Terry Wipf has been interested in buildings and bridges since before he knew what an engineer was.

But now, the professor in civil and construction engineering has been named to the Pitt-Des Moines Inc. Endowed Professorship, his department’s first.

As an engineer, Wipf can name many people that helped him along the way. But it was his dad who got Wipf thinking about a career in structural engineering as early as junior high.

Wipf said he tries to keep things simple. He credited the endowed professorship to luck, and thinks there are others who are equally qualified for such awards.

“The way I look at it, it is just recognition for hard work, and there are a lot of people [in the department] that work hard,” he said. “Too bad not everybody is lucky to get the recognition.”

On campus, Wipf spends half of his time with the ISU Center for Transportation Research and Education. He also is one of the associate editors of the Journal of Bridge Engineering, a publication of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

James Melsa, dean of engineering, said a selection committee invited nominations and applications from the civil and construction engineering faculty. The committee came to an unanimous conclusion that Wipf is the most qualified, he said.

The endowed professorship is a $1 million donation made from Pitt-Des Moines to Iowa State last August. It was donated in honor of one of its founders, William H. Jackson, who graduated from Iowa State in 1891, Melsa said.

The endowment is useful in attracting top researchers and faculty members, he said. It also will bring additional resources to the civil engineering department, Melsa said.

Lowell Greimann, professor and chairman of civil and construction engineering, said the department is proud to be the only one in the nation to have the Pitt-Des Moines endowed professorship.

“The main purpose is to retain and recruit faculty,” he said. “The money helps us grow our program.”

The endowment allows more flexibility in researching and will help fund graduate students, Greimann said. When Wipf travels outside Ames, he also can promote himself as the Pitt-Des Moines endowed professor, Greimann said.

“If he is visible, [the department] will also be promoted,” Greimann said.

To Pitt-Des Moines, which recently was acquired by Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., the endowment is a chance for the company to keep its name alive, Greimann said.

Wipf came to Iowa State in 1983 after getting his doctorate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. A native of Weeping Water, Neb., Wipf said he was attracted by the applied research conducted at Iowa State.

It was at this time that Wipf met Wayne Klaiber, distinguished professor of civil and construction engineering. Both men have since worked on many projects together.

“He doesn’t know what a 40-hour work week is,” Klaiber said. “He is here on weekdays. He is here on weekends.”

Wipf’s hard work showed in 2000, Klaiber said, when Wipf received the D.R. Boylan Eminent Faculty Award for his contribution in research.

Wipf, however, prefers to be more discreet about his recognition.

“I’m not really comfortable talking about these, these awards,” he confessed.

He prefers to do what he thinks he does better – work.

“I’m a blue-collar type of person,” he said.