• Home
  • Job Announcements
• The Academy
  • About
  • Diplomates
  • CEC
  • Related organizations
  • Sponsorship
• Requirements
• Application
• Certification FAQs
• News Room
  • Interviews
• Renewal
• Continuing Ed
• Contact

Interview with Steve Starrett, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE

September 2009

Dr. Steve Starrett is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, where he has taught for the past 13 years. Dr. Starrett served as the Technical Chair for the 2009 EWRI World Environmental and Water Resources Congress, EWRI Congress Committee in 2008, served as Conference Chair - Editor of conference proceedings for 2007 International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology for American Academy of Sciences, served as member of ASCE's Committee on Licensure and Ethics and on the ASCE Watershed Management Technical Committee. Professor Starrett also conducted and organized AAWRE's engineering ethics sessions for past 2 years.

Steve has been a D.WRE since 2006 and took some time recently to respond to our interview questions.

Where were most of your childhood spent and what your youth was like?

SS: I grew up near Branson, Missouri, in the Ozark Mountain lake region. My parents were teachers. My family enjoyed fishing, boating, hunting, sports and bluegrass festivals. I married my high school sweetheart (Shelli) in 1986. We are both professors at Kansas State University. We have 3 adopted children and live in the country.

How early on did you know that you wanted to study civil engineering? What were the key factors in your decision to be a civil engineer?

SS: I started college in the 80s as a geology major at a time geologists couldn't get jobs, not very desirable for me. So, I studied the different engineering disciplines and civil engineering was a great match for me. I grew up in a family lumberyard so I really enjoyed the structural aspects, I enjoyed geology so the geotechnical part was interesting, and I learned my real interest in water and the environment were a major component of civil engineering. Shelli was a math major and was thinking about engineering also. So, we decided to get married and transfer to Missouri University of Science & Technology (Rolla, MO) when I was 19. I selected civil engineering and she selected electrical engineering. Rolla was great for us both.

How was your graduate school experience at Iowa State University?

SS: Awesome. Both my wife and I pursued Ph.D. degrees, we ended up graduating together. I worked with Dr. T. Al Austin and Dr. Nick Christians; I really learned a lot from them professionally and personally. Practically the week I showed up Dr. Christians had just obtained a 3-yr USGA grant to study the leaching of nutrients and pesticides when applied to turf grass. It was a perfect fit for me. Ames was cold cold. We had 30 days when it didn't get above zero, day or night. The moisture inside of your nose would freeze anytime you went outdoors. I quickly learned why people on campus walked from building to building to get across campus, so you could stay thawed out.

What are your duties at Kansas State University?

SS: I have a teaching, research and service appointment. Caused by my own doing, I teach a heavy annual load of courses: introduction to civil engineering, water resources engineering, open channel hydraulics, advanced hydrology, responsibility of engineering: codes & professionalism, responsibility of engineering: leadership & diversity and engineering ethics case studies. I also have performed research on engineering ethics topics, surface water hydrology topics, and fate and transport topics. I am on about 10 committees with the most interesting being: EWRI Program Committee (Chair), K-State Honor Council, ASCE Committee on Licensure and Ethics, AAWRE Admissions Committee, and our CE Department ABET Committee.

What drew you to pursue a career in academics?

SS: My parents were teachers so I spent a lot of time around schools- I enjoyed that environment. Shelli pursued her Ph.D. also and became a professor, which helped motivate me to pursue academics also. Being a faculty member is so unique. I have the flexibility to teach my courses like I desire, to pursue research topics that interest me, to work with professional groups that I select and to continue to work in such a fresh and energetic learning environment. Along with all those freedoms comes the issue of getting involved with too many activities that are interesting. I joined Kansas State in 1994 and I am very fortunate I selected academics and K-State.

We know that you teach engineering ethics graduate level courses and you have provided informational engineering ethics workshops for AAWRE. What can engineers learn about ethics by studying engineering ethics in a workshop or a course?

SS: I really enjoy discussing engineering ethics topics with less experienced students and highly experienced engineers. Most of the graduate students that take my ethics courses are distance students taking the course online, and are working professional with tons of experiences. Feedback from distance students states that they feel the course has provided more tools for them to deal with ethical dilemmas, and they wish they had taken the course years ago. Less experienced students can begin to realize what ethical situations engineers can be in and how to go about solving them. They also realize reasonable people will determine different solutions than their own, that are eye opening for some. I think experienced professional engineers can really find valuable what their peers think some potential solutions are for a situation. It is also valuable to revisit the basics and study a formal process for solving problem situations. So, I think engineers at all levels can benefit from periodic, formal engineering ethics education.

What is your personal definition of engineering ethics?

SS: Really, I get that question pretty often. You can find detailed, drawn out definitions in texts and online. I have boiled it down to this, "Engineering ethics is the notions, ideas, and feelings that controls an engineer's words, actions, decisions, and conduct." I am going to write an article about this practical definition sometime soon, so watch for it.

You are one of the founding Diplomates of AAWRE- what were the main factors in your decision to pursue the D.WRE?

SS: I periodically do expert witness work. I knew it would help my credibility in the court room if I was granted the D.WRE credential. After receiving the D.WRE credential the relationships I have developed with other Diplomates have been really enjoyable and rewarding. The value of AAWRE to me has far exceeded my expectations.

What types of services or initiatives would you like to see AAWRE pursue?

SS: I think AAWRE has a big opportunity to recognize the many water resources engineers that are doing great things through a new AAWRE Awards program. There are ASCE and EWRI awards already, however I strongly believe there are so many talented water resources engineers that go unrecognized. Our jobs can be hard at times, being recognized by our peers certainly helps us continue to strive to succeed in our careers.

We know that you have served on many various committees for different organizations- which ones are you actively still involved with and in what capacities?

SS: I am still recovering from serving as the Technical Chair for the 2009 Congress. That was fun, and it took a lot of time and energy. I am the new Chair of the EWRI Program Committee. This is a reorganized committee that helps with oversight of all conferences EWRI is involved with. One of our major activities is to get the right people into the key conference leadership positions. We also review conference proposals that come into EWRI. I enjoy being involved with the EWRI Watershed Management Technical Committee. This is a very active group with lots going on.

I know that you have served and continue to work as an Expert Witness engineer in the court of law in engineering cases. Can you describe what that is like for you and do you enjoy serving as an expert witness?

SS: I have been involved with about 20 cases now on a variety of topics: flooding damage, pump station design, erosion control and siltation, and fatalities caused by a failed surface water related mechanism. I enjoy serving as an Expert Witness 99% of the time. I enjoy interacting with lawyers and owners on topics that are very important to them. The challenges involved and the need for accurate and confident communication is also fun for me. Conversations can get nasty and unprofessional at times and that is not so much fun. The best situations are when I get involved prior to lawsuits being filed and I am encouraged to try to mediate the situation by communicating with engineers/owners on both sides of an issue. I don't have the emotional baggage associated with the past that is preventing parties from having healthy communications. I have seen solutions brought about by mediation to be very successful.

Can you share with us your personal hobbies and interests?

SS: Sure, motorcycle (riding and repairing), playing bluegrass music, archery deer hunting, golfing, shooting firearms, we have a great small group at our church so we enjoy getting together often with them.

Do you own any motorcycles and if so, what kind of motorcycle(s) do you own?

SS: I have had 3 different 1980s Honda Goldwings, 1982 Yamaha Virago 920, 1998 Suzuki Bandit 600, 1981 Kawasaki KZ 750, 1982 Kawasaki KZ 250, 1980 Kawasaki 440 LTD, and my current ride is a 2004 Suzuki Bandit 1200. It is quick. Luckily, my wife is very understanding of me to allow me to have these bikes. She is awesome.

What would you like to see yourself doing, 5 years from now?

SS: I would like to try academic administration. I really enjoy people and am highly focused around relationships. I believe I would like the challenges of being a Department Head. Last year I had an excellent interview for the Department Chair position at a major institution and I really enjoyed the process, about 21 hrs of interviews during my 42 hr trip. The communication skills I have learned from my expert witness experiences have been very valuable to me.

American Academy of Water Resources Engineers
1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, VA 20191 USA
Phone:703-295-6414 Fax:703-295-6415
E-mail:certification@aawre.org

AAWRE Privacy Statement