Page 20 - CEGE Magazine - Fall 2016

Three Faces of Robert John Rudin III
Student Pro le
Three Faces of Robert John Rudin III
Civil Engineering Student
Robert Rudin is the rst in his family to become an engineer. His father and grandfather, in addition to passing along their name,
passed on an af nity for science and numbers. He got another strong dose of technological ability from his mother, a computer systems analyst. It seems young Robert was predestined for the sciences.
His science interests were further stim- ulated when he encountered a pas- sionate chemistry teacher in junior high. Mr. Ellingson had traded his successful industrial career at 3M for the privilege of inspiring young minds through chemis- try. Ellingson was “very into” chemistry, prompting Rudin to declare that he “never felt forced to learn anything.” He’d caught Ellingson’s passion.
Rudin is a hands-on person who seeks out practical applications for his knowl- edge. When he came to the University of Minnesota, Rudin found his ideal mix of science and application in civil engineer- ing, where the CEGE curriculum encour- ages students to experience multiple areas of civil engineering. He decided to emphasize environmental engineering and minor in chemistry. Rudin’s decision to focus on environmental engineering was in uenced by his desire to preserve the environment while still being able to enjoy it. He is on track to graduate in the spring of 2017, four years after enrolling.
Last summer, Rudin participated in an undergraduate research program with the National Transportation Center at the University of Maryland. He worked on developing a model looking at various socioeconomic factors (jobs, location)
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Drum Major, UMN Marching Band
and how they might in uence a per- son’s automobile possession and use (number of cars, model, mileage, etc.). One application of this model could be to estimate air pollution for an area based on those factors. He used “R” program- ming software (which he also used in transportation classes at UMN) to comb through large data sets and identify factors important for the new model. A second project involved writing a busi- ness case evaluating the feasibility of the state subsidizing a short-line railroad and comparing that to other options such as trucking. Rudin’s interests include history and politics, so he loved the opportunity to spend time close to DC. It led him to think about one day bringing his engi- neering expertise to consult on public issues or projects.
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