In a lifetime, every moment is precious. I say this as a man who has had to face the potential of his life being taken from him in combat, and having the medals and badges to prove it. One of the things we all should latch onto to, in this light, is the opportunity to give back to all those who have made a difference in our lives. The idea that any of us have earned everything we have received is a complete myth. To that end, we owe way too much to others, especially, mentors, teachers, friends, and parents. For that reason when life presents the opportunity to thank those that got you to where you are, you need to take it.
So it is now, as we get to celebrate the 2026 Roebling Award winner, Mr. Spencer Thew, that I have a chance to acknowledge one of my key mentors. I got into construction at an early age thanks to my father who was an industrial arts/technology education teacher by day and a residential/light commercial construction contractor by night, weekends, holidays, and over the summer. Having gotten the bug early, I knew exactly what I wanted to major in at college (civil engineering) and what my focus within that field was going to be (construction). Having chosen to come to Clarkson after high school, I had laser focus on the part of the university catalog that listed the three construction electives, all taught by the long term adjunct Professor Thew. I couldn’t get there fast enough, and boy did I enjoy them. What Spence did is take my knowledge of the basics of construction learned in the field, and opened my eyes to see the wider world of commercial, heavy-highway, infrastructure, and institutional work that a career could be made from.
What I, and a legion of other former students of his, can tell you, is that Spence is a master of teaching through story. To a person, anyone who’s taken his classes since 1980 can tell you the vivid recollection of the story of the Lake Placid Olympic skating oval and its concrete finish, as a case in point about the importance of explicitness in technical specifications. Or how we don’t “pour” concrete, we deliberately “place” concrete. Or that it’s not a “cement truck” it’s a “concrete truck” that we often see heading down a highway. And there are so many more tales, pulled directly from his professional work at Atlantic Testing, sometimes from that very afternoon, that made his classes come alive. And he wasn’t afraid to tell it like it was/is, nor were his classes a cake walk. Which made the learning all the more effective.
Having returned to Clarkson in 2014, I now get to call him a colleague, and, even more astonishingly, my employee. Going into my 12th year of having taken over the mantle of leading the Construction Engineering Management program at Clarkson from him, I remain even more in his debt. He is the sage wisdom to my often energetic and enthusiastic goals for the program and even professionally. He encourages, he holds me accountable, and is a significant shoulder that I can and do lean on to address the big challenges we have. Any and all success we have today, therefore, is built on his exceptionally strong foundation, one that has zero signs of cracking any time soon.
So when I saw the call out for nominees for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Construction Institute awards, my first thought was it was high time we put his hat in the ring to be recognized for all he had done professionally and as a teacher/mentor, for over six decades. The Roebling Award, in particular, “recognizes and honors an individual who has made an outstanding contribution toward the advancement of construction engineering” (https://www.asce.org/career-growth/awards-and-honors/roebling-award). Spence more than fits the bill, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic that he was selected by ASCE for this year’s award. This kind of national, even international, recognition is beyond fitting for him. As I said at the opening, it’s not often you get to enable one of your mentors and lode stars, to receive the recognition they so richly deserve.
With all that preamble, simply, congratulations to Spencer F. Thew, PE, PLS. You are and will remain a giant in the construction industry and among those students and employees that you have taught, mentored, and guided. On behalf of all of us, thank you; this is the least we could do to let the world know of your greatness.
Key Postings
University press release: https://www.clarkson.edu/news-events/spencer-thew-receives-prestigious-national-award-civil-engineering-society
Local media report: https://northcountrynow.com/stories/spencer-thew-receives-prestigious-national-award-from-civil-engineering-society,358839
Conference website: https://cisummit-crc.asce.org/home (awards will be happening on Thursday (19 March 26) in the afternoon at 4 pm)
