Notable engineer will give lecture on professionalism in the field

LAWRENCE — Randall Over, the 2014 president of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), will deliver the University of Kansas School of Engineering’s annual J.A. Tiberti Family Lecture at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, in Spahr Engineering Classroom in Eaton Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Over’s keynote is titled “A Professional Engineering Life.” He will discuss how the merging of his professional and personal life has enabled his success and is the basis for a successful life. He will also emphasize the responsibility, the honor and the joy of serving the public and enabling the civil engineering profession to continue to grow and flourish.

Over is currently chair of ASCE’s just-created Global Strategy Council as well as a member of the Board of Governors of ASCE’s Transportation & Development Institute and on the board of the American Association of Engineering Societies. During his term as president, Over traveled to Australia, New Zealand, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Canada and Bolivia to collaborate with the Pan-American Union of Engineering Organization.

“Organizations such as the Pan-American Union are very similar to ours in the United States. Professionalism is their first concern. It guides who they are and how they operate,” Over said. “Engineers around the world are just good people.”

A civil engineering graduate from Ohio State University, Over has made key contributions to the practice and profession of engineering. Over was a district construction engineer for the Ohio Department of Transportation from 1994 to 2012. He led a team of 70, overseeing a multibillion-dollar district construction program.

Sharing his experiences leading engineering teams across multiple, complex projects, Over says that whenever his staff asked for advice, he would tell them to “always think of yourself as an engineer first and as an employee second.”

Over was invited to present this year’s Tiberti Lecture by Dave Darwin, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering. The two became acquainted as the result of their mutual desire to improve the quality of construction in the public sector.

“Randy is a consummate professional with high ethical standards and strong technical engineering skills. We are honored to have him share his insight and expertise at this year’s Tiberti Lecture.” Darwin said.

The Tiberti Lecture series is a gift to the civil, environmental and architectural engineering department in honor of Jelindo Angelo Tiberti. Tiberti founded the J.A. Tiberti Construction Co. in Las Vegas in 1950. Lecture topics focus on ethics, ingenuity, entrepreneurship and other topics for the educational, personal growth and professional development of students. Past lectures include 1975 KU graduate and retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Michael Loose in 2014, 1972 KU graduate and CEO of Jacobs Engineering Group Craig Martin in 2013, Tito Tiberti, Jelindo Tiberti’s son, in 2012, and Murli Tolaney, 1969 KU graduate and chairman and CEO emeritus of MWH Global, in 2011.