USI engineering student turns family experience into industry innovation
When James Ruedlinger ’99 graduated from USI’s Engineering Program, he never imagined that more than 25 years later, his son, Elias Ruedlinger ’26, civil engineering major, would be following in his footsteps.
James graduated with a degree in electrical engineering technology. He credits the rigorous program and dedicated faculty with providing the foundation for him to become a licensed professional engineer in civil and structural engineering.
“My time at USI played a major role in my professional success,” said James. “The personal attention I received from faculty taught me how to think, adapt and continue learning long after graduation. That foundation proved invaluable throughout my career.”
James now serves as the Senior Vice President of Fullwave Tower & Broadcast in Denver, Colorado.
For his son, the Engineering Program provided not only a strong technical education but mentors who helped shape his professional approach to engineering.
“During my four years at USI, the engineering faculty provided me with the tools, knowledge and guidance needed to succeed beyond the classroom,” said Elias. “Their guidance and support laid the foundation for a wonderful start to my career in engineering.”
That foundation was tested during his senior design project, which was inspired by years of hands-on experience working alongside his father in the telecommunications industry. The project focused on improving how guy wire tension is measured in the field. Using an accelerometer to record a pulse traveling through a guy wire, and analyzing the pulse’s travel time, tension can be calculated more efficiently and consistently than with some traditional methods.
When Elias was 16 years old, he earned his climbing certification and began assisting his father with tower maintenance inspections. Over the next six years, he climbed and inspected more than 70 communications towers, gathering firsthand experience of the importance of guy wire tension in the stability and performance of tall broadcast and communication towers.
"This project allowed me to connect my engineering education at USI with the practical experience I gained from working with my father,” said Elias. “To my knowledge, an accelerometer-based approach had not previously been applied in this industry for determining guy wire tension, which made the project both challenging and exciting.”
The impact has extended beyond the classroom and is now being used during actual tower inspections. In many cases, it has reduced the time required to obtain guy wire tension measurements in half while also reducing manpower requirements.
Elias now works as an engineer at Fullwave Tower & Broadcast.
For the Ruedlinger family, this project reflects the lasting influence of their experiences in USI’s Engineering Program that helped prepare two generations of engineers to solve real-world problems.
For more information about USI’s Engineering Program, visit USI.edu/engineering.
