UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Robert W. Felsburg, retired president and chair of FELSBURG HOLT & ULLEVIG (FHU), will deliver the seventh annual Distinguished Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Lecture at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, in 104 Keller Building at University Park.
Felsburg, recognized in 2014 as an Outstanding Engineering Alumnus, received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1970 and his master’s degree in civil engineering in 1972, both from Penn State. He later co-founded FHU to provide transportation services to both public and private clients, and he spent the next 30 years leading the firm in multi-modal planning, traffic engineering, environmental services, and civil and structural engineering design.
His lecture will walk the audience through his journey from student to co-founder to long-term leadership in the private sector and how it reflects the diversity of opportunities available to today’s young professionals.
“The world of civil engineering offers an incredibly wide range of professional opportunities,” Felsburg said. “I believe it is important that young engineers understand that it may take some time before their ultimate destiny is defined.”
When asked how it felt to come back to Penn State and deliver this lecture to students, Felsburg said that he views speaking with students as both an enjoyable opportunity and a responsibility.
“We have a responsibility to pass on the lessons that we have learned, both good and bad, to those who follow us,” Felsburg said.
The event is hosted each year by the Penn State Student Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers in collaboration with the Penn State Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Society. The lecture is free and open to the public.