Georgia ASCE News

Congratulations to Kat Gurd, National ASCE Region 5 Governor-Elect!

Georgia Section Past President (2013-2014) Katherine (Kat) McLeod Gurd, P.E., F.ASCE, was recently elected to serve as the National ASCE Region 5 Governor (2016-2019). Kat has more than 17 years of experience as a Water Resources Engineer in Atlanta, Georgia. A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Kat is a Project Manager with AECOM with a focus on water resources projects including stormwater, watershed and water supply master planning. Kat has worked closely with numerous Atlanta-area municipalities to recommend capital improvement projects to improve water quality, reduce flooding, and enhance quality of life. Additionally, she has helped communities conceptualize and fund water resources project through grants, and has helped local communities obtain and implement over $30-million in grant funds for water quality and flood mitigation projects. Kat is a past-president of the Georgia Section of ASCE and currently serves as Practitioner Advisor to the ASCE Student Chapter at Georgia Tech and as ASCE State Advocacy Captain for Georgia. Earlier this year, Kat was recognized as one of the Top 20 Under 40 by ENR Southeast.

Congratulations to Kat!

 

ASCE Members’ Voices Heard during Legislative Fly-In

The irony was not lost on the room.

More than 200 ASCE members from across the country – 49 states represented – gathered in Washington, DC, this week for the annual ASCE Legislative Fly-In to advocate on Capitol Hill for infrastructure improvements, only to learn that the Washington Metro was closing for 24 hours to make emergency inspections the exact day of the scheduled Congressional visits.

No matter. It was just another very timely talking point for the members to make the case for infrastructure.

“Overall it was a great experience,” said Shelia Montgomery-Mills, P.E., M.ASCE, attending her fifth Fly-In, this year with a group of fellow engineers from Alabama. “I got some fired up fellows that are committed to taking this back to Alabama and trying to fire up a few other people. They are very enthusiastic about coming back next year.”

The focal points for the members to push on the Hill this year included the Federal Aviation Administration bill reauthorization, work on and passage of a Water Resources Development Act so that it is on a two-year cycle, and theimportance of increased investment for water infrastructure.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was among the many members of Congress and their staffs who met with expert civil engineers.

ASCE Nevada has long been active in the Legislative Fly-In, making it a point to send new Younger Members each year to learn the power of advocacy.

“I thought it’d be a good opportunity to see how the policy side works and how ASCE influences that,” Jaffer Almosawy, EIT, EI, A.M.ASCE, a civil engineer with GCW Inc. in Las Vegas. “It has a very large impact on work I’m doing and what I’m doing in the field.”

Almosawy admitted he was a little nervous about the government meetings. But he had veteran Younger Members – Kelly Doyle and Maylinn Rosales – from his Section there with him to help.

“Our elected officials simply don’t know the things that we know about these issues,” said Maylinn Rosales, P.E., M.ASCE, a project engineer for Black & Veatch in Las Vegas. “So they really appreciate the personal notes we can give them in the areas we work in. They’re excited that we’re there.”

 

E-Week Awards Gala Award Recipients

ASCE Georgia Section would like to congratulate the below members for their accomplishments! They were recognized at the 2016 Engineers Week Awards Gala on Saturday, February 13th. Congratulations to the winners!

			Annie Blissit, P.E. American Society of Civil Engineers Volunteer of the Year Award
			Steven C. McCutcheon, Ph.D., P.E. U.S. Government Lifetime Achievement Award
			Jerry C. Wolverton, Jr., P.E. Wolverton & Associates, Inc. Engineer of the Year for Private Practice
			Raymond J. Wilke, P.E. City of Atlanta – Watershed Management Department Engineer of the Year for Government
			Jason K. Christian, Ph.D., P.E. University of Georgia Engineer of the Year for Education

 

2016 Charity Golf Invitational Benefiting the “Younger Members Group” Nicaragua Trip

The 2016 Charity Golf Invitational Benefiting the “Younger Members Group” Nicaragua Trip is on Thursday, April 21, 2016. This is an excellent opportunity for ASCE Georgia members, guests, sponsors and vendors to network & support our association.

Proceeds from this tournament directly benefit the ASCE Georgia Section Younger Members Group. The group will be traveling to Nicaragua in partnership with “Rivers of the World” to assist with the engineering and construction of a much needed footbridge. The bridge will be designed over a deep creek to connect the villagers with their churches, schools and other community centers. Proceeds from the golf tournament will help fund the transportation, lodging and other associated travel expenses our members will incur as a result of their volunteer efforts.

For more information visit the webpage at: www.ascega.org/ym-mission-trip/

 

New ASCE State Advocacy Program

ASCE has initiated a new State Advocacy Program which kicked off this June. A total of 13 members from 11 states attended a day-long training session to learn in-depth information about the government relations program at ASCE and the efforts on ASCE’s strategic priorities at the state level. Georgia is excited to be one of the 11 states represented in this program. Our State Advocacy Captain has been identified as Katherine Gurd in Atlanta. State Advocacy Captains are meant to build a bridge between action at the state capitals and ASCE’s State Government Relations Staff as well as promote Section and Branch advocacy activities at the state level. If you are interested in getting more involved in State Legislative issues, please contact Katherine.gurd@aecom.com.

In addition to this new State Advocacy program, ASCE offers a series of programs to help keep engineers engaged in Federal Legislation important to our profession. Please consider joining ASCE’s Key Contacts Program http://www.asce.org/keycontacts/ to stay up to date on important engineering legislation and to get tools to help you develop and maintain relationships with your elected officials. Feel free to contact Katherine if you have questions about any of the ASCE Legislative programs.

Pictured left to right: Shane Binder (WA), Ken Rosenfield (CA), Andrew Feranda (NJ), Mojgan Hashemi (CA), Tonya Mellen (FL), Ernesto Longoria (KS), Maria Matthews (ASCE Staff), Patrick Lach (IL), Gabby Briffa (PA), Ravi Shah (CA), Caleb Hing (TX), Seth Spychala (MN), Kat Gurd (GA), Nedra Davis (LA), and Aaron Castelo (ASCE Staff)

 

Exploring Engineering Academy Volunteers

There is a great volunteering opportunity coming up on May 31 – June 5 with the Engineering Exploring Academy (EEA). EEA provides 9th -12th graders an in-depth look at careers provided in the engineering and STEM fields by getting behind-the-scenes access to more than 30 Atlanta-area companies.. Academy student are provided lodging in one of Georgia Tech’s dormitories and allowed a look at campus life.

On June 2^nd, one of the EEA technical tracks will focus on Transportation. The student field trips will include trips to the GDOT Testing Lab in Forest Park, the GDOT Transportation Management Center, the MARTA Armour Yard Control and Maintenance and a site tour of the Falcons stadium construction. Volunteering as a tour chaperone on June 2^nd will give the opportunity to raise high school interest in the field of transportation, as well as see some interesting tours yourself.

If June 2^nd is not workable and you still are interested in participating, EEA are looking for volunteers who can serve as chaperones at other times throughout this week long event.

Contact me (rmorales@LBFoster.com) or Aisha Stith (Aisha.Stith@scouting.org) to coordinate volunteering details.

Below is the signupgenius.com account we have created for Exploring Engineering Academy volunteers, please consider volunteering for this great summer camp at GT below, it is easy to register on line….

www.SignUpGenius.com/go/20F084CAEAF2FABFC1-2015/26021947

 

2015-2016 Officer Election

The 2015-2016 nominations committee would like to make the below recommendations for 2015-2016 ASCE Georgia Section Officers. Election will be held on June 5, 2015 at the Georgia Section Meeting.

President	Richard Morales
President Elect	Shaukat Syed
Vice President	Dan Agramonte
Past President	Rebecca Shelton
Secretary	Matt Tanner
Treasurer	Julie Secrist
Younger Member Director	Annie Blisset
Internal Affairs Director	Rick Gurney
External Affairs Director	John Pierson
Technical Director	Darren Howard
N.E. GA Branch Director	Jason Christian
Savannah Branch Director	Chris Rains
South Metro Branch Director	Ken Harmon

 

Exploratory Meeting for Starting a Local Engineering Society in Valdosta

Thursday, April 2 – 5pm to 6pm
Valdosta City Hall Annex
Multi-purpose Room

RSVP to Cindy Randall at (229)259-3530 or crandall@valdostacity.com
For more information, please contact Lisa Woods at lisa.woods@bwsc.net

 

Younger Members Habitat Build

The ASCE GA Section Younger Members are very excited to provide additional information on our sponsored Habitat build set for April 18th, 2015. Please feel free to share with your respective groups and have folks RSVP to myself or Kit Hamblen (cc’d on this email). Everyone who signs up should complete the attached waiver and bring it with them to the site. Details on the build location, time, etc. are provided in the correspondence below. We are really looking forward to this event and are hopeful that this could serve as a reoccurring collaborative event for our groups in the future!

For this event, we have invited participation from the ASCE GA Section, local EWB chapters, SEAOG, ASLA, ASCE – SPSU, and ASCE – GT. If anyone is aware of other engineering or related organizations that may be interested in participating this year or in the future, please let me know. The ASCE GA Section Younger Members have fully sponsored the required amount for the Habitat build, but should your organization like to contribute, I am sure Habitat would be thrilled by additional funds. That can be directly coordinated with Habitat on the day of the build.

Where: 2735 Glenvalley Drive, Decatur, GA 30032
When: Saturday April 18, 2015, 9:00 AM- 4:00 PM
Make sure to bring lunch and wear closed toed shoes!

 

Toothpick Bridge Event

February 21st, 1-3pm, Fernbank Science Center

We will need 14 volunteers to help with the registration, check-in, testing, and awards. Volunteers will need to arrive by 12:00 for orientation.

Please contact Larry Prescott at: lprescott@hntb.com or 404-558-9627.

 

2014-2015 Officer Election

The ASCE Georgia Nominations Committee recently released their candidates for the ASCE Georgia Board of Direction for 2014-2015. These candidates have been confirmed by our current board and will be up for Section vote at the June Section Meeting on June 6th at the Carlyle House in Norcross.

President	Rebecca Shelton
President Elect	Richard Morales
Vice President	Dan Agramonte
Past President	Kat McLeod Gurd
Secretary	Julie Secrist
Treasurer	Christina Vulova
Younger Member Director	Annie Blisset
Internal Affairs Director	Rick Gurney
External Affairs Director	Shaukat Syed
Technical Director	Luis Babler
N.E. GA Branch Director	Matt Tanner
Savannah Branch Director	Chris Rains
South Metro Branch Director	Doug Hintz

 

ASCE 4rd Annual Civil Engineering Competition “What DO Civil Engineers Do?”
Submission deadline: March 31st, 2014.

The Georgia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is holding its 4th Annual Civil Engineering Competition. The competition essentially challenges middle school students (6th, 7th, and 8th graders) to tell us “What DO Civil Engineers Do?” This can be in the form of an essay, project, video, or even piece of related art – it’s up to the student or team. The teams can be no greater than 3 members. Cash prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for each grade level. The top winners will be presented with the award at the ASCE Georgia Section lunch meeting held on Friday, May 2, 2014 at the Carlyle House in downtown Norcross.

The deadline for submission is March 31st, 2014.

More details can be found in the attached flyer and at our website www.ascega.org where competition rules, entry forms, and more resources have been posted (under the “Student Information” tab.

ASCE State Legislative Day & Legislative Reception – February 19, 2014

ASCE Georgia is working to enhance our legislative outreach efforts this year. As such, we invite you to join us on Wednesday, February 19th for our first State Legislative Day. We are asking our members to join us at the State Capitol and set up a meeting with your state Senator and Representative. ASCE Georgia will provide materials, talking points, and access to Section volunteers to help our interested members have successful legislative visits. If you are interested in participating please contact me as soon as possible, as the Georgia Section is developing a program to help offset travel costs for our members located outside of the Atlanta area (level of expense reimbursement will be based on level of interest from our members). If you have ever been interested in meeting legislators, getting a better understanding of how they work, and having the opportunity to influence their decisions, this is the event!

If you do not currently know who your legislators are, you can find them on the Georgia Sectary of State’s Voter Page at: http://mvp.sos.state.ga.us/

To close out the day, ASCE Georgia has partnered with The Intelligent Transportation Society of Georgia and the Georgia Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers to host a Legislative Appreciation Reception (see details below). The event is expected to be well attended. Governor Deal and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed will speak. Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, Speaker David Ralston, and state representatives have been invited. GDOT Board members and senior staff are expected.

Registration for the Legislative Appreciation Reception is open now (link). We look forward to a good crowd from ITSGA, ITE, and ASCE.

The Intelligent Transportation Society of Georgia
Georgia Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers
& American Society of Civil Engineers Georgia Section

Would be honored by your presence at the

Legislative Appreciation Reception with

Governor Nathan Deal

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed

State Representatives

Georgia Department of Transportation Board Members

Wednesday, February 19, 2014 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Atlanta City Hall Atrium

Register Now!

 

ASCE State Civil Engineers Give Georgia’s Infrastructure Low Marks

13 January 2014
Atlanta, GA – According to state civil engineers, Georgia’s infrastructure has failed to improve over the last five years. In a new report, titled the 2014 Report Card for Georgia’s Infrastructure, the Georgia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) awarded the state’s infrastructure a “C,” a grade unchanged from their 2009 Report Card. The lowest grade awarded was a “D-”, which went to the state’s dams and transit systems. The Report Card’s highest grade, a “B,” was given to Georgia’s energy and rail systems. Georgia’s growing population, combined with cutbacks in infrastructure funding, resulted in many of the low grades.

Specifically, the Report Card finds that Georgia is lagging in sustainable investment, including:

• Georgia ranks 49th in the nation in per capita transportation funding.
• Georgia is among the lowest in the country in transit spending per resident. According to APTA’s 2010 Survey of State Funding for Public Transportation, Georgia spent just $0.63 per person in 2008. In comparison, New Jersey spent $119.52, Illinois spent $40.43, and North Carolina spent $7.94 per person in the same year.
• Georgia’s Safe Dams Program has faced over a 50% cut in staff since 2003, with each safety official now expected to oversee 1,000 dams, or five times the national average.
• MARTA the largest transit agency in the country to not receive state funding support for operations
• Georgia’s state motor fuel excise tax—which funds surface transportation projects—is one of the lowest in the United States

“From the Atlanta airport to the Port of Savannah, Georgia is a major player in the global economy” said Kat Gurd, President of the ASCE Georgia Section. “This Report Card shows that our connections to that economy are ailing, hurt too often by underfunding and increasing congestion. If we want to be the gateway to Southeastern commerce, we must deepen the Port of Savannah, increase our transportation funding, and modernize our infrastructure. ”

State civil engineers awarded the state’s infrastructure a cumulative grade of “C”, based on 14 categories. A team of volunteer civil engineers assessed hundreds of public records over the course of the past year to complete the Report Card. Category grades included: bridges (C-), roads (C-), dams (D-), aviation (C+), drinking water (C+), energy (B), parks and recreation (D+), rail (B), ports (C+), schools (C+), stormwater (D+), transit (D-), wastewater (C+), and solid waste (C+).

“One only needs to look at the Kia manufacturing plant in West Point to see how infrastructure can make a huge impact,” said Dan Agramonte, PE, Co-Chairman of the Infrastructure Report Card Committee. “Kia moved to Georgia to take advantage of the I-85 corridor. The new plant brought thousands of jobs to Georgia, and resulted in much, new business and auto suppliers moving to Georgia to leverage Kia’s new location. These businesses—and hundreds like them—are in Georgia because of our infrastructure, and now is the time to invest to make sure they stay and help us attract more like them.”

The Georgia Report Card was created as a public service to the citizens and politicians of the state to inform them on the infrastructure needs in their community. By using school report card letter grades, civil engineers have used their expertise to condense complicated data into easy to understand analysis.

State level report cards are modeled after the national 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, which gave America’s infrastructure a grade of D+.

 

Georgia Infrastructure Report Card

9 January 2014
Georgia Civil Engineers to Release Statewide Infrastructure Report Card at State Capitol Georgia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers Offer Roadmap for 2014 Legislative Session.

Atlanta, GA—The Georgia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) will release the 2014 Report Card for Georgia’s Infrastructure on Monday, January 13. The report includes evaluations of Georgia’s bridges, roads, dams, aviation, drinking water, energy, parks and recreation, rail, ports, schools, stormwater, transit, wastewater, and solid waste. At a time when Georgia must decide how to remain competitive in a global economy, Georgia’s civil engineers are offering real solutions for creating jobs and lasting growth.

From the Port of Savannah expansion to the ever growing traffic concerns of Metro Atlanta, Georgia’s infrastructure affects every family and business. This release hopes to inform the upcoming legislative session and recommit Georgia to building a modern infrastructure system for Georgia’s economy.

WHAT: News conference for the release of the 2014 Report Card for Georgia’s Infrastructure
WHO: American Society of Civil Engineers, Georgia Section
Speakers: Georgia State Representative Ed Setzler
Kat Gurd, President of the Georgia Section of ASCE
Daniel Agramonte, Co-Chair of Report Card Committee

WHEN: Monday, January 13, 2014, 11:30 AM
WHERE: State Capitol South Wing
Georgia State Capitol Building
206 Washington St SW
Atlanta, Georgia 30334

WHY: Infrastructure has a direct impact on our lives every day—from the water we drink, to the schools our children attend and to the roads and rails we travel. Infrastructure is vital to our economy, security, recreation and safety. Will Georgia’s infrastructure systems make the grade?

ASCE Georgia Section Elections

12 April 2013
The election of the ASCE Georgia Section 2013-2014 Board of Directors will take place on Friday, June 7, 2013 at the ASCE Georgia Section monthly meeting at the Carlyle House in Norcross, Georgia. The nominees for each office are listed below.
Candidate Name – Proposed Office
Katherine Gurd – President
Rebecca Shelton – President-Elect
Daniel Agramonte – Treasurer
Richard Morales – Vice President
Julie Secrist – Secretary
Shaukat Syed – External Director
Christina Vulova – Internal Director
Luis Babler – Technical Director
Benjamin Moss – Younger Member Director
Matthew Tanner – N.E. Ga. Branch Director
Laurel Webb – Savannah Branch Director
Greg Wombough – South Metro Branch Director
Lisa Woods – Past President

2013 Report Card Released

25 March 2013
ASCE this week released its 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, a comprehensive assessment of the nation’s infrastructure across 16 sectors. Updated once every four years, this year’s Report Card found that America’s cumulative GPA for infrastructure rose slightly to a D+ from a D in 2009. The Report Card estimates total investment needs at $3.6 trillion by 2020 across all 16 sectors, leaving a funding shortfall of $1.6 trillion based on current funding levels.

The Report Card and its findings were covered by nearly all major news outlets and newspapers across the country, including: The New York Times, The Washington Post, ABC News, CBS News, Fox News and many others. In addition, ASCE members across the country have served as infrastructure spokesperson in interviews with local media outlets, including the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, KARE in Minnesota, KSTO in Seattle, and the Tennessean.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the findings for yourself at http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org, and just as importantly, share the grades in your social and professional networks via Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter! ASCE’s new Report Card covers 16 infrastructure categories, and is also a digital application (or “app”) that includes videos, interactive maps, and other multimedia tools.

For the first time, the 2013 Report Card links to all the recent state and local Report Cards and gives key facts for all 50 states, including examples of initiatives and innovations that are making a difference. For example, Oklahoma created a plan to replace or rehabilitate over 950 structurally deficient bridges between 2013 and 2020. Philadelphia implemented a program to improve resiliency and address combined sewer overflows using green infrastructure, capable of capturing water from all but the most severe storms.

We hope every ASCE member will be able to use this great product to get more of their friends and neighbors involved in the conversation around our nation’s infrastructure. If you would like to learn more about how you can help advance the message of the Report Card, visit http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org and click on “Get Involved”.

 

Joint ASCE/SAME Meeting

4 March 2013
John Brian Kimsey, AIA, speaker at our March 1st Joint ASCE/SAME meeting asked that we make his presentation available to our members. His Presentation “GSA: Technology Trends and Workload Forecast” is available for download at: ASCE_SAME_v2.pdf

 

ASCE Region 5 Director’s Letter

6 November 2012
The Region 5 Board of Governors (R5BoG) attended the ASCE National Convention in Montreal as one of our annual, face-to-face meetings. We aim for at least three such meetings a year. The benefit of having one meeting at the National Convention, which actually is an international event, is it allows our Governors to interact with members and officers from around the world. We also participated in the ASCE’s annual business meeting, at which new directors and our new president, Greg DiLoreto, were installed. Greg’s inaugural speech dovetailed nicely with the opening plenary session, Lead by Example, presented by David Lapin. Greg’s passion and vision for the Society were clear and motivating.

The R5BoG has been asked to come up with best practices to share with other Regions. We came up with several examples. I’d like to share them with you because they reflect the things the R5BoG has been working on and believes are important.
A summary:

• A workshop on how to put together a Section report card: This led to the Mississippi Section developing and unveiling its first report card, and to the Louisiana Section updating and unveiling a new one.
• Awards reminders: We are developing a system in which Section officers will receive timely reminders of upcoming opportunities to nominate well-deserving individuals for national awards.
• Locations of R5BoG meetings: As I mentioned previously, we try to leverage the opportunity of interacting with the entire ASCE by holding one meeting during the National Convention. Similarly, we hold at least one gathering during a Region 5 Section meeting (this year it will be in Florida) and invite officers from all Sections in Region 5 to participate, therefore fostering cross-region communication.
• Director’s Letters: The intent is to provide straightforward, useful information from the national level. These letters are shared with each Section and disseminated in the most appropriate and easy way.
• Sharing of web space: Rather than creating a Region web page with additional e-mail messages, we provide information for Sections to share on their own web pages.

We always are looking for ways to provide better communication and address issues of concern. Please do not hesitate to contact your Region Governor or me with issues or questions.

Bill Grogan, PhD, PE, M. ASCE
Director, Region 5
William.p.grogan@usace.army.mil

P.S. Remember your R5BoG is made up of seven folks willing and able to help. They are:

E. Ray Desormeaux (LA): erd@erdesormeaux.com
Chad Gartrell (MS): Chad.A.Gartrell@usace.army.mil
Jason Haeseler (FL): jhaeseler@cox.net
Melissa Wheeler (GA): MSWHEELE@southernco.com
Eric Czerniejewski (FL): eczerniejewski@gmail.com
Tony Palmer (AL): tpmailbx@aol.com
Brett Goodman (FL): bgoodman@jonesedmunds.com

 

Section Membership Survey

As we begin a new year of Section meetings, the Georgia Section Board of Direction would like to take the opportunity to conduct a survey of our Section membership to gain some important feedback. If you attended Georgia Section meetings last year, you probably know we surveyed our Section meeting attendees a couple of times last year. However, we are aware that the Georgia Section extends far beyond the bounds of Atlanta, and want to ensure we are adequately serving all of our members, regardless of geography.

We encourage you to take a few moments to respond to our survey at the link below, let us know how we are doing, and how we can improve. Your feedback will help us build a better Georgia Section. As a little bit of incentive, we are offering a $25 Target Gift Card that will be awarded to a randomly selected respondent.

The survey only takes 5-10 minutes to complete and we would love your input! Please respond by Friday, November 30.

ASCE Georgia Fall 2012 Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QQZZDVH

Building Information Modeling (BIM) Survey

An Assistant Professor at Georgia Southern is asking for our help with a survey he is conducting on BIM for infrastructure projects:, please see his request below. The survey is open now and will run through September

“Dear Colleagues,
As BIM is transforming the AEC industry dramatically, major agencies around the country have now started implementing BIM in infrastructure projects, noticeably in states like Wisconsin, New York, and California. Nevertheless, we are missing similar initiatives here in the state of Georgia.
I am writing to invite you to participate in this survey “BIM for infrastructure projects: usage, benefits and future development in Georgia”. Your participation and opinions might help inspire and motivate the adoption of BIM in infrastructure projects in Georgia.

The survey is hosted by Zoomerang.com and can be accessed via the following link: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22G76KDEDKH . This survey is voluntary and completely anonymous. None of your privacy information will be collected or distributed.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the investigator:
Wei Wu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
P.O. Box 8047
Department of Construction Management
Georgia Southern University
Email: wwu@georgiasouthern.edu
Tel: (912)478-0542

Thank you in advance for your kind support to this research!”

Press Release on the Georgia Transportation Referendum

July 26, 2012 – The Georgia Section of ASCE put out a press release calling on all Georgians to vote YES on the on a one-cent sales tax to invest in a specifically identified list of transportation improvements in each of our State’s twelve economic development regions. The press release can be viewed on the link below:

Press Release – Georgia Tax Referendum.docx

 

Georgia ASCE Votes on their 2012 – 2013 Board of Direction

June 1, 2012 – The Georgia Section of ASCE called an official section meeting on June 1, 2012 to vote on the proposed 2012 – 2013 Board of Direction. The below officers were confirmed for 2012 – 2013 service and will be installed at the September 7, 2012 Annual Meeting, which will be held at 6pm at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center.

• Past President – Jim Wallace
• President – Lisa Woods
• President-Elect – Katherine McLeod Gurd
• Vice President – Rebecca Shelton
• Treasurer – Dan Agramonte
• External Director – Keith Cole
• Internal Director – Christina Vulova
• Secretary – Ernie Pollitzer
• Technical Director – Richard Morales
• Younger Member Director – Julie Secrist
• Savannah Branch Director – C. J. Chance
• NE Georgia Branch Director – Matthew Tanner
• South Metro Branch Director – Greg Wombough

 

Georgia ASCE Recognizes New Life Members

June 1, 2012 – At the Georgia ASCE June Section meeting, held on June 1, 2012, the section recognized 25 new ASCE Life members. A Life Member is an individual who has made a lifetime commitment to ASCE and the civil engineering profession by remaining members for the full length of their professional career. Georgia Section Members that have attained life member status include:

• Kenneth Akins Jr. P.E., M.ASCE
• Charles Carter P.E., M.ASCE
• Robert Chamlee P.E., M.ASCE
• Barry Goodno Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE
• Patrick Heerdt P.E., M.ASCE
• Robert Heightchew Jr. P.E., M.ASCE
• Jerry Hill P.E., M.ASCE
• David Hornbeck Ph.D., P.E., R.L.S., M.ASCE
• Alan Hunley P.E., M.ASCE
• George Ingram P.E., M.ASCE
• Joseph Keuler M.ASCE
• Randy Knott P.E., F.ASCE
• Frederick Marotte P.E., M.ASCE
• Donald Martin P.E., M.ASCE
• David Mc Connell P.E., M.ASCE
• Michael Montgomery P.E., M.ASCE
• Franklin Newkirk P.E., M.ASCE
• James Petrak P.E., L.S., M.ASCE
• Larry Petroff P.E., M.ASCE
• LtCol. Charles Rivenbark M.ASCE
• Jim Sailors P.E., M.ASCE
• James St John Aff.M.ASCE
• Dr. Terry Sturm P.E., M.ASCE
• Robert Watson P.E., Aff.M.ASCE
• Prof. Kenneth Will M.ASCE

Congratulations to these members – GA ASCE is thankful for their dedication to the profession and to our Section. To become a Life Member, an individual must have reached the age of 65 years , have paid dues in any membership grade except Student Member for at least thirty (30) years, and have had ten (10) years of continuous dues-paying membership immediately preceding the attainment of Life Member.
(photo attached is of some of the new life members that were recognized)

 

Georgia Section Welcomes Dr. Reginald DesRoches

May 2012 – Several members of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Section had an opportunity to meet Reginald. DesRoches, Ph.D., and welcome him as the newly appointed Chair in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), College of Engineering, at the Georgia Institute of Technology effective May 15, 2012. Prior to his appointment as Chair, he was Dean’s Professor and Associate Chair in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech. DesRoches earned his Ph.D. in Structural Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. His primary research interests are design of buildings and critical infrastructure subjected to extreme loads, seismic risk assessment of transportation systems, and application of smart materials in seismic-resistant design and retrofit.

In response to the opportunity to become the Chair of CEE, Dr. DesRoches stated that “I am honored to be chosen as the next school chair, and I look forward to working with an outstanding group of students, faculty, staff and alumni. This is an exciting time for the civil & environmental engineering profession, and I believe that our program is well positioned to lead in educating and empowering our students to solve future global challenges.”

As they came away from their meeting with Dr. DesRoches, the members of the Georgia Section that met with him were very impressed and look forward to the continuing success of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering under his leadership. Members can look forward to the prospect of working cooperatively with Dr. DesRoches and CEE to advance the vision and goals of both CEE and ASCE.

More details about Dr. DesRoches’ background and areas of expertise can be found on the Tech web page: http://ce.gatech.edu/node/5973.