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: No Surprise, but Engineering Gets ‘Smarter’ Every Year
In this annual Smart Engineering issue of Informed Infrastructure, you will read about great new ideas and products that are not only more efficient and economical, but also better for our environment. Isn’t this the definition of a win-win-win proposition?…
From the Editor: We Need to Better Promote the Heroes of Engineering: Us
Throughout my career, I have been asked countless times about what exactly I do as a civil engineer. Some people ask just to be polite, but most legitimately didn’t know what a civil engineer does. It seems that we, as engineers, have not done as good…
From the Editor: An Engineer’s Career Path Can Take Many Turns
I’ve had enough time by now to get used to writing 2023 wherever a date is required. I’ve also had enough time to stop thinking about what could have been better last year and how this year could be an improvement. I often try to look ahead and think…
From the Editor: Will Politics Erode Infrastructure Standards?
My wife and I are planning a road trip from the Midwest to the East Coast. Since we now own an electric vehicle that comes with free charging at certain stations, our road trip will have zero emissions and no fuel costs. Some things are taken for granted…
From the Editor: Message to Graduates (and All Engineers): Go Out and Do Good
I was pleased to attend the annual meeting of the Indiana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, which included a competition among college students who presented their senior design projects to an audience and a panel of judges. The senior civil…
From the Editor: Finally, No More ‘Kicking the Infrastructure Can’ to Future Generations
I was about halfway through reading the April 2022 issue of Informed Infrastructure when I realized that, besides the obvious choices of “the” and “and,” one of the most-used words was “infrastructure.” It’s even on the cover—twice.…
From the Editor: Be Proud To Be a Civil Engineer
Take pride in what you have accomplished, and then let others know what civil engineers do.
