April 20, 2009

Industry, business leaders honored with Purdue civil engineering alumni awards

"Graduates of our program have had a hand in shaping the skylines of many great cities," said M. Katherine Banks, Purdue's Bowen Engineering Head of Civil Engineering. "They have assisted in developing the infrastructure that is the underpinning of the world's economic engine, as well as solving a wide variety of environmental problems that improve our quality of life."

Leah Jamieson, Purdue's John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering, gave opening remarks, and Banks presented this year's civil engineering alumni achievement awards to:

* Samuel Ebow Coleman, president of C3S Inc., who earned a civil engineering doctoral degree from Purdue in 1981. He is credited with solving some of the more daunting construction-material problems across several continents. A native of Ghana, Africa, he lives in Houston with his wife, Anna.

* William N. Dudley Jr., president and chief operating officer of Bechtel Group Inc., who received a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from Purdue in 1974. In 2001, he took over the company's petroleum and chemical business unit, which grew to become Bechtel's largest business unit. He now lives in Frederick, Md., with his wife Marty, also a Purdue graduate.

* Charles Dulic, retired senior vice president of HNTB Corp., who received bachelor's and master's degrees in civil engineering in 1976 and 1978, respectively. He has been involved in several large projects around the nation, including Accelerate 465 Indianapolis, the Marquette Interchange and the Illinois Tollway Authority's $6.3 billion capital program. He lives in East Lansing, Mich., with his wife Karla.

* Rosalie F. Morgan, president of Engineering Management Consulting Services, who received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1977. In 1983 she founded the company, which now has 40 employees and has helped to deliver key Wisconsin projects, including the award-winning Marquette Interchange. She also served 13 years on the Wisconsin Department of Commerce Finance Board and now lives in Milwaukee with her husband Jeffrey.

* James E. Rowings, vice president of Peter Kiewit Sons' Inc., who received bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in civil engineering in 1975, 1979 and 1982, respectively. He was professor in charge of construction engineering at Iowa State University and taught every fundamental course in construction engineering during his academic career, later joining Peter Kiewit Sons' as vice president for organization development. He lives in Omaha with his wife LaDona.

More detailed biographical information about the awardees is available at https://engineering.purdue.edu/CE/People/Alumni/CEAAA

Writer: Emil Venere,(765) 494-4709, venere@purdue.edu

Sources: M. Katherine Banks, (765) 494-2256, kbanks@purdue.edu

Cindy Lawley, (765) 494-7089, lawley@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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