Edwin G. Burdette, Ronald A. Cook, Kathy J. Caldwell, and Gregory D. Reed
For the first time the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department had co-winners of the annual Outstanding Alumnus Award, Ronald A. Cook and Kathy J. Caldwell, husband and wife. Ron received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering in 1975 and 1981, respectively, and Kathy received her B.S.C.E. in 1985. Both of them have gone forward to highly successful careers, Ron in Academe and Kathy as engnieer/project manager.
After several years at TVA and five years as an individual consultant, Ron went to Austin, Texas, in 1986 to begin doctoral work. He and Kathy were married at that time, and Kathy went from her position as a structural engineer with Lockwood Greene Engineers in Oak Ridge to a position as Project Manager with Parkhill, Smith and Cooper in Austin. Three years later Ron received his Ph.D. and accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at The University of Florida in Gainesville. Kathy left her position with Parkhill, Smith and Cooper to accpet a position as Vice President and Project Manager with Jones, Edmunds and Associates in Gainesville.
Since 1989, Ron has gone on to become Associate Professor and then Professor at The University of Florida. He has been extremely active in the area of anchorage to concrete, serving as chairman of ACI Committee 355 as a member of that sub-committee of ACI Committee 318 which deals with anchorage to concrete. He has published numerous technical papers and is recognized internationally as an authority in the field of anchorage to concrete.
Kathy, in the meanwhile, has had a variety of successful experiences as project engineer and manager for a number of multi-million dollar projects with Jones, Edmunds and Associates and JEA Construction Engineering Services, Inc. In 1999, Kathy was named President of JEA Construction Services, Inc., the position that she currently holds. When she was a senior in Civil ENgineering at Tennessee, Kathy was president of ASCE. She has continued to contribute to undergraduate education in Civil Engineering by working closely with the ASCE Student Chapter at The University of Florida.
Both of the co-winners of this year’s Outstanding Alummus Award have had exemplary careers in Civil Engineering, careers that reflect positively on our own Department of Civil Engineering. We are pleased and proud to recognize the husband and wife team of Ron Cook and Kathy Caldwell as this year’s co-recipients of our annual award.