Born in France and educated in France and Switzerland, Ferdinand Beer held an M.S. degree from the Sorbonne and an Sc.D. degree in theoretical mechanics from the University of Geneva. He came to the United States after serving in the French army during the early part of World War II and taught for four years at Williams College in the Williams-MIT joint arts and engineering program. Following his service at Williams College, Beer joined the faculty of Lehigh University, where he taught for thirty-seven years. He held several positions, including the University Distinguished Professors Chair and Chairman of the Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics Department. In 1995, Beer was awarded an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree by Lehigh University. Born in Philadelphia, Russ holds a B.S. degree in civil engineering from the University of Delaware and an Sc.D. degree in the field of structural engineering from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He taught at Lehigh University and Worchester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) before joining the faculty of the University of Connecticut where he held the position of Chairman of the Civil Engineering Department and taught for twenty-six years. In 1991 Russ received the Outstanding Civil Engineer Award from the Connecticut Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. David Mazurek holds a B.S. in ocean engineering and an M.S. in civil engineering from the Florida Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Connecticut. Employed by the General Dynamics Corporation Electric Boat Division for five years, he provided submarine construction support and conducted engineering design and analysis associated with pressure hull and other structures. He then taught for one year at Lafayette College prior to joining the civil engineering faculty at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where he has been since 1990. Mazurek is currently a member of the American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-way Association Committee 15, and the American Society of Civil Engineers Committee on Blast, Shock, and Vibratory Effects. He has also worked with the Federal Railroad Administration on their bridge-inspection training program. He is a licensed professional engineer in Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
