September 4, 2009

World Trade Center structural engineer Leslie Robertson to deliver NC State’s Zia Lecture

Leslie E. Robertson, who led the structural design of the former World Trade Center, will deliver the annual Paul Zia Distinguished Lecture in Civil Engineering and Construction at 3 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, at the Raleigh Little Theatre near the North Carolina State University campus.

This free ticketed event is open to the public; media coverage is invited. For tickets, contact Lora F. Bremer at 919.513.0983 or lora_bremer@ncsu.edu. Robertson will be available for media interviews before the lecture from 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Dubbed the "Skyscraper Superstar" for his groundbreaking work on the World Trade Center and other towers, Robertson has redefined the upper limits of high-rise engineering and design. In his address, “The Architect and the Structural Engineer: Both Friends and Foes,” Robertson will use his innovative designs to discuss how the complicated relationship between structural engineers and architects can produce brilliant results.

Robertson first gained worldwide attention in the 1960s for directing the structural design of the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York. His design was credited with allowing thousands of people to escape the towers before they collapsed following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Robertson and his New York-based firm, Leslie E. Robertson and Associates, are also responsible for the structural design of the 1,614-foot Shanghai World Financial Center, the world’s second-tallest completed building, and hundreds of other skyscrapers and structures around the world.

Robertson is a pioneer in the application of computers to design, and he has advanced the art and the science of structural engineering theory through his work on skyscrapers, domes, bridges and long-span roofs. His numerous honors include membership in the National Academy of Engineering and a place on Engineering News-Record's list of "125 Top People of the Past 125 Years." His wife, SawTeen See, is also an accomplished structural engineer.

The Paul Zia Distinguished Lecture Series was established in 2002 to honor the accomplishments of Dr. Paul Zia, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering at NC State. Dr. Zia is a leading figure in the fields of concrete and structural engineering and served as head of the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at NC State for nine years. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

The series is presented by NC State’s Constructed Facilities Laboratory and the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering. More information, including directions and a map, is available at the series website.

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Media Contact:
Jennifer Weston, 919.515.3394, weston@ncsu.edu

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