Department: Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management
Title: Associate Professor, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Two words of advice that are meaningful to me from the late Steven Suder, former UW wrestling coach, are “Be Free”. On the mat, this means to not worry about losing points and to wrestle aggressively. In life, this means to not be passive but to act courageously and expect the greater good.
If you were a wrestler what would be your entrance theme song?
I would pick “Battle Without Honor or Humanity” by Tomoyasu Hotei. It’s an instrumental piece and the title doesn’t mean anything to me – I just like how it sounds. Or maybe Baby Shark.
Best book you’ve ever read?
The Bible, and yes I’ve read it from cover to cover. The most recent time was over three months with an online group that included, among other people, a former Olympic wrestling gold medalist and wrestlers vying for spots on the US World team. It was a little intimidating, so I didn’t make many comments – I just absorbed what they had to say.
What was your least favorite food as a child? Do you still hate it or do you love it now?
As a child, it would have to have been liver with onions. I’m an adventurous eater and have eaten and enjoyed things much more challenging than this such as insects, balut – a fertilized duck egg, and raw horse meat… but I still don’t love liver and onions.
If you could learn one new professional skill, what would it be?
I guess I should have one “engineer-y” answer. I would like to learn how to use OpenSees, an open source software framework for simulating response of structural and geotechnical systems subjected to seismic events.
