May 19, 1999

FUTURE ENGINEERS JOIN PROFESSIONAL ORDER

The ceremony honored 14 KU engineering students including juniors, graduating seniors and several international students. The students received steel rings to symbolize their commitment, in the words of the oath, "to practice integrity and fair dealing, tolerance and respect, and to uphold devotion to the standards and the dignity of my profession."

Engineers face many problems in their careers that are based on ethics rather than technical problems, said Tom Mulinazzi, associate dean, KU School of Engineering.

The ring ceremony is a tradition started in 1926 by Canadian engineering students in response to the Quebec Bridge disaster. The bridge collapsed during construction due to an engineering failure and killed many workers. The U.S. Order of the Engineer, a separate organization, was started in 1970, and KU has been a link for four years. Today, approximately 45,000 engineers are members of the U.S. order.

The Quebec disaster was the greatest disaster in recent history in North America caused by an engineering failure. The first rings were made out of that bridge's steel. In Canadian engineering schools, students receive rings when they graduate. The rings worn by U.S. engineers who are members of the order are smooth. The Canadian rings are faceted like a metal nut.

KU students joining the Order of the Engineer are listed below by name, major, class, and parents' names.

BARTON COUNTY

Albert

Karl Law, computer engineering senior, son of Gary and Nancy Law.

Great Bend

Ryan Reynolds, aerospace engineering senior, son of Gary and Lyn Reynolds.

DOUGLAS COUNTY

Lawrence

Andy Truong, electrical engineering senior, son of Muoi Chieu.

Andrew K. Smith, water resources engineering graduate student.

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY

Leavenworth

Rita Ann Ziemer, computer engineering senior, daughter of Donna and Rod Ziemer.

SHAWNEE COUNTY

Topeka

Alexander Troy Alejandro, aerospace engineering senior, son of Jose and Eudulia Alejandro.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY

Kansas City

Ervin Sims, civil engineering senior, son of Ervin and Mary Sims Jr.

ELLIS COUNTY

Hays

Jason Purdy, aerospace engineering senior, son of James and Judith Purdy.

MISSOURI

Rolla

Dianna Kline, architectural engineering senior, daughter of Nancy Kline.

TEXAS

Houston

Matthew Lacey, aerospace engineering senior, son of Douglas A. Lacey.

GERMANY

Juliane Buchheister, civil engineering exchange student.

MALAYSIA

Dhinnesh Ramalingam, aerospace engineering senior.