Duane S. Ellifritt

Duane S. Ellifritt (1935–2018) was a structural engineering professor at the University of Florida, known as UF's "Man of Steel." After nine years with the Metal Building Manufacturers Association and time at Oklahoma State University, he joined UF in 1984, spending 26 years teaching students to think in three dimensions about steel construction. His signature creation — the AISC Steel Teaching Sculpture, first erected at UF in 1986 — has been replicated on over 170 campuses worldwide, transforming how engineering students learn about structural connections.