After 11 years, and 66 columns, I have decided to put down the pen (so to speak) and give someone else a chance. The fine staff at STLE and this publication are working diligently to bring you the best content, and they will soon be introducing my replacement. For now, I would like to take a brief look back on my surprisingly long tenure writing for STLE.
Before taking on this column, I wrote a monthly column as the STLE President, and was happy to have the opportunity to parlay that into the Automotive Tribology column as we know it today. Along the way, I have contributed to several feature articles, and on two especially poignant occasions, authored two obituaries.
The first of these obituaries was for Professor Kenneth C. Ludema of the University of Michigan, who mentored me in the field of tribology. He was my thesis advisor and friend for over three decades, and he taught me many valuable lessons about technical issues and life in general.
The second obituary has a more direct bearing on this occasion. For many years, Dr. Shirley E. Schwartz wrote the column “Love Letters to the Lubrication Engineers” in TLT’s direct predecessor, Lubrication Engineering. Her example provided me with the inspiration and confidence to take on this task, and I am grateful for the opportunity to walk in her footsteps. In fact, my STLE writing career began in the pages of Lubrication Engineering in May 1999 with an amusing little article entitled “Gambling for the Engineer: A Survival Guide to Las Vegas” on the occasion of the STLE Annual Meeting being held there.
While some of the information in that gambling article is out of date (e.g., I actually mention traveler’s checks at one point), the basic information is still quite accurate. Also, the 25-year-old photo of me is good for a laugh!
I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the STLE staff, past and present, who supported and encouraged me in this endeavor, and made me look good by fixing my spelling and grammar. My thanks also to the officers and volunteers of STLE I have known throughout the years, and the many, many members and guests of the society I have worked and interacted with over the years.
That about does it for this final column. I really can’t think of anyone else to thank.
Except you, of course.