At the end of this turbulent year, I want to highlight some positive things. The state of my country offers little to be excited about in a positive way, in my opinion, so I will rely on some more personal experiences and reflections. Please bear with…
From the Editor: Readying for the Road; Observations to Come
I’m preparing to leave for a three-week visit to the Iberian Peninsula. While it’s exciting to plan and pack, it takes a huge effort—at least…
From the Editor: Hoping Engineers Can Help Right the Ship
The (now 5th) annual Informed Infrastructure Sustainable Engineering Issue includes various articles and columns that highlight sustainable…
From the Editor: Contemplating the Interconnected Role of Humans and Nature
I’ve been reading about the role the environment plays in our society—past, present and future—and it’s raising questions I don’t know the answer to, but questions that absolutely need answers. Many of our readers know more about this topic than…
The Joy of Watching Engineers Graduate and Take the Next Step
I’ve been privileged to lead the senior class at Valparaiso University through the two-semester Senior Design Course for civil and environmental engineers for the last five years. This gives me the opportunity to experience what our future engineers…
From the Editor: Engineers Often Are the Smartest People in the Room
The “Smart Engineering” special issue each year is always a challenging column for me to write. It’s not that I don’t see the value of smart engineering—it’s just that I don’t know enough about the technical details to create a few paragraphs…
From The Editor: What I Have Seen and What Concerns Engineering Students
At this time of year, I typically reflect upon the highlights of the last year and think about what the current year may bring. I hesitate to put in writing what I think may happen in 2025. With the current administration’s massive—often seemingly…
From the Editors: Work Underway to Level the Field of Infrastructure
It seems the topic of infrastructure has been increasingly coming up in my readings and conversations. I’m not sure of the reason—perhaps it’s because the due date for this column is near—but I think it’s more likely that this time of year causes…
From The Editor: Engineering Musings from a Trip to Canada
First, let me disclose that Bentley Systems is an advertiser for Informed Infrastructure, but I would write about their event even if they weren’t. During the first week of October 2024, I was fortunate enough to attend the Bentley Year In Infrastructure…
From the Editor: Resilience: A Journey Through Climates and Time
I just reread Maria Lehman’s excellent column in the 2024 Sustainable Engineering Issue of Informed Infrastructure, “Engineers Must Share Their Infrastructure Stories.” It’s full of facts and data about our needs, but what I found most interesting…
