Renowned engineering professor and researcher Wallace Sanders, PhD, died January 6. He was 90.
Sanders taught in the Iowa State University Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering for 34 years until his retirement in 1998. He was a passionate advocate for engineering education, with an emphasis on steel bridge design. He had many roles during his Iowa State tenure: professor; associate professor; assistant and associate director of the Engineering Research Institute for 11 years; associate dean of the College of Engineering for three years; director of the Iowa Space Grant Consortium for four years; and interim assistant vice provost for research and graduate students.
“Professor Sanders lived a remarkable life,” said W. Samuel (Sam) Easterling, PE, PhD, Iowa State’s Dean of Engineering. “He served Iowa State for nearly 40 years, contributing significantly to the Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering department; the College of Engineering; and the university. He likewise made major contributions to our profession. We will deeply miss his positive attitude, engaging smile, and friendship.”
Sanders’ research focused on the behavior and design of highway and railway bridges; aluminum structures; and developing design specifications for structures. He served on several professional and technical committees, including several within AISC. He was on the Engineering Journal review board, the Partners In Education Committee, and the AISC Fellowship Award Jury.
In 2013, Sanders earned an AISC Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Engineering Education. In addition, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) awarded him its Reese Research Prize and named him a fellow.
Sanders also was on committees within ASCE, the American Society for Engineering Education, the American Welding Society, the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association (AERMA), the European Committee for Constructional Steelworks, and the Transportation Research Board.
“Wallace was the beloved secretary of AREMA Committee 15, Steel Bridges for over two decades, said Ronnie Medlock, High Steel Structures Vice President of Technical Services. “He imbued the committee with camaraderie, candor, and sincerity, setting an enjoyable yet imperative vitality that helped the members drive toward the best practices in steel railroad bridge design and construction. Eschewing ties and titles, Wallace kept things salient yet simple and fun. He was so liked and respected that when he stepped down as Secretary, Committee 15 established an AREMA structural engineering scholarship in his name.
“Wallace was famous for saying, ‘If you were late to the curb for the meeting field trip, you'll get to see the back of the bus.’ How poignant, because we members all knew who was really driving the committee bus, and if Wallace was driving, you wanted to be on.”
Iowa State still felt Sanders’ presence and impact after his retirement. In 2006, the university opened the Wallace W. and Julia B. Sanders Structural Laboratory, which houses an 80-ft by 24-ft reaction floor equipped with 300,000-lb capacity loading points on a 3-ft grid and a 15-ton overhead crane.
Sanders is survived by his daughter, Linda Sanders, and son, David (Tina) Sanders; brother John (Carole) Sanders; two grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Julia; his parents; and his foster brother, Stephen Nettles.