Engineers

Throughout U.S. history, engineers have overcome technological challenges, discovering how to explore the ocean floor, the mountains of the moon and everything in between. Engineers are the architects of the standard of living of the developed world. But in recent years engineers have in many instances been stymied in building needed projects because of their inability to confront political issues. Engineers have simply been out-maneuvered by those with a high degree of political sophistication on such issues as highway construction, solid waste disposal, the Clean Air Act, construction of transmission lines and storage of low-level radioactive waste.

With DePaul University assistant coach Nicci Hays-Fort looking on, Keisha Hampton gave an up-close look of what the Blue Demons can expect when the 6-foot-2 center arrives in Chicago. From the herculean effort Hampton put forth last night, expect DePaul head coach Doug Bruno to receive a glowing report. Actually, an out-of-this-world report. Hampton poured in a career-high 40 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, blocked four shots, and made two steals to power Engineering and Science to a 55-36 rout of Allentown Central Catholic in a PIAA Class AAA second-round state playoff matchup at Norristown.

Seventh and eighth graders with a creative spirit and an interest in engineering are invited to enter the National Engineers Week Future City Competition, which will begin in September. The competition challenges student teams to design a city of the future using computer software and three-dimensional scale models. They also must write an essay about their cities, addressing such issues as pollution, transportation and communications. "It enables them to see how engineers work . . . the rigorousness of design, procedure, working together to a common plan, a common goal," said John Kampmeyer, coordinator for the Philadelphia Regional Future City Competition.

Certain members of the South Philadelphia Stars had more on their minds Sunday than winning an American Legion baseball game. Like, seizing an advantage in mind games. "It was going back and forth the whole time," Al Piccoli said. " 'We're going to beat you guys.' . . . 'No, we're going to beat you guys.' . . . 'We're just not going to beat you. We're going to kill you.' . . . 'No you're not.' " The friendly banter could be traced to the fact that Al Piccoli, and his brother, Chris, play their Public League ball for Engineering and Science, while fellow Stars Dominic Raia, Ty Bradley, Jason Parr, Jim Silvanio and Joe Destra represent Southern.

Donald D. Meisel of Marple Township has been named a fellow of the Institution of Engineers of Ireland. Meisel is a professional engineer who is president of the Ambric Companies, an engineering and materials testing organization in Philadelphia. He was honored for his efforts to promote the free movement of graduate engineers between Ireland and the United States, as well as helping to establish other professional links between the two countries. He is also one of the few Americans to holding registration as a Euro Engineer (Eur-Ing)

Justin Scott loves basketball and wants to remain involved in the game long-range, so he plans on becoming a broadcaster. We wonder what his comment would have been yesterday, after Engineering and Science fell into a 19-3 hole in a Public League game against visiting University City. "Hmm," he said. "I probably would have said, 'They look like they're scared. They look like they don't have any heart.' " That's probably what he would have said. But here's what he was thinking.

Lynn Greer is one of the anti-franchises in city scholastic basketball. He doesn't show off, doesn't run his mouth, doesn't shirk his classroom responsibilities, doesn't threaten to transfer any time he is not passed the ball on three consecutive trips down the court. What he does is play hard with team goals in mind when wearing a uniform, and behave like a model citizen, unceasingly, when wearing street clothes. Lynn Greer is what can happen when a youngster receives loving and persistent familial support.

Middletown supervisors have approved pay increases for the township's solicitor and its engineers despite objections from a supervisor who wanted a study conducted to see whether the increases would be a burden to the taxpayers. The supervisors voted, 3-1, Tuesday to enact a resolution calling for the increase. Board member George Marcellus, the lone dissenter, said he wanted to postpone the raises until the township could research the financial effect. "I think we are talking significant money," he said.

It was "purely accidental" that Richard Kellerman and Paul Nielsen developed an electronic system that would help rowers all over the world. The two men were working for Xerox Corp. in 1978 when the rowing coach at the University of Pennsylvania, a friend of a friend, started bringing Kellerman things that needed fixing. Kellerman, a chemical engineer, passed most of the odd jobs on to Nielsen, a physical engineer. The two tinkered away and realized that they probably could make most of the things they were repairing.

It's still January, but it has already been a long season for Lincoln basketball fans. With Engineering and Science visiting Tuesday, most fans - and Lincoln coach Charlie Davis - had hoped that the Railsplitters could notch their first league win of the year. But the Engineers (5-9 overall, 2-6 league) jumped out to a 13-point lead after three quarters and held off Lincoln (3-14, 0-7), 71-65. "It was a game that I hoped we would win," Davis said. "I thought this was one game that was sort of even, talentwise.

Calling a typical American engineering school a boys' club would be an understatement - on average, women make up 18.2 percent of engineering undergraduates nationwide. It's a statistic that hasn't gone unnoticed, with colleges and universities across the country scrambling to draw more women and minorities into engineering majors. Villanova University is no exception - and on Sunday, 31.4 percent of the engineering students who crossed the stage at graduation in Radnor were female.

James Bond Godshalk, 98, of Lower Makefield Township, a chemical engineer and inventor, died Friday, May 3, at Chandler Hall Hospice in Newtown, Bucks County. Born in Philadelphia, he was a Lower Makefield resident for 50 years. He was a descendant of John Howland, 13th signer of the Mayflower Compact in 1620. Mr. Godshalk lost his son, William Robert, 35, in the Sept. 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks. An investment banker, the young man had become engaged shortly before his death.

Robert Raymond Moser, 86, an aerospace engineer for General Electric, died Thursday, May 2, of pneumonia at the nursing skilled facility at Shannondell in Audubon. Mr. Moser's first job was as a design engineer for Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corp. in the mid-1950s. A longtime friend referred Mr. Moser to General Electric, where he worked from July 1956 until retiring in 1990. Sometimes his office was in Philadelphia; at other times, in King of Prussia. His family said that engineering was a passion for Mr. Moser and that he was "loyal and passionate about the company that employed him" for so many years.

IF THAT BROKEN thing had wheels or moving parts or plugged into an electrical socket, Charlie Tagg could fix it. It didn't matter if it was a car, a TV set, a radio or toy train, his daughter Chris Jakielaszek said. "Dad found enjoyment tinkering and fixing a wide variety of items," she said. "He liked the challenge of making something work again and helping someone. He never charged anyone for the work he did. " Charles W. Tagg, a retired aerospace and aviation engineer, died April 29 of a heart ailment.

For Edwin R. Walthall, witnessing a 1951 atomic bomb test as a physicist at Eniwetok Atoll in the South Pacific was not the first encounter with danger. Mr. Walthall was a nose gunner on B-17s for 21 missions deep into Nazi Germany during the last days of World War II. "We were lucky that no one in our crew got a scratch," he wrote in biographical notes for his family, "but some shrapnel penetrated our plane on several missions. " Only on his flight back to the United States did he face imminent peril, he wrote, when his plane landed in Gander, Newfoundland, with only three of its four engines working and low on fuel.

ANOTHER WEEK, another significant smackdown from NASCAR's justice department. Matt Kenseth's No. 20 Toyota Sprint Cup team was the latest to hear a "guilty" verdict from NASCAR. Officials determined that the engine in Kenseth's winning car at Kansas Speedway on Sunday failed inspection. Kenseth was penalized 50 points yesterday, sending him spiraling from eighth place to a tie with Jeff Gordon for 14th place. Kenseth keeps the Kansas win, but he loses the three bonus points. While he keeps the victory in the record books, he cannot use it toward claiming a wild-card spot in the Chase.

Frank W. Wellons, 93, an engineering executive and former resident of the Philadelphia suburbs, died Friday, March 15, of pneumonia at Harborview Hospital in Seattle, Wash. Mr. Wellons lived in Devon and West Chester for 72 years before moving to Seattle in January to be near his daughter, Amy. He was recognized as an expert in roller bearings and was instrumental in developing a version of the buffering mechanisms that were used in aircraft turbine power plants. He also helped develop international engineering standards for roller bearings, his family said.

LOS ANGELES - Rusted pieces of two Apollo-era rocket engines that helped boost astronauts to the moon have been fished out of the murky depths of the Atlantic, Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos and NASA said Wednesday. A privately funded expedition led by Bezos raised the main engine parts during three weeks at sea and was headed back to Cape Canaveral, Fla., the launchpad for the manned lunar missions. "We've seen an underwater wonderland - an incredible sculpture garden of twisted F-1 engines that tells the story of a fiery and violent end," Bezos wrote in an online posting.

In the wake of a damning grand-jury probe and criminal charges against eight people, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will investigate its contracts with lawyers, financiers, engineers, and others, turnpike chief Mark Compton said Monday. Compton, who started work as the agency's chief executive officer last month, said he was "personally offended by the conduct" outlined in the grand jury report last week. The 85-page report depicted a pervasive culture of money, political favoritism, and influence-peddling at the Turnpike Commission, with contractors selected on the basis of political contributions to state officials.

Joseph H. Wiseman Jr., 83, of Lower Moreland, a longtime engineer, died Thursday, March 14, of pneumonia at Aria Health-Torresdale Campus. Born in Philadelphia, Mr. Wiseman graduated from Olney High School in 1947 and what is now Drexel University in 1951. He lived in Holland, Bucks County, for 30 years before moving to Lower Moreland in 1993. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers after completing the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps at Drexel.