa State University geotechnical engineering professor James M. Hoover and the presenters at this year’s first annual Hoover Mentoring Workshop held November 10 at the Scheman Building. Known for his dedication to teaching, researching, and mentoring his students, Hoover was an Iowa State alumnus (BS 1953; MS 1956) and a professor from 1955 to 1993. Hoover not only worked hard, but also played hard. His hobbies included woodworking, cabinetmaking, boating, canoeing, fishing, and camping. He even logged nearly 40 hours as student pilot.

Hoover died of a stroke in 1994 at age 65, but his legacy lives on. He greatly impacted the students and colleagues he worked with, particularly Craig Denny, a student of Hoover’s in the 1970s. “I thought he was a fabulous professor,” says Denny. “He was approachable and for whatever reason we hit it off.”

Denny says Hoover instilled in him an interest in succeeding. “It is readily apparent to me that the reason I have been successful to the degree I am, is attributed to the influence Jim had on me.”And that’s why Denny, now a senior principal engineer at Terracon Consultants, Inc., in Lenexa, Kansas, and his wife, Terry, donated funds in 2004 to endow the James M. Hoover Chair of Geotechnical Engineering. The mentoring workshop developed out of the professorship.

“Craig has a great love of ISU. He says Jim Hoover changed his life,” says Vernon Schaefer, the James M. Hoover Chair and professor of civil engineering.
This inaugural workshop attracted nationally known speakers, including James O’Brien and James K. Mitchell as well as Richard L. Handy, an Iowa State Anson Marston Distinguished Professor Emeritus. O’Brien, who currently works for the American Society of Civil Engineers, animatedly taught audience members what it means to be a mentor and what the responsibilities of being a mentor and mentee entail.

“O’Brien did a good job showing us he was passionate about mentoring and made us want to learn more about it,” says Stacia Totman, senior in civil engineering. “He provided good information to both students and faculty.”

Over the lunch hour, Handy spoke about Hoover, his friend and former colleague. “You could feel the emotion,” says Schaefer. “Dick Handy gave a very heartfelt depiction of how Jim Hoover interacted with his students—from taking them on field trips to doing practical research. He was not only a mentor, but also showed his students how to have fun.”

The workshop’s keynote speaker, Mitchell, a university distinguished professor emeritus at Virginia Tech, talked about the influence the legends in geotechnical engineering had on him. “He showed the lessons he learned interacting with great geotechnical engineers of the past,” says Schaefer. “He showed how the little things they did for individuals made a difference in his life.”

Three present and former Iowa State professors, Jim Cable, Jack Cleasby, and Robert Martin, as well as Gerald Olson, an Iowa State alumnus and founder of Terracon Consultants, Inc., spoke about mentoring engineers at different stages in their careers—from being undergraduate and graduate students, to faculty members and young professionals.

“I was very pleased with the workshop. We had a turnout of about 150 participants,” says Schaefer. In addition to listening to captivating speakers, the 150 participants split into small discussion groups involving both students and practitioners.

“The buzz was still going even after an hour of small group time,” says Schaefer. According to Schaefer, the small groups especially reflected the purpose of the workshop—to connect students and practitioners and encourage them to interact, as well as to get students thinking about their future.

The Hoover Mentoring Workshop will be an annual event. The date for the 2007 workshop is yet to be determined. Visit www.ccee.iastate.edu to view the slide show presentations of the speakers as well as pictures from the event.