Page 5 - CEGE Magazine Spring 2021

UMN’s Center for Transportation Studies is bringing connected and automated vehicles (CAV) to campus. RAPHAEL STERN has been involved in the process from the beginning. “I’m really excited about having autonomous vehicles on campus. We will be able to conduct large-scale experiments and transfor- mative new research that goes beyond theory. I want to understand how AVs influence local traffic conditions. My CEGE colleagues study how to optimize intersection signals for AVs or how AVs can improve transit in rural areas.”
in Canada, Venezuela, Tunisia, Japan, and China. In 1989 Bleifuss returned to UMD as director of the Coleraine Miner- als Research Lab. He held the Universi- ty’s Endowed Taconite Chair from 1997- 2000. He continued to consult until the age of 90. Bleifuss invented ten patents and was directly engaged in several developments in the taconite industry including the application of flotation to taconite concentrates, development of fluxed pellets, fine screening technol- ogy, magnetic separation, crushing and grinding, direct reduction processes for taconite concentrates or pellets, and the design and construction of a pilot plant module to evaluate new direct reduction processes.
JOHN STEPHEN “JACK” BRAUN (BCE 1956, MS 1957) passed away Decem- ber 12, 2020. He was 87. Braun was very involved with the University. He helped create the J.S. Braun/Braun Intertec Professorship, an endowment for visiting professors to come to the University for research and teaching. Braun received an Outstanding Achieve- ment Award from UMN in 2010 for being an outstanding leader in the field of geotechnical engineering. Jack Braun was dedicated to giving back. He was a member and former president of Amer- ican Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) and served in Edina Rotary since 1969. Braun started his own engi- neering business in his garage in 1957. The company eventually became Braun Intertec. When he retired in 1995, he turned the company over to the 1,000 employee-owners, who have carried on his legacy.
ALAN BROWN (BMinE 1948) died
on April 22, 2020, at age 97. Brown entered UMN’s School of Mines in 1940 but interrupted his education
to serve as a pilot for the US Navy. Following the war, Brown returned
to UMN and completed his degree.
He began his mining career in Butte, Montana, with the Anaconda Company. Brown designed engineering solutions to increase safety and productivity. He helped design a prototype machine
for extruding plastic material especially applicable for injection molding, which was patented in 1965. When Butte turned from underground mining to open pit mining, Brown developed a
new set of engineering solutions, such as cost-effective methods for removing and hauling ore uphill and a formulation for analyzing and comparing haulage profiles. He also studied drilling pene- tration rates and optimal hole spacing and required explosive quantity. Brown had an unwavering positive attitude and exceptionally strong work ethic.
DALE FORSBERG (BCE 1978) was recognized with the Skill-Responsi- bility-Integrity (SRI) Award from the Associated General Contractors of Min- nesota. The honor highlights Forsberg’s kindness, positive attitude, generosity in giving back, and dedication to a high moral standard. In an additional honor, Forsberg received a video shout-out from none other than tough-guy Chuck Norris!
KARLA PETERSON (BCE 1994) received the George Warren Fuller Award from the Minnesota Section of American Water Works Association (AWWA) for her distinguished service in the water supply field and her sound engineering skill and constructive leadership. Karla has worked in the Community Water Supply Unit of the Minnesota Depart- ment of Health (MDH) since 1993 and has been the unit supervisor since 2007. She is a past-chair of Minnesota AWWA.
WAYNE SANDBERG (BCE, 1994) deputy Public Works director and Washing-
ton County engineer, was named the 2019 Outstanding Minnesota County Engineer of the Year by the Minnesota County Engineers Association (MCEA). Sandberg has been an active member over the years and served as the asso- ciation’s president. He is also active in the Minnesota Transportation Alliance and frequently testifies at the state capitol and advocates for Minnesota transportation.
MARK SETTERSTROM (BCE, 2011)
is now Vice President and General Manager of Amcon Concrete Products, producers of world class concrete and masonry products. He maintains his responsibilities as General Manager of Dakota Aggregates. Setterstrom played Gopher football 2002-06, signed with the St. Louis Rams 2006-2010, and then returned and completed his degree at UMN.
STAFF
After 44 years with CEGE, informa- tion technology professional GREG SHERAR retired. He began working for the department in 1977 while
completing his physics degree. Sherar’s first job was a part-time position coding and operating a minicomputer for
Prof. Otto Strack. As the department’s computer labs grew, so did demand for Sherar’s talents. In 1979, Sherar was hired full-time when a project with IBM brought a mainframe computer, numer- ous desktop computers, and the need for someone to support them for the department. He shepherded the depart- ment through many changes. We wish him all the best in this latest change!
ALUMNI
RODNEY L. BLEIFUSS (BGeoE 1951, MS Geology 1954, Ph.D. Geology 1966) died January 31, 2021, in
Grand Rapids, Minnesota. His career as a geological engineer centered on the taconite industry in Minnesota. He was a professor at the University of Minne- sota Duluth and assistant director of the Mineral Resources Research Institute. He later became the division chief of the Minerals Beneficiation Laboratory
of U.S. Steel in Coleraine. He consulted
University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering | DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND GEO- ENGINEERING 5