Aug 22, 2023

Levees.org is leading an initiative to assure that students receiving a B.S. in Engineering in the U.S. will receive instruction about engineering failures and the lessons they teach. This is needed because the engineering students of today will design the engineered structures of tomorrow. 

The process to achieve the goal is for a coalition of Deans of Engineering Schools all across the nation to send a letter to the president of ABET requesting that ABET implement the necessary accreditation requirements to that end. The letter to ABET will suggest a modification of a current student outcome whereby students must demonstrate awareness of past engineering failures. 

The letter will also include collected support in the form of: 1) a broad based national list of engineers and experts, 2) a list of organizations, societies, NGOs, nonprofits, agencies etc, and 3) evidence of broad based national public engagement. 

The following engineers / experts have added their name in support.

Engineers

Bob Turner, P.E.
Past Superintendent New Orleans S&WB. Past Regional Director, Southeast Louisiana Flood Authority-East. 

Charles Nelson, P.E.
Board of Directors, Waldemar Nelson Engineering

J. David Rogers, Ph.D., P.E., P.G., C.E.G., C.HG., F.ASCE, F.GSA
Karl F. Hasselmann Missouri Chair, Professor Geological Engineering, Missouri S&T

Stephen Ressler, ​​P.E., Ph.D., Dist.M.ASCE, F.ASEE
Past President, Lehigh Valley Section, American Society of Civil Engineers

Robert Bea
Professor Emeritus, Center for Catastrophic Risk Management, University of California Berkeley

Brett Hoffstadt, PMP, P.E.
Engineer, Air Resources, California Air Resources Board

Rune Storesund, DEng PE GE
Consulting engineer SF Bay Area

Matt McBride, P.E.
Professional Engineer, New Orleans, LA

Kristi L. Trail, P.E.
Professional Engineer, New Orleans, LA

Kathleen Schaefer, P.E.
Researcher, Catastrophic Risk Management (CA)

Mark Schexnayder, P.E.
Coastal Scientist, Batture LLC, Former LDWF Deputy Ass. Secretary, Former Louisiana Sea Grant/LSU AgCenter Coastal Advisor/Sp. Ass. to the Chancellor for Hurricane Recovery (LA)

David Rosenberg, P.E.

Calvin Mackie, P.E.
CEO and Founder of STEM NOLA

Past Flood Protection Authority East commissioners

Stephen Estopinal, P.E.
Retired Land Surveyor/ Civil Engineer, former President of the SLFPA-East. Author.

Eugene (Gene) Joanen
Balance Consulting, Inc

Louis Wittie
Chief Engineer at Barber Brothers Contracting 

Tim Doody
Executive Director, Chaffe McCall LLP

John M. Barry
Author of The Great Influenza and Rising Tide

Paul Kemp
Principal, G. Paul Kemp & Associates LLC

Wilton Paul Tilly III, P.E.
Senior Civil Engineer, Vali Cooper International, 

Rick Luettich, Jr.
Professor and Director, U of N Carolina, UNC 

Experts

Carlton Dufrechou
General Manager, Causeway Commission. 

Robert Verchick
Law Professor/President at Center for Progressive Reform. Fellow Harvard Radcliffe Institute

Robert A. (Bob) Thomas
Professor & Director, Center for Environmental Communication at Loyola University New Orleans

Windell Curole
Served 42 years as south Lafourche levee director

Ivor van Heerden
Recipient of 2009 Joe Callaway Award for Civic Courage. Author “The Storm (MD)

Mark Davis
Research Professor, Tulane Law School, Tulane University, Director, Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law

Glenn Corbett
Professor of Science, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, (NY)