October 2009
Mr. Rick Van Bruggen, P.E., D.WRE, is the President of Water Resources Consulting Services, which is a civil engineering consultant firm in the field of Water Resources Engineering, Hydrology and Hydraulics, and litigation support (Expert Witness Hydrologist) with offices in northern California.
Mr. Van Bruggen has over twenty-five years of engineering experience specializing in the use of systems engineering and modeling techniques to define and evaluate surface water resource systems, forensic hydrology and hydraulics, and alternative flood control measures.
Rick has performed numerous studies of watershed hydrology, floodplain and storm drain system hydraulics, dam and reservoir operations, stormwater quality and management, and the statistical analysis of meteorologic and hydrographic data. He has managed flood control and water supply projects involving the hydraulic design of stormwater conveyance and detention facilities, overseeing technical staff and coordination between project clients, consultants and regulatory agencies.
Mr. Van Bruggen is experienced in alternative plan development and benefit/cost analysis as well as coordinating public involvement in the project decision process and conducting public meetings and workshops. He also has experience testifying as an expert witness in Water Resources Engineering, having testified in over fifty cases ranging from the evaluation of historic flood events and drownings, to the standard of care in reservoir operations and storm water system designs.
Rick has been a Diplomate since 2006.
Most fun class while in school:
Physics.
Most fun project you worked on:
HEC-RAS modeling at the base of Yosemite Falls.
Something you always wanted:
A pool.
Favorite song & artist:
Amazing by Seal.
Favorite movie:
Moulin Rouge.
Where was most of your childhood spent?
RVB: Redlands and Anaheim, California.
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?
RVB: I was always good in math and science, so some sort of engineering was almost a given. My first shot at a field of study was actually bio-engineering; I wanted to design human prosthetics. That lasted a few weeks, until I realized I wasn't going to make it in bio-chemistry class (no more Latin flashcards). I stayed in general engineering classes until I was a sophomore, at which time I decided I wanted to go into some field of environmental engineering. I was a backpacker and I had a love for rivers and lakes, so water systems engineering became my major. The fact that water resources engineering is a sub-field of civil engineering was purely incidental.
We know that you attended UCLA- are you an ardent Bruins fans? Have you ever taken in a classic UCLA-USC game in person?
RVB: Yes, and to some extent I guess I always will be rooting for the Bruins football team. I went to UCLA right after the Wooden Basketball Dynasty, so I never much followed that sport. I watched Dick Vermeil lead the Bruins to a Rose Bowl win over Ohio State in my sophomore year, a feat that wasn't repeated by Terry Donahue during the rest of my years at UCLA. Nonetheless, I went to nearly every game at the Coliseum, and eventually the Rose Bowl, on a fraternity bus (I'm a Lambda Chi) for all of our home games, during my junior and senior years. The annual USC-UCLA game was the mandatory pre-Thanksgiving weekend game to attend each year.
You are one of the founding Diplomates of AAWRE- what were the main influencing factors in your decision to pursue the D.WRE?
RVB: Most of my work these days is as an expert witness, so I was attracted to the idea of a credential to validate my 100% specialization in water resources engineering, hydrology and hydraulics, as opposed to general civil engineering.
What types of services or initiatives would you like to see AAWRE pursue?
RVB: Any involvement in volunteer work on water projects in developing countries.
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?
RVB: I put myself through Grad school at UCLA by working as a Teaching Assistant and fell in love with teaching. For the first twenty years of my career I worked on water resources projects, primarily in hydrologic and hydraulic modeling. When I fell upon being an expert witness through some lawyer finding my resume (CV) online on my business web site, I got to testify in front of a jury. It was the best of both worlds; for the one-in-ten civil cases that go to trial in court, I get to play teacher, to a judge or jury of laymen, on my favorite subject: water resources engineering. All of the cases that I get involved in, from reservoir operations to highway fatalities to storm drain system evaluations to drownings, are totally different, and most are truly fascinating. I am very passionate about my work.
How much of your time is spent on serving as an expert witness?
RVB: Over the last ten years, or so, I have concentrated my marketing, and increased the share of my work, in litigation support. Now it is about 80% of my work load.
Do you personally see an advantage for a professional engineer to have these skills, as opposed to an engineer that does not participate as an expert engineer? And what is your advice to a professional engineer out there that is looking to work and serve as an expert witness?
RVB: No, only certain professional engineers are cut out to be expert witnesses. You have to be able to convey the concepts of engineering to the general layman, be able to deal with considerable stress during depositions and cross-examinations, and be able to handle working for lawyers.
If an engineer wants to get into expert witnessing, then I highly recommend joining a peer organization of expert witnesses ( I belong to FEWA), go to some expert witness conferences, seminars and workshops (I attend SEAK's), and learn how to market themselves to the legal industry.
What is your personal definition of "Engineering Ethics"? And would you have any interest in participating in serving as instructor for future Ethics sessions for AAWRE?
RVB: I have to deal in Engineering Ethics every day in my work as an expert. I am not an advocate for the plaintiffs or defendants, their lawyer is; I am to remain totally unbiased and present the results of my analyses to the court with complete honesty. I take that charge very seriously. For me, any time you have to worry about someone finding out about something, your ethics are in question.
I'd be honored to act as an instructor for AAWRE; after all, I'm both an engineer and a frustrated teacher. Just put me in front of a group and set me loose.
We know that you have helped and worked with Engineers Without Borders on El Salvador and Haiti projects; some real true-life experiences. Describe the work and challenges that you and the Teams faced in each location and what did you learn from your experiences?
RVB: When one first joins EWB, one has to spend some time becoming familiar with the structure of the organization. EWB is comprised of a number of local chapters, both student and professional, and each chapter have a number of project groups denoted by the country in which they are managing projects. When I first joined I sought out some projects within the various project groups of the San Francisco Professionals Chapter, where my specific field of expertise might be needed. I found a niche within the Haiti project group where I could offer some assistance in Hydrologic and Hydraulic design for a water pipeline river crossing site.
Soon thereafter I learned of the formation of a new El Salvador group within the chapter. I attended a few of that group's meetings and found several potential projects that the group was considering for a Salvadoran village where I could probably fit right in. Soon, I found myself working with both the Haiti and the El Salvador groups. Well, within a few months the El Salvador group started to put together a reconnaissance level field trip to the village that we were beginning to work with, and I volunteered to go along. I was selected to go, in part because I was a registered civil engineer with a few decades of experience, and it also helped that I spoke some Spanish. Within eight months of joining EWB, I was off to the village of San Juan de Dios, high in the mountains of El Salvador, for a week. That week turned out to be the most incredibly rewarding weeks of my career. Meeting these Salvadoran people, who pick coffee beans twelve hours a day for three dollars, in there own homes and schools, puts the world in a different light for you.
Please share with the readers your most memorable moments- the one(s) you will never forget from your trips in El Salvador and Haiti.
RVB: After most of our reconnaissance work was done, I got to teach a group of Salvadoran women how to bake chocolate chip cookies. The class was perfectly attentive, taking notes on my broken Spanish instructions, and we used a Peace Corps environmental design stove with no thermostat to produce an absolutely awful batch of cookies. The women didn't care, laughing with me through the entire the class, and devouring every crumb off of the pan. I had tears of joy and gratitude running down my cheeks for the rest of the afternoon.
Any plans for new EWB projects for 2010 and beyond? If so, can you share with us?
RVB: Next spring we'll be sending another group down to San Juan de Dios (of which I may or may not be a part) for a project implementation trip, probably to upgrade their limited water supply distribution system. If it makes sense for me to go for that phase of the project, I'd do so in a minute. We have a five year commitment with the community, so future projects may entail bridge design, solar or geothermal energy projects (it is the land of volcanoes), or latrine construction (they actually still use these in the jungle!).
What are some of your personal hobbies and interests?
RVB: I scuba dive, snow ski, and I still love to camp and backpack.
What are some of your personal goals and wishes for this next year?
RVB: I love to travel, even though I'm constantly travelling with my work, so I'd really like to see Australia or South America. I'd gladly put those destinations on hold though, if I'm asked to go on an EWB volunteer trip to Haiti or a return trip to El Salvador.