Join the College of Engineering for a “Last Lecture” with Earl “Rusty” Lee, senior researcher and associate professor emeritus of civil engineering.

Many people assume their lives are shaped by the big moments: the promotions, the deployments, the degrees. Looking back on two careers that together span nearly 50 years, Earl “Rusty” Lee sees it differently. In this lecture, he will talk about the small, almost forgettable events that quietly changed his direction, and how missing even one of them could have sent him down an entirely different path.

Drawing on his years as a U.S. Navy nuclear officer and later as a faculty member and University leader, Rusty will reflect on what those moments taught him, the people who shaped him and, as best he can tell, the influence he may have had on others. His story is less about milestones and more about the everyday decisions and chance encounters that add up over time and ultimately define a life’s work.

MORE ABOUT RUSTY LEE

Earl “Rusty” Lee is a senior researcher and associate professor emeritus in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering. He received a bachelor of science degree in nuclear engineering in 1978, a master of science in management in 2004 and a doctorate in decision sciences and engineering systems in 2006, all from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

After graduating in 1978, Rusty was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy and selected for nuclear power training. He served on active duty for more than 12 years, including as an engineering division officer on the attack submarine USS Groton (SSN 694), an instructor at the Nuclear Power Training Unit, Ballston Spa, New York, chief engineer on the ballistic missile submarine USS James K. Polk (SSBN 645) and Pacific Fleet submarine propulsion plant inspector for the Pacific Board of Inspection and Survey. He transitioned to the Naval Reserve in 1990 and served four additional units, including as commanding officer of the Naval Communication Station Reserve Unit 101 in Cutler, Maine. He retired from the Navy in 2002 at the rank of commander, earning several awards and commendations.

He returned to RPI in 2000 to pursue a master’s degree and was hired as a research project manager for three Federal Highway Administration projects, completing his doctorate during that time. He joined the UD faculty in August 2007 and retired from the faculty in 2025. In addition to teaching and research, Rusty served as director of the Delaware Local Technical Assistance program, director of the Delaware Center for Transportation and chair of the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies. He also served on other Senate committees and numerous task forces, committees and activities at the University, college and department levels. He received the Faculty Senate’s Jon Olson Exemplary Service Award and the National Program Achievement Award from the National Local Technical Assistance Program Association.