Visit to abandoned mine land restoration project
with U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, TN Rep. William Baird, County Executive Rex Lynch,
and representative
from government agencies
Solving Socio-economic Problems using
Geotechnical Engineering Skills
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Geotechnical engineers identify problems in the ground and develop solutions. We make observations and compile data to guide us. We deal with countless unknowns, so we make observations and monitor performance during construction to validate our assumptions. When our assumptions prove wrong, we change our design. Good geotechnical engineers are experts in creative design, logistical planning, communication, program management, and coping with the unknown. We need to quit limiting ourselves to solving only problems in the ground. We can use our existing skills to solve socio-economic problems of society by providing leadership to community service initiatives. Results of recent strategic planning and a case history are presented to illustrate this new opportunity for our profession. |
Geotechnical Engineers: Mountain Men and Women of the 21st Century? Mountain Men of the 19th Century braved the western frontier to trap beaver. In the process, they learned how to survive in a harsh environment. When fashions changed, and silk hats replaced beaver hats, Mountain Men lost their clients. They complained of becoming a commodity service, getting no respect from the public, and being ignored by government. Mountain Men became legends when they used their survival skills to guide settlers through the new frontier. They adapted to change, using their existing skills in new ways, to benefit the public. Many even got rich. Fame and fortune… not a bad legacy. |
WHERE ARE WE NOW AS A PROFESSION?
Professional engineers in Tennessee answered this question during a recent brainstorming session as follows: "Engineers are designers and builders of the quality of life, but our achievements are not appreciated by those who benefit from our life’s work. We are experts at defining and solving problems, but our opportunities are limited because we are not decision makers in society to determine the right problems to solve. We are becoming a commodity service and employees of others."
WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE AS A PROFESSION?
Engineering students from the University of Tennessee answered this question in a recent brainstorming exercise as follows: "We want to be recognized and respected as protectors of life, public welfare, and safety. We want to be well-rounded decision makers who help shape our society. We want the youth of this country to aspire to be engineers. We want all this and we want to have fun, and get rich, in the process."
HOW DO WE GET THERE?
Before answering this question, we must first identify why we don’t command the respect we think we deserve. Like any good geotechnical engineer, I developed data to help answer this question...I asked my wife what she thought. She said that most people do not know an engineer. They are not involved in the process of our work and therefore they do not appreciate our accomplishments.
I believe that we get to where we want to be in society by providing leadership in community service initiatives, which provides the opportunity for engineers to meet and work with the public on common endeavors. We validate our claim to being designers and builders of the quality of life by helping those who otherwise could not afford our services. It’s a win-win arrangement. We provide a valuable service to the public, earn their respect, and hone our creative design, program management, and people skills to become even better leaders.
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Providing leadership to improve the quality of life of registered voters gets the attention of elected officials, especially when we share the credit for our success with those who help us. Earning the respect of elected officials gets the attention of government agencies because they get their funding from elected officials. Help people in government help their clients and you make friends for life. What’s in it for you? Do free publicity and new work interest you? Would you like to receive a standing ovation the next time you make a presentation to an agency that buys engineering services? Would you like to be invited to Washington to provide testimony to key federal decision makers? Would you like for your Congressman to ask to visit one of your engineering projects? Would you like to get called by a TV news station on a slow news day because they know you always have something newsworthy they can report? Would you like to be commemorated in song by a person who benefited from your engineering work? Would you like to author a weekly column in your local newspaper? Would you like for the General Assembly in your state to issue a Resolution honoring your efforts? If your answer is yes, then you need to look for a community service project to lead. In addition to helping your career, you can help your chosen profession. In his inaugural address, President Bush stated: "While many of our citizens prosper, others doubt the promise, even the justice, of our own country. Our public interest depends on private character, on civic duty. I ask you to be citizens; citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens, building communities of service and a nation of character." |
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF
The Coal Creek Watershed Foundation, Inc. (CCWF) began as a means to qualify for construction funding from the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to abate the impacts of abandoned mine lands on water quality. To qualify for funding, you first have to form a non-profit watershed group and get support from partners like we did with Trout Unlimited, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Boy Scouts of America. What do these diverse groups have in common? They share a commitment to community service. The next step was to get local support. Coal Creek residents voiced their concerns that we were concentrating on aquatic habitat and water quality while ignoring the needs of people. We began holding town meetings in Briceville and realized that they were right. People are part of the ecosystem too. With the help of residents, we changed our mission to one of improving the quality of life in the Coal Creek watershed. We developed a Master Plan for addressing problems related to flooding, dental/healthcare, public water supply, education, trash dumps, and abandoned mine lands. Publicizing the scenic beauty and history of Coal Creek is part of our plan to bring tourist revenue to the area because tourists are easier to mine than coal. |
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We have a golden opportunity to restore the role and image
that engineers once held in society. Engineering was once one of the most,
if not the most, respected professions. Maintaining that role as leaders in
society is like a bucket brigade. Each generation has the responsibility to
pass the bucket on to the next generation. Somewhere along the line,
somebody dropped the bucket. It’s time to pick up the bucket, fill it with
water, and get the bucket brigade started anew.
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If we gain fame and fortune in the process, then so be it.
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Coal Creek volunteers after a workday to paint an
historic church, clean a clinic, |
Barry Thacker, P.E., M.Eng., is president of Geo/Environmental Associates, Inc. in Knoxville, TN. He is a Boy Scout leader, a Director of the Clinch River Chapter of Trout Unlimited, and founder of the Coal Creek Watershed Foundation, Inc. He can be reached at: barryt@geoe.com.
[ASFE Home Page] [ASFE
Founders' Award Info]
[Barry K. Thacker, PE, First Founders' Award Recipient]
[Barry K. Thacker Nomination Package]
[Thacker's Presentation to ASFE at Fall 2001 Meeting]]
