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 and celebrating 140 Years of Innovation, Stevens Institute of Technology, The Innovation University TM , lives at the intersection of industry, academics and research. The University's students, faculty and partners leverage their collective real-world experience and culture of innovation, research and entrepreneurship to confront global challenges in engineering, science, systems and technology management.
Based in Hoboken, N.J. and with a location in Washington, D.C., Stevens offers baccalaureate, master’s, certificates and doctoral degrees in engineering, the sciences and management, in addition to baccalaureate degrees in business and liberal arts. Stevens has been recognized by both the US Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security as a National Center of Excellence in the areas of systems engineering and port security research. The University has a total enrollment of more than 2,200 undergraduate and 3,700 graduate students with almost 450 faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America as well as strategic partnerships with industry leaders, governments and other universities around the world. Additional information may be obtained at www.stevens.edu and www.stevens.edu/press.
