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Hansmire Elected to National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering has elected William H. Hansmire, CivE ’68, as one of 74 new members.
Hansmire is principal of Jacobs Associates in San Francisco. He received a master’s degree in 1970 and Ph.D. in 1975 from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The Academy cited his pioneering leadership in the integration of the design and construction of tunneling projects, including the first design-build demonstration project for the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Cox and Keeney Recognized by Alumni Association
The Nebraska Alumni Association has recognized two alumni of the College of Engineering & Technology for their service to the university.
Donald Cox of Stanford, Calif., a professor of electrical engineering and director of the Center for Telecommunications at Stanford University, was honored with an Alumni Achievement Award May 10. Cox conducts research on and teaches about wireless mobile and personal communications. He is a pioneer in early cellular mobile radio systems and other wireless communication systems. A Lincoln native, Cox received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering at Nebraska in ’59 and ’60. He received his doctorate in 1968 at Stanford.
William Keeney of Indialantic, Fla., received a Distinguished Service Award May 11. A retired engineer, Keeney received a business degree in 1952 and an engineering degree in 1958 from Nebraska. A life member of the Alumni Association, he was inst-rumental in creating the Southwest Virginians for Nebraska alumni chapter in 1996. Under his leadership, the chapter has grown to 52 members and won awards for involvement and activities.
College Honors McNeel, Olsson Associates
Alumnus Rick McNeel and Olsson Associates, a Lincoln-based consulting firm, were honored at the April awards banquet for their service to the college and the engineering profession.
A native of North Platte, McNeel, (ChemE ’69), received the Outstanding Alumnus Award. His 32-year management career with BP Amoco took him around the globe. McNeel earned an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1979 and retired from BP Amoco in 2001. While living in England, McNeel served on the Dean’s Advisory Board and the Chemical Engineering Advisory Board. He helped establish the Chemical Engineering Alumni Excellence Fund and continues to promote the College. Matt Stryson, left, presents McNeel with the award.
Olsson Associates provides comprehensive design and consulting engineering services. The firm has eight offices, with five in Nebraska, and consistently hires students as interns and employees. OA engineers speak to the sophomore seminar class, and the firm sponsors career fairs and E-Week activities. The firm provided financial support for the college’s Student Resource Center and helps students through the John E. Olsson Scholarship fund. Roger Severin accepts the award.
2002–2003 Engineering Alumni Board Members
President: John Matras, ’75
Past President: Matt Stryson, ’81, ’85
National Board Representative: Jeffrey Lewis, ’90
President-Elect: Jeff Zvolanek, ’86
Secretary: Gretchen Livingston, ’96
Treasurer: Ron Ferry, ’70
Alumni Association Liaison: Kristi Routh, ’97
Members:
Dan Jameson, ’84
Joel Macklin, ’98
Sarah Macklin, ’98
Kevin Schneider, ’85
Henry Wulf, ’53
Ex-Officio:
Jeffrey Lewis, ’90
Dan Harnly, ’94
Larry VanderGriend, ’87
Jeff Wilson, ’80
Employers who recruit on campus can find a list of Career Services dates at the following Web site: www.unl.edu/careers/events
If you are interested in helping us with any of these events, please call Lark Bear, Career Specialist, at (402) 472-7073.
For information on the Omaha campus, contact Doug Bahle at (402) 554-3333.
Class Notes
• Nolan T. Jones, EE ’51, writes: “I retired from the MITRE Corp. in Seattle in May 1991 after 39 years and 11 months as a computer systems engineer. I returned to Massachusetts in June 1992 and married Joan Lloyd Borum in March 1993. We moved to New Hampshire the next year. I’m active in the Sierra Club, the MIT Club, the Middlesex Canal Association, the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation and the Milford Democrats.” Email: ntjones@dragon.mv.com
• Major General Claude M. Bolton, Jr., EE ’69, is the new U.S. Army Acquisition Chief.
• Steve Nickel, CivE ’67 and ’72, was named Chapter Honor Member at the Chi Epsilon Spring Banquet held in April. He is a private consultant in geotechnical engineering and teaches in the civil engineering department.
• Dr. Ram A. Goel, EE ’71, is supervisor of the District 7 Bridge Maintenance Division, Florida Department of Transportation, Tampa.
• Don Voelte, Jr., CivE ’75, was honored with the Civil Engineering Distinguished Alumnus Award. Voelte is president and CEO of Chroma Energy, Inc. in Houston. The energy exploration company specializes in applying proprietary pattern recognition and visualization technology to 3D geophysical data.
• Leland Jacobson, EE ’77, has been promoted to manager of T&D projects in Omaha Public Power District’s engineering division.
• Dan Hahn, CivE ’78, has been named senior vice president of HDR Architecture in Omaha.
• Russel Iwan, CivE ’81, writes: “I have been battling cancer for the past two years. I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in July 2000. I’ve undergone two stem cell transplants and have been cancer-free for more than 300 days. I’m back to work at the Metropolitan Utilities District as the Superintendent of Mechanical Service.” Email: russiwan@radiks.net
• Greg Wolford, CivE ’82, is the newly elected chair of the Nebraska State Highway Commission. Wolford, from McCook, is the president of W. Design Associates. He and his wife, Pam, have a son and a daughter.
• Randall Hoskins, CivE ’86, has been hired by the City of Lincoln as its first traffic engineer. He previously worked as traffic engineer in Yuma, Ariz.
• Lee O’Neal, EE ’88, is supervisor of electrical and I & C engineering in OPPD’s production engineering and technical support division.
• The Society of Women Engineers has named Pam Dingman, CE ’91, Distinguished New Engineer of the Year. She is a project manager at Lamp, Rynearson and Associates, Inc.
• Liew Chew Keat, CSE ’94, is founder of cari.com.my, Malaysia’s first search engine portal.
• Congratulations to Missy Reichardt, EET ’00, and her husband on the birth of their son, Jacob Anthony, on Sept. 3, 2001.
• Aaron Murray, EET ’00, married Zaida Ramirez in February 2001.
• Richard D. Hawes, ME ’50, Dec. 11, Omaha. Hawes’ career with the Metropolitan Utilities District spanned more than 40 years. In 1968, he was named general superintendent of MUD’s water operations department, and held that position until his retirement in 1989.
• Leo Krisl, ME ’34, Jan. 30, Santa Rosa, Calif. Krisl was a member of the Chancellor’s Club and an avid supporter of the University of Nebraska.
Dobromil David Belik (MSEE ’76, Ph.D. ’83) died unexpectedly June 30 in Lincoln, Neb. He worked as a systems coordinator with Information Services at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln until his death. A native of Czechoslovakia, Belik emigrated to the United States in 1969 and began working at UNL, where he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees.
Several years before his death, Belik was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx, but recovered after treatment. Don Nelson, professor of electrical engineering and a close friend of Belik’s, said Belik was upbeat and optimistic throughout the treatment and never lost his sense of humor. In his eulogy, Nelson said, “I salute David Belik’s life, his courage and his strength, his heart and his humor, his perseverance and his optimism, and his genuine love of life.”
Cal Solem, a longtime friend of the College and employee of the Nebraska Building Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America, died Feb. 28 in Omaha.
Solem served AGC for more than 42 years, mostly in the capacity of Executive Director. Born in 1925 in Kadoka, S.D., Solem served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
In 1965, Solem spearheaded the effort to establish a construction management program at the University of Nebraska. The new program was housed in the College of Architecture and moved to the College of Engineering & Technology in 1972. Today more than 230 students are enrolled in the program.
Solem is survived by a brother and three nieces. Memorials are suggested to the University of Nebraska Foundation, c/o the AGC Office in Omaha.