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Jack Grubbs was born in San Antonio, Texas on 6 September 1940.
He enlisted in the United States Army in 1959 and subsequently
graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1964 as a
second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers. In addition
to his Bachelor of Science degree from West Point, he holds a
Master of Science degree in Engineering from Princeton
University and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute. In 1977, he graduated with
distinction from the Naval Command and Staff College in Newport,
Rhode Island.
His military assignments include two Vietnam tours as a combat engineer platoon
leader, company commander (twice), and battalion operations officer with the
173d Airborne Brigade and the 23d Infantry Division (Americal). Other foreign
service includes assignments as a platoon leader in Okinawa and as a staff
officer with the United Nations Command in Korea. In the United States he
commanded the 5th Battalion, 3d Brigade, at Ft. Dix, New Jersey. He was
selected to the permanent military faculty at the United States Military Academy
in 1983. His final assignment was as Head of the Department of Geography and
Environmental Engineering at West Point. He retired from the Army in 1998 as a
brigadier general.
In 1998 Dr. Grubbs was appointed Chairman of the Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana. At the
end of his first year on the Tulane faculty, he received the 1999 Tulane Award
for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. He has since served as Associate
Senior Vice President for Undergraduate Education and as Associate Dean of
Engineering for External Programs. His research interests have been in the
areas of environmental and geographic undergraduate education and high
performing organizations. His many publications include topics on curriculum
design, cultural awareness, environmental security, interactive engineering
design, database transfer mechanisms, and educational aspects of engineering.
He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Virginia. In addition
to his academic endeavors, he has recently completed the draft of his first
novel, is a motivational speaker concerned with integrity, leadership and
teambuilding, and has consulted in organizational achievement and development.
He is currently working on a leadership book entitled, "Touch 'em or They'll
Die".
Among Dr. Grubbs’ many military awards are the Distinguished Service Medal,
Bronze Star Medal (with oak leaf cluster), Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the
Ranger Tab, and the Senior Parachutist Badge. In 1998 he received The Silver
Order of the de Fleury Medal for ‘inspirational leadership to the United States
Army Corps of Engineers.’
Dr. Grubbs is married to the former Judith Schultz of Bangor, Pennsylvania.
They have three daughters, Kelly Petrillo, Kimberly Wilson, and Kory Ricotta,
and six beautiful granddaughters. |
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Engineering Ethics and the Louisiana
Coastline: Keeping Them Afloat
John “Jack” Grubbs, PhD
When all is said and done, the topic of 'Ethics' is not really about
engineering ethics, business ethics, political ethics or any other
one-dimensional form of ethics; it's about human ethics. From isolated
incidents to cultural phenomena, the quality of our lives are affected
by human ethics. Just like our Louisiana coastline, we should have
concerns about the future....and what we should demand within our
society. The discussion of ethics this year will cover life from
engineering to the person sitting next to you. It should be
eye-opening.
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