A Textbook Case of Coming Full Circle

The origin point of many careers is a pivotal text. For Ballinger Principal and Director of Engineering Angela M. Fante, PE, LEED AP that text was Unified Design of Steel Structures by Louis F. Geschwindner, Judy Liu, and Charles J. Carter. “This was the textbook that provided the framework for how I practice in steel design of our building projects said Angie, “Dr. Geschwindner was my professor and thesis advisor,  and continues to be a mentor to me to this day.”

After seeing a cover story on Angie’s structural engineering work on the University of Rhode Island’s Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering in Modern Steel Construction, Dr. Geschwindner selected the award-winning building to grace the cover of the fourth edition of his textbook. “Given the prominence of the exposed steel on the project and how integrated it is to the design, Dr. Geschwindner contacted me and asked if he could use the photo on the cover of the latest version of Unified Design of Steel Structures,” Angie said. “I was beyond honored by this full circle moment – the brilliant professor who taught me is now using one of my favorite projects on the cover of the textbook that taught me how to design it in the first place. It’s very special for me,” she said.