Course Instructors

Ray BrownDr. E. Ray Brown Dr. E. Ray Brown is the Director of the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University's College of Engineering and a Professor of Civil Engineering. Dr. Brown received his B.S. and M.S. from Mississippi State University and his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in 1983. He joined NCAT in 1987 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where he was chief of the Materials Research Center. His HMA related experience is extensive, including such areas as mixture design and construction, quality control, training, and development of specifications.

Deborah BoswellMs. Deborah Boswell
Deborah Boswell is an accomplished speaker, trainer, and consultant in the area of business communications. As founder and president of Professional Speech Services of Alabama, P.C., she combines her clinical and corporate experience to improve the communications skills of engineers, technical professionals, and other business clients. The firm has offices in Birmingham and Huntsville, Alabama. Ms. Boswell received her B.S. degree from Auburn University. She received a Master of Science in Speech Pathology from the University of Montevallo.

 

Mr. William R. Bunner
Mr. William R. Bunner is the President of Training Associates, Inc. Mr. Bunner is a Certified Environmental Trainer. He received his B.S. and M.A. from Ohio State. His lengthy and varied experience includes Head of Training and Safety for the Ohio EPA, Manager of Safety and Training for Envirosafe Services, Manager of Safety for Aware Engineering, and Adjunct Faculty at the University of Florida. He has been an expert witness for OSHA and participated in lead, PCB, asbestos, and other substance removal. He has conducted numerous training courses in hazardous materials and is certified by OSHA to teach regulations overview for General Industry Standards (500) and Construction Standards (501).

 

Larry CrowleyDr. Larry Crowley
Dr. Larry Crowley is a member of the Civil Engineering Faculty at Auburn University where he teaches classes in construction engineering and management. He holds an MBA in management and finance from Texas Christian University and a B.S. in civil engineering from Texas A&M University. He previously worked in the design/construction industry for more than a decade in Texas, where he is a registered professional engineer. He has been employed in several different capacities - design engineer, contract administrator, contractor, project manager, and construction manager. Most relevant to this course was his experience as a scheduling engineer for the Corps of Engineers on a $33 million hospital renovation and addition project. This seven-story project was divided into 69 phases with approximately 5000 activities in order to maintain uninterrupted operations of the Air Force Base hospital. He is currently serving as a member of ASCE's Construction Research Council and the Transportation Research Board's topic panel for owner-controlled insurance programs. He has recently published articles on the use of statistical models and robust statistics in construction bid data.

 

Mr. Hank Czarnecki
Hank Czarnecki serves as a member of Auburn University's outreach faculty and as senior lean specialist for the Alabama Technology Network at Auburn University. He has worked for the past five years facilitating continuous improvement (Kaizen) events. He has five years of experience as a process engineer in the automotive industry. He is a certified NIST Lean Manufacturing Trainer and has trained thousands of engineers, managers, and floor associates in lean manufacturing. Hank has a BS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and an MS in Industrial Engineering from Auburn University.

 

Mr. Milton E. Denny
Mr. Milton E. Denny is a registered surveyor in six states, received his certificate in Land Boundard Surveys from the University of Illinois, and is a veteran of project development and management of surveying and mapping firms. He's the past president of the Alabama Society of Professional Land Surveyors, a Fellow in the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping and served for six years on their Board of Direction. Mr. Denny is the author of the manual "Marketing Professional Services for Land Surveyors and Photogrammetrists," "Hazardous Waste Acronyms," and "Small Business Handbook for Surveyors and Engineers." He was instrumental in the starting of a new member organization in the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping called Geographic and Land Information Society. He served as the first president. He's Vice President/Project Development with the Firm 3001, the spatial data company.

 

Dr. Jackie Alexander DiPofiDr. Jackie Alexander DiPofi
Jackie DiPofi is the Director of the Small Business Development Center, an operating unit of Business and Engineering Outreach at Auburn University. The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is partially funded by the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Dr. DiPofi has a broad range of work experience spanning over 30 years, which provides her with practical skills applicable to most industries. Prior to joining Auburn University, she served in management positions in construction, retailing, accounting, and advertising. As an independent consultant, she assisted over 100 individuals in businesses as diverse as real estate, childcare, and architecture. Dr. DiPofi earned her Ph.D. (2003) in Management from Auburn University and her M.B.A. (1987) and B.S. (1979) in Commerce and Business Administration from The University of Alabama. Her research interests include family business issues and organizational change. She has conducted programs for Auburn University Colleges of Business, Engineering, Veterinary Medicine, Human Sciences, Agriculture, Education, Liberal Arts and the School of Pharmacy. Dr. DiPofi has developed training for many organizations, but most recently for the Southern Medical Association, Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants, Southern Regional Radon Training Center, BE&K and Auburn Bank.

 

Mr. William E. Dorris
Mr. William E. Dorris is a partner with the nationally known law firm of Smith, Currie & Hancock in Atlanta, Georgia. He has developed an extensive and diverse national construction law practice, representing various parties in the construction industry and projects throughout the country. He has been involved in numerous construction arbitrations, mediations, administrative board hearings, and state and federal trials and has authored several publications relating to construction law.

 

David J. EltonDr. David J. Elton
Dr. David J. Elton is an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at Auburn University, specializing in geotechnical engineering for more than 17 years. He has taught many short courses on soils, erosion control, drainage, foundations, lime stabilization, slope stability, and mechanically stabilized backfill walls for universities and others. His specialty areas include: in situ testing, foundations, geosynthetics, liquefaction, soil mechanics, computer applications, soils magic and pavement evaluation. He is the author of many technical papers, including one that won the Fred Burggraf Award of the Transportation Research Board. Dr. Elton serves on ASCE, IGS and TRB committees related to geosynthetics and geotechnical engineering. Dr. Elton headed the Professor Training Course for Geosynthetics, a national course taught at Auburn University. Dr. Elton's doctorate is from Purdue University. He was editor of the International Geosynthetics Society Newsletter for five years, is a US Patent holder and is a registered Professional Engineer.

 

 

Jeffrey FergusDr. Jeffrey W. Fergus
Dr. Jeffrey W. Fergus received a B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Fergus has been involved in research on materials chemistry including high-temperature oxidation and the development of chemical sensors. Dr. Fergus is currently an Assistant Professor in the Materials Engineering program at Auburn University where he teaches a graduate course in corrosion.

 

Dr. Beth Foate
Beth Foate is an independent consultant with Performance Improvement Consulting, LLC and specializes in lean training and implementations. Beth has 10 years of experience in human services organizations in Alabama and California. In addition, she has 5 years of manufacturing experience with a large commercial aircraft manufacturer. During that time she facilitated teams in process improvements resulting in more that $1M in savings. Beth is currently an adjunct faculty for Athens State University for their Applied Technology program and provides assistance in lean manufacturing throughout Alabama. She holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology, and an MBA in Production Operations Management, and an MS in Management.

 

Charles GrossDr. Charles A. Gross
Dr. Charles A. Gross is the Square D Professor of Electrical Engineering at Auburn University. His more than thirty-five years of electrical engineering experience in industry and education includes work with several industries, consulting firms, and governmental agencies. Professor Gross holds a B.S. in Physics and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alabama as well as M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri at Rolla. He is a registered engineer and a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). The second edition of his book, Power Systems Analysis, was published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc. in the spring of 1986. He has authored or co-authored numerous technical papers and received several outstanding teaching awards.

 

Mr. Douglas I. Hanson
Mr. Douglas I. Hanson is the Assistant Director of the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University. He received his B.S. from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and his M.S. from the University of New Mexico in 1969. While in the Air Force he worked with airfield pavement design, construction and maintenance. He was district engineer of The Asphalt Institute, and came to Auburn from the New Mexico State Highway Department where he was chief of the materials laboratory.

 

Mr. Michael Hein
Mr. Michael Hein is a Professor in the College of Architecture, Design and Construction at Auburn University. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Tulane University in 1971 and Masters Degree in Structural Engineering from Princeton University in 1973. His industry experience includes working as a Project Engineer for structural consulting offices in New York, Olympia and Seattle, Washington, and Auburn and Birmingham, Alabama. Mr. Hein is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Washington. He has extensive experience in computer based training and software application development for architecture, engineering and construction. His specialty areas include CAD, Structural Design, Soils and Foundations, and Computer Aided Instructional delivery methods including the WWW. In 1994, he was selected Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year by the students of the AU Architecture School. He is director of Educational Technology for the College.

 

Mr. Joseph A. Holifield III Mr. Holifield is a Senior Electrical Engineer with the Consulting Firm of Thompson Holdings in Mobile Alabama, and holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Auburn University. He has multiple State Professional Engineering Registrations and over 40 years experience as a general consulting electrical engineer. Associated with the General Lighting Design course, he has designed lighting systems for schools, aircraft hangars, industrial assembly facilities, sports lighting, roadways, and high mast lighting.

 

Dr. S. Rod Jenkins
Dr. S. Rod Jenkins is a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the United States Air Force Academy, and is a Professor Emeritus of Auburn University. Dr. Jenkins' teaching and research interests are in the Environmental Engineering arena, but he also has a continuing interest in engineering economy and has taught many short courses on the subject. Dr. Jenkins received his B.S.C.E. degree from Georgia Tech and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University. He taught at the University of Wyoming and Auburn University (for 22 years) before moving to USAFA. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in both Alabama and Wyoming.

 

Mr. Prithvi S. (Ken) Kandhal
Mr. Prithvi S. (Ken) Kandhal is the Associate Director of the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn University. He came to NCAT from the Pennsylvania DOT where he was chief asphalt engineer for 17 years. He received his M.S. in Civil Engineering from Iowa State University in 1969. While at PennDOT he planned and executed numerous research projects on asphalt rheology and its effect on pavement performance, baghouse fines in HMA, statistical specifications, recycling and rutting.

 

Mr. Scott Kramer
Mr. Scott Kramer is an Assistant Professor in the College of Architecture, Design and Construction at Auburn University. He received his Bachelor and Masters Degrees in Civil Engineering from Auburn University in 1982 and 1983. His industry experience includes working as an estimator, project engineer and project manager for nine years with two different national construction firms. His research interests include using information technology in project management, case studies and corporate training. In 1996, he received the National Teaching Award presented by the Associated Schools of Construction.

 

Ms. Fern Lebo
Ms. Fern Lebo, President of Lebo Communications, is the internationally published author of six books, scores of articles and dozens of professional papers. She writes and produces technical documents and manuals, case studies, newsletters and educational materials. She also designs and presents in-house workshops targeted to meet the needs of her corporate clients.

 

Kelly Rainer, Jr.Dr. R. Kelly Rainer, Jr.
Dr. R. Kelly Rainer, Jr. is George Phillips Privett Professor of Management Information Systems at Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama. He is currently working closely with the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium on a number of information security research projects. He received his B.S. in Mathematics from Auburn University, his D.M.D. from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, and his Ph.D from the University of Georgia. He has written several books, the latest of which, A Manager's Guide to Information Security, will publish early in 2007.

 

Dr. James P. Reilly
Dr. James P. Reilly received his B.S. in Mining Engineering from Penn State and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Geodetic Science from Ohio State. After a varied career in engineering, University research and teaching, industrial and private consulting, Reilly currently serves as Department Head in the Department of Surveying Engineering at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. Through his firm, Geodetic Enterprises, LLC., Reilly does GPS consulting and seminars on surveying applications and GPS. He writes a bi-monthly column, "The GPS Observer," for P.O.B. Magazine. Dr. Reilly is the current President of the American Congress of Surveyors and Mappers.

 

William SauserDr. William Sauser, Jr.
Dr. William Sauser, Jr. is Associate Dean for Business and Engineering Outreach and Professor of Management at Auburn University. Dr. Sauser earned his BS in Management and his MS and PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is licensed to practice psychology in Alabama and holds a specialty diploma in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. Sauser's interests include organizational development, strategic planning, human relations in the workplace, and continuing professional education. He is a Fellow of the American Council on Education and the Society for Advancement of Management and a former president of the Alabama Psychology Association and the Society for Advancement of Management (International). Dr. Sauser also serves on the board of directors of the Auburn/Opelika Convention and Visitors Bureau. He has published extensively in the fields of psychology, managment, and higher education leadership, and serves on the editorial board of the SAM Advanced Management Journal.

 

Michael StallingsDr. J. Michael Stallings
Dr. J. Michael Stallings is Professor and Head of Civil Engineering at Auburn University and is a registered Professional Engineer in Alabama. He holds BCE and MS degrees from Auburn University and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. His teaching and research interests include structural analysis and design, experimental study of structural behavior, fatigue and fracture mechanics, and bridge evaluation and rehabilitation. Dr. Stallings is an accomplished researcher and is a past member of technical committees of ASCE and TRB. He has been recognized for his classroom teaching with a Birdsong Merit Teaching Award and has been selected three times (yearly award) by the students at Auburn as the Outstanding Civil Engineering Faculty Member.

 

Mary Stroup-GardnerDr. Mary Stroup-Gardiner
Dr. Mary Stroup-Gardiner is an Assistant Professor at Auburn University. She received her B.S. in 1985 and M.S. in 1987 from the University of Nevada. She received her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1997. She is a member of the research staff of the National Center for Asphalt Technology at Auburn. For the last 12 years, she has conducted numerous research projects on such topics as investigating the effect of material variables on test method precision, rheological evaluations of polymer modified asphalts, use of roofing waste as an HMA additive, evaluation of test methods for measuring HMA volumetrics, and characterization of fundamental HMA mixture properties of the Minnesota Road Research Project mixtures. Dr. Gardiner is active in ASTM and in Transportation Research Board committees.

 

 

Steven TaylorDr. Steven E. Taylor
Dr. Steven E. Taylor is an Associate Professor in the Biosystems Engineering Department at Auburn University. Dr. Taylor received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Florida, and his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. He teaches and conducts research in structural wood engineering and forest engineering. His interests and expertise are in the areas of wood structure design and modeling, timber bridges, structural reliability, stochastic modeling, improved stream crossings for forest roads, and using GPS in forest operations. He is active in several professional and technical societies and industry groups. Dr. Taylor is a registered Professional Engineer in Alabama.

Jeffery N. Lucas Mr. Jeffery N. Lucas Jeffery N. Lucas is in private practice in Birmingham, Alabama. Mr. Lucas has been in the surveying business for 31 years. He is a licensed land surveyor registered in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. Mr. Lucas is also a licensed attorney and member of the Alabama State Bar. Mr. Lucas specializes in land boundary issues and practices throughout the southeast. He has been a seminar leader on surveying topics that include ALTA/ACSM standards, survey technical standards, boundary law, survey law, legal descriptions, state plane coordinates, geodetic surveying, and water boundaries. In addition, he has authored many articles on surveying and boundary issues that have been published in state and national professional journals.

 

Dr. Reginald I. Vachon
Dr. Reginald I. Vachon is a licensed attorney in Alabama and admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. He is also a Professional Engineer licensed in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Wisconsin. Dr. Vachon is Principal and COO of Gipco Holdings International, Ltd.. He has over 30 years experience in corporate management, administration, engineering, design, construction, manufacturing and education for government, business and industry. He also has domestic and international experience as CEO, COO and/or Principal of firms engaged in engineering, manufacturing, product design and development, marketing, consulting, construction, software development, and laboratory and environmental services.

 

Mr. Steve Williams
Mr. Steve Williams is a Professor in the Department of Building Science, within the College of Architecture, Design and Construction at Auburn University. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Toledo in 1975 and Masters Degree in Civil Engineering from Clemson University in 1981. His industry experience includes working as a structural engineer for consulting firms in Toledo, Ohio and Greenville, South Carolina. Mr. Williams is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Alabama. His specialty areas include Concrete, Structural Design, and Information Technology in Construction. He was selected Student Government Association Outstanding Faculty member in the College of Architecture Design and Construction in 1983-84 and 1997-98.