Rebecca Petersen Luman, P.E.
B.S.C.E., 1989
Rebecca Petersen Luman earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from The University of Texas at Austin in 1989. While on campus, she helped lead the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. She also played intramural sports, volunteered for the Texas Relays and was an avid Longhorn fan. Her senior year was capped off by receiving the Student Leadership Award in Civil Engineering.
Becky's career has taken her from California to New York, and back to Texas. She is a licensed Professional Engineer in all of these states. Since 2000, she has been the Director of Environmental Management Technology for Specialty Technical Consultants, Inc. (STC) in Houston. The specialized management consulting firm enhances the environmental, health and safety performance of industry clients.
Becky's experience in environmental regulatory consulting and project management has included the remedial investigation of groundwater contamination, and subsurface assessments for petroleum and manufacturing facilities. She has also overseen investigations and removal actions at state Superfund sites, and performed compliance audits and environmental management system assessments within the aerospace, food, manufacturing and other industries. She currently concentrates on technology use in regulatory compliance and environmental management systems assessment, and coordinates STC's regulatory information and publications activities.
Her related professional activities include serving on committees for the Houston Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers, being a regional co-chair for the Auditing Roundtable, and serving on its national meetings committee. She is also a member of the Texas Association of Environmental Professionals.
In addition to volunteer work for non-profits, Becky remains connected to the College of Engineering. She is the "unofficial class agent" for civil engineering classmates nationally, and the class agent for the Civil Engineering Centennial Campaign. A longtime Friends of Alec donor, she also supports the Department of Civil Engineering.
Becky met husband John Luman, a UT mechanical engineering graduate, while an undergraduate. The dedicated Longhorn fans are raising a future Longhorn engineer in their daughter, Ariana. The couple is expecting another child in September 2005.
Michael Evan Webber, Ph.D.
B.S., B.A., 1995
Michael Evan Webber earned bachelor's degrees with honors in both aerospace engineering and liberal arts from The University of Texas at Austin in 1995. He was a campus-wide student leader, the Drum Major for the university's Longhorn Band, and a 1994 finalist for the university's Outstanding Male Student Award.
As an associate engineer for RAND Corp., Webber analyzes problems and policy issues related to the erosion of the U.S. manufacturing base, investments by the U.S. Department of Defense in small business research, and tactics and technologies for joint U.S. Air Force/Army operations.
Webber's current position builds on more than a decade of participation in university and industry research projects. As an undergraduate, he spent two summers at NASA Ames Research Center assisting researchers with laser diagnostic assessments of a supersonic combustion ramjet engine. While at Stanford University earning a master's degree and a doctorate in mechanical engineering, he developed diode laser-based gas sensors for applications such as monitoring environmental emissions and optimizing space station bioreactors.
Prior to joining RAND Corp. in 2004, he was a Senior Scientist at Pranalytica, Inc. His responsibilities included designing laser-based gas sensing instruments for medical, homeland security and other applications, developing product lines, and preparing research proposals. He invented or co-invented several technologies at the corporation, including one for detecting chemical warfare agents.
An active member of numerous technical societies, Webber is a reviewer for four scientific journals, a frequent presenter at conferences in the U.S. and Europe, and a program committee member and presider for an international meeting of the Optical Society of America.
He is a board member for the Hope Street Group, a non-profit bi-partisan organization for young professionals interested in promoting policies that expand opportunity and economic growth. He also volunteers to mentor business students at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., and is a head coach for an American Youth Soccer Orginization (AYSO) under-6 girls' soccer team involving his daughter, Evelyn.
He met his wife Julia Christine Cook Webber, while she was completing a bachelor's in architecture at The University of Texas at Austin. They also have a 2-year-old son, David, and presently live in Culver City, CA.
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About the Cockrell School of Engineering:
The Cockrell School ranks among the top ten engineering programs in the United States and aspires to move into the top five. With the nation's fourth highest number of faculty members elected to the National Academy of Engineering, the Cockrell School's more than 7,000 students work with many of the world's finest engineering educators and researchers. This environment prepares graduates to become engineering leaders and innovators work¬ing for the betterment of society.