Goodbye

A publication like JPI functions well because of the people behind the scenes. I would like to share with you my admiration for the excellent members of the Journal's publication committee.

Associate Editor, Norb Delatte is a professor at Cleveland State University and a great scholar and educator. Among his many projects and contributions is a terrific sequence of lectures for teaching engineering failures and “lessons learned.” Norb brings considerable talent and energy to everything he works on, with greatly appreciated results for JPI.

Norm Dennis, Associate Editor, is one of the great civil engineering educators and a force behind ASCE's ExCEED program, which brings groups of professors together to learn how to improve teaching skills. I was lucky to attend one of Norm's ExCEED classes, where he helps to spread the wealth of teaching excellence for civil engineers. Norm is a big part of the great talent that makes civil engineering shine at the University of Arkansas.

Our new legal editor, Associate Editor Amarjit Singh, has developed from scratch the Journal's Legal Affairs section. Thanks to his efforts, for the first time ASCE has a home for the publication of civil engineering legal papers. Amarjit is a professor at the University of Hawaii. His talented group of corresponding legal editors include Richard Allen (Gadsby Hannah LLP), Hazel Beh (University of Hawaii), Michael Loulakis (Wickwire Gavin PC), Robert A. Rubin (Postner and Rubin) and Justin Sweet (Netanya Academic College).

The JPI's fourth Associate Editor is Dennis Truax, a professor at Mississippi State University. In addition to his editorial role, he has been the Master of Ceremonies of the Journal's Engineering Ethics Live sessions at the ASCE annual convention in recent years. Dennis' emcee role is just another item on his considerable list of talents, which includes his promiment national role on ASCE committees.

Giovanna Biscontin is a professor at Texas A&M University, where she has been active in carrying on the strong tradition of excellence in the Civil Engineering Department there. JPI has the good fortune of her help as well.

JPI has benefited from participation from Howard Epstein, a professor at the University of Connecticut. Howard has been one of the longest-serving and best members of the JPI editorial board. He has assisted the Journal in its various forms for many years, preceding my involvement.

Lisa Grebner O'Donnell is one of the most intelligent scholar-engineers you will ever meet. She is a great credit to our publications committee. She is also an incredibly talented and creative designer.

We are fortunate to have the help of Cade Hobbick, an engineer with Parsons Brinckerhoff in New York. Cade brings to the committee his considerable knowledge of planning and transportation issues.

Jonathan Hren is a bridge designer with TranSystems Corporation in Cleveland, Ohio. He is one of the most recent additions to the committee and has really hit the ground running, assuming responsibility for younger member issues and our journal web site.

William Lawson is a publications committee member and great engineering scholar at Texas Tech University. In addition to his editor's duties, he has assumed responsibility for engineering ethics issues for the Journal, as part of his management of the Engineering Ethics Case of the Month web site.

West Point Military Academy has the good fortune of benefitting from the broad abilities of professor Joe Manous, as does JPI. Joe is a terrific corresponding editor, and is knowledgeable about a wide variety of topics and disciplines.

Another colleague from West Point, Steve Ressler, is a true civil engineering star. One of his many claims to fame is creation of the spectacular West Point Bridge Designer computer program. The tradition of engineering education excellence continues with his editing of JPI's Teaching Lessons Learned column.

JPI's resident expert on civil engineering history, Jerry Rogers, is not only a great scholar and gentleman, but he is also Mr. Basketball. A professor at the University of Houston, Jerry is one of the most knowledgeable people around about our civil engineering history. Jerry has been a strong proponent about the need for historical education and its application.

Jose Roesset of Texas A&M University is deeply committed to excellence in civil engineering education. He has devoted his considerable talents to help make the JPI excellent as well. Clearly the talent runs deep at Texas A&M.

Corresponding Editor John Smith is one of the most literate civil engineers you will have the good fortune to meet. He is not only a great structural engineer but brings his strength of editing to the publications committee.

A professor at Rose-Hullman Institute, Kevin Sutterer is a relatively new board member who has brought his considerable talent and energy to the publications committee, with much appreciated results.

Paul Taylor, Manager of the Orange County Transportation Authority, is a great professional. He shares with us his wide ranging knowledge of civil engineering management and education issues. In addition to JPI, he has contributed greatly to ASCE's success in several other national committees. JPI is very fortunate to have his excellent help.

Yanni Tsipis has had several books published about the history of transportation and infrastructure development in Boston. He brings his considerable skills and knowledge of civil engineering history and heritage to the JPI publications committee.

Manoochehr Zoghi, a professor at the University of Dayton, has recently joined the publications committee and has immediately made strong contributions to JPI.

The Journal has been ably assisted by CPP contact Ray Darvish and EdAC contact Jim Hanson. These two gentlemen have represented the Journal in committee work at ASCE, and thanks to them, JPI is well represented in these forums.

JPI has been fortunate to have the help of ASCE Managing Editor Jackie Perry and Director of Journals Johanna Reinhart. Both have been enthusiastic supporters and fans of the Journal and we are indebted for their help.

A drawback of an article like this is the risk that someone's name will be left off. Also, if this was the Academy Awards, the music would have started playing about a paragraph ago, and they would have come for me with a big hook. JPI has had many, many other supporters over the years, including past board members and hundreds off reviewers. In particular, I want to thank exboard member Jim Yao, editor emeritus Mark Evans, exboard member Siripong Malasri, and prior EdAC contact Vince Drnevich. To those who have contributed over the years, please accept my thanks and gratitude for the terrific work you've done.

I've had the great fortune and opportunity to be associated with this illustrious bunch. Because of them, at JPI, life is good. Life is also about change, and it's time for me to become editor emeritus. In September, Norb Delatte will become Editor and Chair of the publications committee. He is a talented professor and strong proponent of excellence in engineering education. With Norb leading the show, JPI is set for many years to come. I wish him and all my JPI colleagues great future success.