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25-Year Profile with Brett Anthony

Brett Anthony

It’s somewhat difficult to find Brett Anthony’s “office.” Anthony, a civil engineering equipment technician, works in a structures lab tucked away on the side of Riverside Hall. The lab, filled with beams, machines, nuts and bolts, is not pretty to look at or easy to find, but to engineering students, it’s a vital testing ground for their experiments. And it’s Anthony’s job to make that happen.

“The engineering students conduct experiments in the lab,” says Anthony, gesturing to the two-story-high ceilings and piles of machinery and equipment next to the walls. “I’ll give you an example of an experiment: a beam gets stuck between two walls, a hydraulic actuator bends the beam, and the students measure the strains. It’s similar to a bridge beam.”

The College of Engineering and Computer Science specializes in conducting hands-on experiments, and that’s where the structures lab comes into play. “I like to work with the students,” Anthony says. “I’ve also noticed a positive trend in the students over the last five years. Students are very serious about their experiments and productive in their results, yet at the same time they’re having fun with what they’re doing.”

Anthony is responsible for developing a variety of beams and other objects to use in experiments, and has even constructed a computer to operate the hydraulic actuator from a remote location. “I have the ability to try new ideas,” he explains, “and I’m glad I can do that. There isn’t an official ‘training program’ for this job, and much of what I’ve learned is self-taught. I like figuring these puzzles out.”

Anthony has a decidedly mechanical aspect to his job, yet he chose to pursue a degree in English through the university’s fee waiver program. “I use the analytical skills I learned while studying English to help with my job,” Anthony says. “I also received some great advice from one of my professors. He said, ‘Brett, you ask permission too much. If you want to do something, just do it.’ I’ve followed that advice over the years, and believe it or not, it’s served me well.”

The 25 years have gone quickly, Anthony says, and he knows that retirement is looming. “All the repair information for the lab equipment is in my head. I need to write a repair manual for whoever replaces me.”

Anthony hopes that after his retirement his replacement will be creative and find new ways to challenge the students. “If I come back and visit the lab three years after my retirement, and everything is the same, I’ll be disappointed. I’ve enjoyed trying new things, and I hope my successor will continue to be innovative.”