The Civil Engineering Technologist and the Civil Engineer – According to the Authorities, What’s the Difference?

Abstract

Dr. Thomas Lenox is the executive vice president of Professional and Educational Strategic Initiatives for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Dr. Lenox has over 43 years of experience as a leader, team builder, and manager in diverse professional and academic environments. During his 28-year military career, he spent fifteen years on the engineering faculty of the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point – including five years as the director of the Civil Engineering Division. As director of the Civil Engineering Division at USMA, Dr. Lenox supervised nineteen faculty in the ABETaccredited civil engineering program. He was the USMA nominee for the 1997 Carnegie Foundation Professor of the Year Award. He served as chair of both the Civil Engineering Division and the MiddleAtlantic Section of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), and as a member of ASCE’s Educational Activities Committee. Dr. Lenox also served as co-principal instructor of the NSF-supported Teaching Teachers to Teach Engineering (T4E) workshops at West Point in 1996, 1997, and 1998. Upon his retirement from the U.S. Army on October 1, 1998, Dr. Lenox joined the staff of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). In his position as educational staff leader of ASCE, he led several new educational initiatives – collectively labeled as Project ExCEEd (Excellence in Civil Engineering Education). A notable example is the ExCEEd Teaching Workshop, a nationally recognized workshop that develops inexperienced faculty into effective teachers and role models for the civil engineering profession. He continues to be very active in ASEE and other associations which foster teaching excellence – and has written numerous papers, made presentations, and run workshops dedicated to engineering educational reform. Currently, as ASCE’s Executive Vice President (Professional & Educational Strategic Initiatives), Dr. Lenox is leading several educational and professional career-development projects for the civil engineering profession – with the overall objective of properly preparing individuals for their futures as civil engineers. A prime example is his long-term engagement in ASCE’s initiative to ”raise the bar” for entry into professional practice. Dr. Lenox received a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the United States Military Academy, Master’s of Science degree from Cornell University, Master’s of Business Administration degree from Long Island University, and a Ph.D. degree from Lehigh University. He is also a graduate of several Army service and specialty schools to include the Army War College. Recent awards include the ASCE’s ExCEEd Leadership Award, ASEE’s George K. Wadlin Award, ASCE’s William H. Wisely American Civil Engineer Award, and the CE News’ ”2010 Power List – 15 People Advancing the Civil Engineering Profession.” Dr. Lenox was selected as a Distinguished Member of ASCE in 2013. He is married to Jane O’Connor Lenox. They have three adult children and three grandchildren.