New Wilson Bridge Named Top 2008 OCEA Project
As Society Celebrates Its Best at OPAL Awards Gala

In a tough field that included impressive engineering projects in India, California and Washington state, an all-new Woodrow Wilson Bridge serving the Washington, D.C., area has been selected ASCE's winner of the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement for 2008. Using a variety of innovative techniques, the joint project of the states of Virginia and Maryland and the District of Columbia replaces an inadequate, aging 47-year-old span, helping to relieve a major bottleneck for commuters on the busy Capital Beltway, Interstate 495. The OCEA winner was announced at the Society's premiere black-tie event, the OPAL Awards Gala, held Wednesday, April 30, in Arlington, Va., where the 2008 Outstanding Projects and Leaders honorees and other major award-winners were saluted.

» Learn more about the OCEA-winning Woodrow Wilson Bridge project. Click here.
» Watch brief video profiles of the 2008 OPAL, OCEA and other major award-winners, and read more background on each. Click here.
» See a slideshow of the gala, including award-winners, dignitaries and members. Click here.

'Gas Tax Holiday' Simply Putting Off Until Tomorrow
What Should Be Done Today

U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton's proposed moratorium on the 18.4-cent per gallon gas tax would provide no tangible benefit to the American people and only delay much needed transportation projects. ASCE President David G. Mongan, P.E., F.ASCE, noted, 'It is disappointing that some of our nation's leaders don't understand that.' Lost productivity and wasted fuel due to traffic congestion costs the average American motorist $710 a year -- nearly a full work week and more than 25 gallons of gas. U.S. Sen. John McCain proposed a similar "gas tax holiday" earlier in April.

» Read the full ASCE statement here.

Students' Innovative Solutions to Cities' Challenges Win Prizes

For their ability to devise unusual yet sustainable methods of satisfying the infrastructure demands of urban life in the years ahead, student engineering teams from three universities have been named winners of the second City of the Future competition. The victorious teams from Duke University, Cal State-Sacramento and Georgia Southern University competed against other universities to offer plans to support the energy, water or transportation systems of Atlanta, San Francisco or Washington, D.C. Each school received a $5,000 cash prize. The contest, supported by ASCE in a joint partnership with The History Channel and IBM, was inspired by History's series "Engineering an Empire."

» Learn more about the City of the Future contest. Click here.

External Review of IPET New Orleans Analysis
Notes Progress, Yet Risks Remain

While many positive changes have occurred and good work has been done, New Orleans still faces a higher level of risk from flooding than would be accepted for many other engineered life-protection systems, according to ASCE's External Review Panel (ERP). After a thorough review of the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force's (IPET) risk and reliability analysis, the ERP expressed overall satisfaction with the technical competency of the report, but strongly encouraged IPET to take steps to make the report more understandable and useful for the general public. They also strongly urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take a proactive leadership role, especially clear and blunt communication to the public about the level of risk that remains and better emergency response and evacuation planning.

» Read the ERP's recommendations here.

ABET Lifts Dual-Level Accreditation Ban,
Helping ASCE to 'Raise the Bar' in Education

Lifting a ban that had been in place for more than 50 years, the ABET board has voted to remove the prohibition on dual-level accreditation of engineering programs. This significant positive development for ASCE opens up multiple practical paths to the fulfillment and validation of the civil engineering Body of Knowledge. The prohibition had barred engineering programs in a given discipline and at the same institution from being accredited at both the baccalaureate and the master's level.

» For more details on this major change, click here.

Hurricane Katrina: What Went Wrong and Why

The ASCE External Review Panel charged with conducting technical peer review of the IPET study issued Ten Calls to Action summarizing the lessons learned from the levee failures in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. These calls to action and the ERP's findings have been widely disseminated within the professional community in keeping with the Society's purpose to advance the science of engineering to enhance the welfare of humanity.

» To learn more and to view the presentation, click here.

Distinguished Member Clough To Head Smithsonian

The Smithsonian Institution has announced its selection of G. Wayne Clough, Ph.D., P.E., Dist.M.ASCE as its 12th Secretary, effective July 1. Dr. Clough is an ASCE Distinguished Member, a title second only to ASCE President. He has received nine ASCE national awards, most recently the 2004 OPAL Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to education. Dr. Clough was twice awarded the Norman Medal, civil engineering's oldest honor, and has been widely recognized for his teaching, research, leadership skills, and accomplishments in science and public service.

» To read more, click here.

Civil Engineers Push for Historic Education
and Licensure Changes

Next fall's class of civil engineering freshmen will witness historic changes in education and licensure during their careers. Guided by the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century, changes already underway in accreditation, curricula and licensure will better prepare them to be leaders and innovators. ASCE has released the second edition of the Body of Knowledge. In this new report, many of the original concepts and ideas have been clarified and sharpened, and their implementation will lead to the revision of current undergraduate and post-undergraduate education.

» Learn more about the Body of Knowledge.

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U.S. Infrastructure Crumbling, According to Report Card

This Week in Washington
Civil Engineers Visit Capitol Hill
» full story

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