Bruce Brothersen, PE, SE, Vulcraft

In October 2019, SE University welcomed Bruce Brothersen, PE, SE, from Vulcraft, and Walter Worthley, PE, SE, from Valley Joist, to present Retrofitting of Existing Buildings with Steel Joists.  Bruce designated City of Hope (https://www.cityofhope.org) for one of the SEU Speaker Inspires donations for this month.

Bruce shared: “Engineering is all about making the world better. Engineers are not alone in the pursuit. The City of Hope National Medical Center is making the world better through Cancer research, prevention and treatments. Just about everyone is effected by cancer, personally, family members or friends. We are honored to assist, in a small way, to give more hope to people effected by cancer.”

Thank you, Bruce, for helping structural engineers with your SE University session, and for your designation of City of Hope as one of our SEU Speaker Inspires Organizations of the Month!

SE University began the SEU Speaker Inspires program in 2015 as a way to “pay it forward”, enabling our speakers to designate a charity/organization of their choice for SE University to make a donation to help improve our world.

SE Solutions was pleased to recently present scholarships to three Purdue University Structures students to help defray the cost of their education. Harsh Bohra, Corey Beck, and Michael Walz were the recipients of the awards. This is the eighth year that SE Solutions has offered the scholarships.

From Left to Right, SE Solutions President, Brian Quinn, PE, Purdue University Students and Scholarship Winners – Corey Beck, Michael Walz,  and Harsh Bohra

Harsh Bohra, received his bachelor’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in 2018 and will be completing his MSCE degree with specialization in Structural Engineering in May 2020. He has worked as an engineering intern at Baker Consulting Group and currently is a teaching
assistant for a structural analysis course. He is proficient in finite element modelling with geometric and material nonlinear imperfection analysis (GMNIA). His research focuses on formulating a new design method for evaluating the permissible differential settlement for above-ground storage tanks. Upon
graduation from Purdue, Harsh is determined to work on design of complex and innovative structures.

Corey Beck is from Indianapolis, Indiana. He received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Purdue University in 2017 and intends to complete his MSCE at Purdue in May 2020. In between his undergrad and graduate work, Corey served as a bridge design engineer for Indiana’s Department of Transportation. Currently, he is working on developing a rapid assessment procedure for autonomously determining the seismic vulnerability of bridges throughout Indiana. Additionally, he hopes to use artificial intelligence software to help eliminate critical gaps in mineable information required to conduct this assessment. He chose civil engineering so that he could have the opportunity to understand, develop, and improve structures that would have a lasting impact on the well-being of communities throughout the nation, and hopefully one day the world. Upon graduation, Corey would like to find a job that allows him to be a design engineer but also investigate structural failures and deficiencies so as to better improve the built world. Ultimately, he hopes he can have the opportunity to work on innovative and challenging projects throughout his career.

Michael Walz received his BSCE from Valparaiso University in 2018. He is currently working on his MSCE at Purdue University and anticipates graduating in May 2020. At Purdue, Michael has been a teaching assistant for multiple classes and has enjoyed the opportunity to learn concrete, wood, and masonry design better through teaching it. After graduation, he hopes to work for a structural engineering firm in Chicago, working on new building design, renovations, and rehabilitation projects.

SE Solutions would like to congratulate each recipient and wish them future success in their fields of study as structural engineers.

John Lawson, PE, SE, Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo

In July 2019, SE University welcomed John Lawson, PE, SE, from Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo, to present Engineering Tilt-Up: Design Provisions Born from Past Experience.  John designated The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obsipo County (www.lcslo.org) for the SEU Speaker Inspires donation of the month.

John shared that he made this selection because: “I love this local organization as it preserves important open space and natural habitats while developing an educational outreach program called Learning Among the Oaks for elementary school children that fosters leadership and stewardship.”

Thank you, John, for helping structural engineers with your SE University session, and for your designation of The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County as our SEU Speaker Inspires Organization of the Month!

SE University began the SEU Speaker Inspires program in 2015 as a way to “pay it forward”, enabling our speakers to designate a charity/organization of their choice for SE University to make a donation to help improve our world.

James O. Malley, SE Degenkolb Engineers

In September 2019, SE University welcomed James O. Malley, SE, from Degenkolb Engineers, to present Changes to the Seismic Design of Steel Structures.  Jim designated the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) Learning from Earthquakes (LFE) Endowment Campaign Fund (http://www.learningfromearthquakes.org/) for the SEU Speaker Inspires donation of the month.

Jim shared: “I selected this fund because EERI’s LFE program made a very significant impact on my career and those of many others by providing earthquake professionals from all disciplines with the opportunity to work together at the site of major earthquakes and share those experiences with the entire earthquake community. The EERI LFE program has made important and lasting contributions to improved understanding of the impacts created by earthquakes and has directly led to many significant advances in seismic design. The LFE endowment fund will guarantee that these contributions will continue for decades to come.”

To learn more about this endowment fund visit http://www.learningfromearthquakes.org/images/EERI-LFE-Endowment-Case-Statement-V10.pdf.

Thank you, Jim, for helping structural engineers with your SE University session, and for your designation of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) Learning from Earthquakes (LFE) Endowment Campaign Fund as our SEU Speaker Inspires Organization of the Month!

SE University began the SEU Speaker Inspires program in 2015 as a way to “pay it forward”, enabling our speakers to designate a charity/organization of their choice for SE University to make a donation to help improve our world.

Duane Miller, PE, The Lincoln Electric Company

In August 2019, Duane Miller, PE, from the Lincoln Electric Company, presented Introducing Design Guide 21: Welded Connections (Second Edition). Duane previously nominated The City Mission in Cleveland (https://www.thecitymission.org) for the SEU Speaker Inspires donation of the month when he spoke for SE University in 2017, and he has chosen to do the same in 2019.

Duane shared why he chose The City Mission: “An icon in the welding world, Mr. Omer W. Blodgett passed away in January 2017 at the age of 99. In his honor, his family has requested donations be made to the Cleveland City Mission, an organization that has for over a century provided help and hope to Cleveland’s hurting and homeless; in his honor, I’d like this SEU donation to be made. Mr. Blodgett’s was a longtime supporter of not only the Cleveland City Mission, but of similar organizations in other major cities throughout the US. To me, Mr. Blodgett was my mentor. In an unselfish way, he wanted me to “take over his work” and he showed me how to do so. I’ll never replace him—no one will—but he taught me how to continue to do what he did. He was an exceptional engineer, a tremendous teacher and an consistent Christian, leaving a legacy and an example for all of us to model.”

Thank you, Duane, for helping structural engineers with your SE University session, and for your designation of The City Mission in Cleveland as our SEU Speaker Inspires Organization of the Month!

SE University began the SEU Speaker Inspires program in 2015 as a way to “pay it forward”, enabling our speakers to designate a charity/organization of their choice for SE University to make a donation to help improve our world.