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NEWS RELEASE

01-04-02

Contacts:
Lowell Greimann, Civil and Construction Engineering, (515) 294-5586
Terry Wipf, Civil and Construction Engineering, (515) 294-6979
Skip Derra, News Service, (515) 294-4917

TERRY WIPF NAMED ENDOWED PROFESSOR IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

AMES, Iowa -- Terry Wipf has been named the first Pitt-Des Moines Inc. Endowed Professor in Civil Engineering. Wipf is an Iowa State professor of structural engineering.

"Wipf was selected based on his outstanding work in bridge design, construction and field testing. He is a leader in these fields," said Lowell Greimann, chair of the ISU's civil and construction engineering department.

Wipf has been a member of ISU's civil and construction engineering department since 1983. He specializes in structural and dynamic analysis and the design of bridge structures. His research focuses on testing and strengthening various types of bridges.

The appointment is part of Iowa State's "Investing in People" initiative, a two-year, $50-million effort to raise funds for student scholarships and fellowships and for faculty support.

The Pitt-Des Moines endowed professorship was set up by Pitt-Des Moines Inc. (PDM), with a $1 million donation made last August to the university through the ISU Foundation. It was made in honor of the memory of one of its founders, William H. Jackson, an 1891 graduate of Iowa State.

PDM, which was recently acquired by Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., had become a diversified company that designed and built tanks and systems for liquid and cryogenic storage, water storage systems, buildings and bridges. PDM had worked on several well-known projects, including the St. Louis Gateway Arch, the McCormick Place Exposition Center in Chicago, and the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

"Our company is a good example of entrepreneurial innovation," said William R. Jackson, PDM chairman emeritus and son of William H. Jackson. "We want to inspire students to use their imagination to do new things. We hope this spirit will come out of this professorship."

ISU has one of the largest civil and construction engineering departments in the country, Greimann said. The department has approximately 700 undergraduate students, 120 graduate students and 35 faculty members.

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