The EERI Oral History Series Reflection Assignment

The EERI Oral History Series Reflection - Assignment Example Berkeley. He convinced the civil engineering chairman at the time to allow for the advanced degree; â€Å"Isn’t it about time that we should start awarding Ph.D.s?†1. In addition to teaching, Egor enthusiasm for engineering led him to work in various exciting positions as an engineer, including E.F. Rudolph, Martin Pohl, Bill Mellema and Southwest Portland Cement Company. Furthermore, as a researcher, Egor took thirty years to pursue the subject of seismic design which was not known to many. As he puts it; â€Å"I undertook an extensive exploration of this difficult problem†2. Secondly, Egor was highly adaptable. This trait is well brought out during his early years as a child. Having been born in Russia, Egor had to endure harsh conditions as a child, partly brought about by the war in Russia. For instance, he and the family had to live on the Hospital Train where his father worked. As he says, they were there for â€Å"two-and-a-half years.† Egor had to live in other places including Hailar, Pogranichnyy, and Harbin before settling in San Fansciso. As a practicing engineer, his ability to adapt to new environments and challenges was put to the test. He worked in various firms in various capacities. Each of these positions brought with them their own unique set of challenges. He worked in more than ten firms as an engineer holding various positions. For example, while working at Bill Mellema in Los Angeles as a seismic designer, Egor was involved in a number of designs and analyses. He notes that work â€Å"varied in complexity; some was in steel , and some in reinforced concrete†3. Furthermore, his ability to adapt to new and challenging environments played an important role in his teaching and research career. For instance, in his early career in teaching at Berkeley, Egor was required to teach three courses to classes some with an enrolment of more than 100 students. He however managed to adapt to this challenge, and even at some point memorizing