Recognizing Engineers: Present & Past

The 2012 Capital One Academic All-District Football and Women’s Volleyball teams have been announced. Erika P. Chin, (NY Q 2014) Clarkson University – chemical engineering, is the lone Tau Beta Pi representative to be named First-Team All-District in volleyball. Several others are eligible to join this semester. Click here to see the complete lists of selections

There were five Tau Beta Pi football players recognized as All-District selections:
1. Grant E. Huckestein – (OH Q 2014) University of Dayton, mechanical engineering
2. Blake A. Oliaro – (CA AE 2014) University of San Diego, mechanical engineering
3. Perry E. Simmons – (NC G 2014) Duke University, biomedical engineering (NC G chapter recording secretary)
4. Taylor N. Suess – (SD B 2013) South Dakota State University, mechanical engineering
5. Keegan J. Wtezel – (MD G 2013) The United States Naval Academy, systems engineering (MD G chapter treasurer)

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An article about the work of an Iowa State University assistant engineering professor was recently profiled by KCRG-TV9. Dr. Jon “Matt” Rouse, IA A ’94, and a former graduate student have a new transmission pole design that they believe will be “less susceptible to cascading collapse after a tornado, ice storm, hurricane” or other natural disaster.

According to the article, the pole still needs to be tested with a scale model. The issue is whether or not utility companies in the Untied States will consider using the new transmission pole design anytime soon.

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The Los Angeles Times published an obituary for Herman Bank, one of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory “rocket boys,” today. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1935 and “served as project engineer for the nation’s first two-stage rocket, the first to be launched from Cape Canaveral, FL, in 1950.” Read the full obit

He is also known as the creator of the collapsible surf board. A surf board that could be taken apart and bolted back together. It was sold and “heralded as a breakthrough” until the design of the shortboards. Bank was 96.

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