January 28, 2010
CH2M HILL Engineer Receives Honor from American Society of Civil Engineers
Reston, Va. – While protecting the environment and public health through improving wastewater facilities, Melissa Wu also volunteers and educates members of her community about engineering. In recognition of her accomplishments, this 28-year-old associate engineer for CH2M HILL in Seattle, Wash., was recently named a New Face of Civil Engineering by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). An integral part of ASCE’s 2010 National Engineers’ Week (Feb. 14-20) initiatives, the program promotes the achievements of young civil engineers by highlighting their contributions and impact on society.
In her current position, Wu is designing ways to enhance odor control for the Spokane Riverside Park Water Reclamation facility to accommodate a nearby community. Wu also contributed to the four year development of Brightwater, a new regional wastewater treatment plant in King County, Wash. that will support and protect public health and the environment by treating and disinfecting wastewater. The plant will begin operating in 2011.
Outside of work, Wu volunteers with ASCE’s Younger Member Forum on projects in her community and has participated in “Rebuilding Together” projects, repairing homes for local families. She also volunteers with fellow employees for “Seattle Works Day”, an annual community service event where teams volunteer at project sites throughout the city.
Wu earned her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Michigan and her master’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of California Berkeley. A licensed professional engineer in Washington, she is a resident of Seattle.
ASCE’s top five New Faces of Civil Engineering were also submitted to the national New Faces of Engineering program run by the Engineers Week Foundation. This program includes representatives from the civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, industrial and manufacturing engineering professions. Selected New Faces profiles, including the top civil engineer chosen by the Engineers Week Foundation, will be featured in a USA Today ad during Engineers Week and will be profiled on the National Engineers Week Web site at www.eweek.org, as well as at www.discoverengineering.org.
Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) represents more than 144,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society. For more information, visit www.asce.org.
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Media Contact: Camille Haley, 703-295-6408, chaley@asce.org