Ray Sierka is Among the Arizona Engineers Who Are Fun to Think About

I met Ray Sierka when the University of Arizona was in the process of expanding its environmental engineering program. It was 1986, just as I was finishing my PhD and starting a serious job hunt, and he was my host for a two-day set of campus interviews. He was tasked, among other things, with meeting me at the airport. As I recall, he said that I would recognize him because he was short. He proved to be a ready conversationalist with whom it was easy to relax, a baseball fan and a fellow Pennsylvania expat.  Before I returned to Los Angeles, he asked me when I could start. I’ve not felt as welcome in any new environment — before or since.

My experiences with Ray over the next 30 years or so ranged from those of a mentee to occasional Friday afternoon pick-up basketball to periodic Chinese food. He, in fact, was not tall, but had a quick first step and knew how to play, maybe from watching Sean Miller at the University of Pittsburgh. Over the same 30 years, he taught me the art and value of professionalism within an academic career. I owe him. His passions were engineering and family. I’m not much of a talker, but we always had a lot to say to each other over teriyaki chicken.

Ray was a steady contributor to the practice of water purification in Tucson, serving as a consultant to Tucson Water at one of the most critical times in its history — when Colorado River water was about to reach Tucson and change everything. He played a big role in the conceptual design of the $100M (or so) Hayden-Udall water treatment plant that was to produce drinking water from Central Arizona Project water, working hand in hand with Montgomery Engineers (now MWH) and among the premier consultants in environmental engineering.

Much of the Hayden-Udall plant was never built, not because of Ray’s design work but, in part, because the owner of a large car dealership in Tucson swayed public opinion against the idea. Ray was a committed Christian — 100%.  When I mentioned the name of the car seller at a meeting with Ray, his near-exact words were, “He should roast in hell.” Ray’s commitment to engineering was also strong.

I’ve had good role models over the years, in places ranging from Annapolis to Chapel Hill to Pasadena to Tucson. Ray was among them. He was also a friend. I liked it a lot more when he was around.