W. JAMES WILDE
Title: Advanced Engineering: From Theory To Application
Abstract: A broad array of endeavors must be undertaken to move an idea to reality and produce something that can benefit society. This includes going from the most basic idea to developing a theory, to prototyping and testing, and ultimately to production and benifiting the consumer or the overall public. Most people involved in engineering research fall into a narrow range within this spectrum. Some people can work in adjacent spaces, and even fewer are able to think and work across many of these activities. This presentation will discuss the spectrum from "ideas" to "reality" and the activities in between, and the combinations of activities that may be typical for some types of researchers who jump among the broader range of activities. It will also present examples of individuals who have worked within a broad range, from basic ideas to the reality of production and the pressures of business.
Dr. James Wilde is the Chair of the Department of Engineering Technology at Texas State University. He earned his PhD degree in civil engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, studying concrete pavement design, construction and innovation. He worked in industry as a project manager at the Transtec Group in Austin, Texas, and later became the second faculty member for a new civil engineering program at Minnesota State University, where he served as program coordinator for eight years. Since that time Dr. Wilde has served as the program director for the Concrete Industry Management program at Texas State University, and now as the Department Chair of Engineering Technology.
Dr. Wilde’s research areas have included innovative concrete pavement design and construction, surface smoothness, concrete maturity, recycled concrete, and other topics. He has specialized in taking theoretical research and applying it to real-world situations where practicing engineers can implement those results into real applications that benefit society.
He has served in various roles in his personal life as a father, Boy Scout leader (often teaching boys survival skills at lower than -18 C!). He has also been a community leader and advocate for students at all ages from primary school through college and graduate school.
Dr. Wilde is a member of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and its Committees on Concrete Pavements, History of Concrete, Quality Assurance in Concrete Systems, Recycled Concrete, and Constructability. He has recently been elected as a member of the Accreditation Board of the Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering. He is also a member of the Texas Aggregates and Concrete Association and the American Concrete Pavement Association.