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Clarkson University board of trustees names distinguished service professor of civil engineering

Posted 5/17/16

Spencer Thew was recently named a distinguished service professor of civil engineering by a full vote of the Clarkson University board of trustees. The resolution recognizes Thew, a Clarkson alumnus, …

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Clarkson University board of trustees names distinguished service professor of civil engineering

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Spencer Thew was recently named a distinguished service professor of civil engineering by a full vote of the Clarkson University board of trustees.

The resolution recognizes Thew, a Clarkson alumnus, for his work to advance civil engineering through practice in the region and through the education of thousands of civil engineering students.

While attending Clarkson, Thew began his career working for a land surveyor and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during the summer.

He earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1963 and a master's degree in civil engineering in 1972.

Thew started teaching at Clarkson in 1966. Always a strong advocate of higher education, he encouraged and supported the continued education of the professional staff at his own business, Atlantic Testing Laboratories.

His experience as president of Atlantic Testing provided students with critical, practical knowledge from his day-to-day work, according to a press release from Clarkson.

Thew was involved in a variety of major projects, such as the Lake Placid Winter Olympics, Fort Drum expansion, Marcy South 765 kV Transmission Line, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Corning World Headquarters building, the release said.

In addition to his roles as educator, engineer and businessman, Thew has served as an officer and chairman in several professional societies, including the American Congress of Surveying and Mapping, American Concrete Institute, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society for Testing and Materials and the National Society of Professional Engineers.

His knowledge of construction materials and geotechnical engineering, in addition to his connections to engineering and construction firms throughout the northeast, were beneficial to the university when the Construction Engineering Management concentration was created in 1998, the release said.

He led the Construction Engineering Management program and served as director until November 2015 when Erik Backus became the director.

The New York State Society of Professional Engineers also has recognized Thew as an Outstanding Professional Engineer in Education.