Stevens offers lecture on bridges of New York
HOBOKEN, N.J. — Stevens Institute of Technology will host Henry Petroski’s Engineering the Bridges of New York City, a 1999 Distinguished Engineer Lecture, at 2 p.m. on Nov. 18 (Thursday) in the DeBaun Auditorium at the Edwin A. Stevens Hall, 5th and Hudson St.
Some of America’s most well known and significant bridges are in New York City. Bridges such as the Brooklyn and George Washington have influenced bridge building throughout the world. In Petroski’s illustrated lecture, the designs of these bridges, which were influenced by the technical and political climate of their times, will also be shown to have reflected the personalities of their engineers. These engineers, their achievements and their influence on our infrastructure are a part of American history and culture.
Petroski wrote The Book on the Bookshelf, a history of books as artifacts and the structures that have housed them from ancient times to the computer age. He is the Aleksandar S. Vesic Professor of Civil Engineering and professor of history at Duke University, and also has written on many aspects of engineering, including design, the history of bridges and the use of case studies in education and practice. His books are intended for professionals and the general reader alike.
In addition to his books, Petroski has published more than 75 technical articles in refereed journals and a like number of articles and essays in newspapers and magazines. Since 1991 he has also been writing the engineering column in the bimonthly magazine American Scientist.
Petroski lectures regularly to both technical and general audiences, in the United States and abroad. He has been interviewed frequently on radio and television.
The lecture, sponsored by the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering, is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dean of Engineering Dr. Bernard Gallois at (201) 216-5263.
About Stevens Institute of Technology
Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.
Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.
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