Concrete canoe advisor, sports timekeeper, educator, and more....that's Bob Ward.
How did you get involved with concrete canoe competition?
An engineering society holds a competition each year. I have supported the concrete canoe team and have gone to most of our competitions since I came here. It has been wonderful seeing the team improve each year and has made it to the nationals several times in the past few years.
You ride your bike a lot.
Yes, rarely do I drive from my home on South Johnson to work at the engineering building. Before coming to Ada 26 years ago, I had a long commute by car, hated it. When we moved to Ada we wanted to live as close to campus as possible. Our home is less than a mile from where I work.
The wind chill was 15 below this morning when you came to work. Did you bike it? How do you avoid frostbite?
Yes, I rode the bike to work, have learned how to stay warm...wear two ski masks, two pairs of insulated gloves. I've leaned how to dress for the cold.
I see you at the scorer's table quite often.
Yes, for many years, I've run the ONU clock for men's and women's basketball and for football. And, I've handled the photo finish camera at track meets. Volunteering is my hobby, I guess you'd say.
You seem to enjoy teaching young people.
They keep you young. They expand my horizon, and, hopefully, I expand theirs.
You helped at the high school, too.
I've co-coached the junior high math team. We've gone to state several times.
Tell me about your family.
We have four children who live in Ohio: Heather in Medina, Jennifer in Cincinnati, and Brian and Vanessa in Columbus. In addition to helping raise the children, my wife, Karen, worked some at The Ada Herald and for ONU. She was one of four people who started ReStore.
What is your teaching specialty?
I'm a water resource engineer, concentrating on storm water systems. I worked for government and industry for 10 years before getting my Ph.D. and coming here. I've enjoyed ONU and Ada, a great place to teach and raise a family.
(Monty Siekerman)
