Dave Davis / NL

getting to know

John Olofsson,
engineering professor

Official Title:  Professor of civil engineering.

How long have you been at UAA?  Since 1990.

Do you have any other jobs or professional responsibilities? No other jobs but I do some consulting outside of the university in the water and wastewater field.  All of this is consistent with my university responsibilities and is considered part of university service.  I have done some work in the rural sanitation area throughout rural Alaska.

What have you taught at UAA? Civil engineering and environmental engineering graduate courses in water and wastewater. 

What do you currently teach? This semester: Sanitary engineering and fundamentals of environmental science and engineering.

Where did you go to school? What was your major?  B.S. in industrial engineering Clarkson College of Technology, 1968; M.S. in civil engineering, Syracuse University, 1972; Ph.D., University of Maine, Orono, 1977.

What drew you to the field of engineering? Technical aspects of design. 

What was your worst or most interesting job as a student? Washing dishes, auto mechanic. 

Born and raised? New York City and upstate New York. 

Favorite movie(s)? I don’t watch movies.

Favorite book, poem or screenplay?  History: Manchester’s biographies of Churchill and his other historical works. 

Favorite music or artist?  Bob Dylan.

Favorite food? Cooked. 

Most influential person to you? Influential in what way? I suppose my parents. 

Any pets? Why’d you choose them?  Cats... I like cats. 

Hobbies? Flying.