October 2018 Vol. 73 No. 10
Features
Lynn Osborn Named UCT 2019 MVP
Join industry professionals in honoring the 2019 Most Valuable Professional, Lynn Osborn, at the annual UCTA and Underground Construction magazine MVP Award Banquet on Tuesday, Jan. 29, during the Underground Construction Technology (UCT) International Conference & Exhibition, in Fort Worth, Texas.
Osborn is renowned across the trenchless rehabilitation industry, not only for his long career as a leading cured-in-place design and research engineer, but also for his involvement, leadership and selfless dedication to that market.
“He truly personifies everything the MVP is all about,” said Underground Construction magazine Editor-in-Chief and UCTA board member Robert Carpenter. “We are extremely proud to honor such an outstanding recipient.”
Growing up in a small Kansas town, Osborn worked his way through college by spending summers cutting wheat from Oklahoma to Canada. Osborn graduated from Kansas Wesleyan University in 1969 with a double major in chemistry and biology. Almost immediately after graduation, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served a tour of duty in Vietnam. After his discharge in 1972, he returned to school, enrolling at the University of Kansas. He graduated in 1974 with a degree in civil engineering, and later earned a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering. From 1975 to 1984, Osborn was employed at Wilson & Company, an engineering and architecture firm with offices in Salina and Wichita, Kans. There, he worked on planning, design and construction of sewers, water lines, wastewater treatment plants and water treatment plants. He started as an entry level, graduate engineer and advanced to project manager for environmental engineering.
CIPP
In the early 1980s, Osborn observed a CIPP project being conducted by Insituform Mid-America (the predecessor to the current Chesterfield, Mo.-based Insituform), and was hooked on the technology and its potential. In 1984, Osborn joined Insituform and crafted an amazing career of industry accomplishments and contributions before retiring in December 2014.
He began his work at Insituform as associate technical director and eventually became director of engineering for the $400-million-per-year, international construction company. Osborn’s last position with the company was senior applications manager, and he led the engineering efforts for Insituform globally, plus research and development activities for the CIPP product line.
After retiring from Insituform, Osborn formed LEO Consulting, an engineering consulting firm specializing in the trenchless rehabilitation of pipelines. He also became the technical director for NASSCO.
Osborn has been a diligent participant in the many industry organizations that have shaped and guided the marketplace for the past 40 years. In addition to serving on the NASSCO board of directors, he is a past chairman of the ASCE Pipeline Division’s Administrative Committee. When that committee evolved into the Utility Engineering & Surveying Institute, he was elected to the board of governors and is currently the president-elect of that organization. He has served and been influential on several ASCE/UESI task committees, authoring and co-authoring many documents. Osborn has also been the technical program chair and co-chair for three separate Pipeline Conferences.
He is a long-serving member of the industry advisory board for the Trenchless Technology Center (TTC) at Louisiana Tech University, a board member for the Center for Underground Infrastructure Research and Education (CUIRE) at the University of Texas-Arlington, and an active member of ASTM, AWWA and WEF.
Osborn has received the ASCE Pipeline Division Award of Excellence; been named an ASCE Fellow; is a Life Member of AWWA, WEF and ASCE; and received the Presidential Medallion from Louisiana Tech’s TTC.
Osborn and his wife Ivy have two daughters and four grandchildren.
To attend the MVP Luncheon, register at uctonline.com. For sponsorship information, visit the Underground Construction Technology Association website at uctaonline.org.
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