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				Enjoying retirement
			When most of us think about retirement, visions of leisurely hours spent pursuing a lifelong interest come to mind. For some, it may be gardening, for others that may mean fishing or golf. For Wayne Rial it meant pursuing a Ph.D. in biosystems engineering. With the support of his wife Bea, and three children, Rial fulfilled his long-term dream. Graduating from Indiana Institute of Technology in 1952, with a Bachelor's in electrical engineering, Rial followed that with a Master's in nuclear engineering from Cornell University in 1974."I thought nuclear power was a promising field," he said, "But environmental considerations forced me to rethink my career choice. From a moral standpoint, it was a path I couldn't follow." Over the next 20 years, Rial applied his considerable knowledge of electrical engineering to industrial applications, working on everything from the design and building of electronic motor drives, to programmable carbon monoxide monitors used in mining operations. When economics led to a reduction in force, Rial "retired" at age 65, but he wasn't through yet. He felt like he had more to do. He scored well enough on the Graduate Records Exam to apply to graduate schools, so he did, at Virginia Polytech and Clemson. "I chose Clemson because I thought the size of the school would provide a closer interaction with the faculty, he said. "Besides, the South Carolina winters are milder than those in Virginia." His work at Clemson dealt with the development of high tech instrumentation to measure the water content of soils. "My research expects to create a system to save water and at the same time, promote the welfare of the environment," he said. He hopes that his work will increase the quality of food while decreasing the cost to produce it. So, now that he has his doctorate, is it time for a little recreation? Well, sort of . . . Rial sees himself in Guadalajara, Mexico or Havana, Cuba where he wants to study Spanish and where he can apply what he's learned to an economy and socioeconomic system that will benefit from his knowledge and expertise. With a wry grin, he observes, "It's never too late to enjoy your retirement." Wayne Rial, who recently earned his Ph.D. at 71, has an interesting perspective on the concept of "retirement."

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