2009 ASCE Board Election Winners Announced

The officers who will lead your Society at the national and regional levels for the next year have been chosen by ASCE membership, and the results are in. Blaine D. Leonard, P.E., F.ASCE., research program manager for Utah's Transportation Department, is the incoming ASCE president-elect. N. Catherine Bazan-Arias, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE, of Pennsylvania, will be the Society's at-large director. Three region directors, 18 region governors and a technical region director have also been chosen.

»To see all the 2009 board winners and read their biographical statements, click here.

In Peru, ASCE Salutes Incas' Engineering Feats

Led by ASCE President-Elect Wayne Klotz, a Society delegation recently traveled to Peru to dedicate and honor the Machu Picchu and Tipon archeological sites as International Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks. During ceremonies at each site, Klotz explained the engineering and social significance of Machu Picchu and Tipon, noting that their infrastructures illustrate the advanced civil, hydraulic and geotechnical engineering capabilities achieved by the Incan people more than 500 years ago. The ceremonies, including plaque presentations, complete the landmark designation ASCE bestowed on the sites two years ago.

» Find out more about the Incan sites and the official ASCE visits to each. Click here.

Honor Young, Inspiring 'New Faces' of Engineering

If you work with or otherwise know a talented engineer who's 30 or under and has shown the aptitude and potential to be a star in the profession, nominate him or her to be named one of 2009's New Faces of Civil Engineering. ASCE is seeking out young, diverse engineers who are making a positive impact on society through their work. The award is open to young engineers from any civil engineering discipline. The National Engineers Week Foundation will select one of ASCE's nominees to represent the Society as civil engineering's "new face." Among the honors, the winners will be featured in a full-page ad in USA Today during Engineers Week next February. Nominations will be welcome through September 29.

» For more about the award and to download a nomination form, click here.

House Backs Highway and Bridge Aid Urged by ASCE

By overwhelming margins, the House of Representatives has endorsed two bills totaling about $10 billion to aid work on highways and bridges, initiatives included in ASCE's Action Plan for the 110th Congress. With the plans now in the Senate, Key Contacts and all ASCE members should contact their senators to press for the bills' passage. House members approved H.R. 6532, a bill that would restore $8 billion to the Highway Trust Fund to keep it solvent through 2009. The lower chamber also passed the National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act (H.R. 3999), a bill that would improve inspection requirements and authorize $2 billion to repair deficient bridges.

» Click & Connect with your senators and urge them to take prompt action on both bills! Start here.
» Check out ASCE's Action Plan for the 110th Congress. Click here.
» Join ASCE's Key Contact Program to learn more about these and other issues affecting civil engineering. Click here.

University of Nevada, Reno Captures Concrete Canoe Crown

University of Nevada,
Reno's Winning Team

With equal parts technical skill, creativity and determination, the University of Nevada, Reno has captured their first ever national Concrete Canoe title at the American Society of Civil Engineers' 21st Annual National Concrete Canoe Competition in Montréal. Their 19.5-foot-long, 160-pound, white canoe with blue and silver stain defeated entries from top engineering schools from across the country. The win marks the end of three days of fierce competition and more than a year's worth of blood, sweat and tears for the team in their bid to capture the "America's Cup of Civil Engineering." The team's closest competitors were the University of California, Berkeley and the Canadian host school École de technologie supérieure.

» Find out where each of the 22 universities' finalists placed. Click here.
» See photos of each of the teams in Montréal. Click here.

Hagel Urges Enactment of National Infrastructure Bank

At an ASCE-sponsored infrastructure forum in Washington, U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) reiterated his support for a National Infrastructure Bank, saying America risks falling behind in the global economy if it fails to invest in roads, rails and ports as aggressively as Asian and European nations. Hagel is co-sponsor with Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) of a bill to establish the bank, which would sell tax credit bonds to finance major projects that would help remedy the poor condition of the nation's infrastructure. ASCE has made establishment of the bank one of the top priorities in its Action Plan for the 110th Congress. The forum was co-sponsored by Congressional Quarterly.

» Learn more about what was discussed at the infrastructure forum. Click here.
» Watch video of the forum, including Hagel's comments. Click here.
» Read details of ASCE's Action Plan for the 110th Congress. Click here.

New Wilson Bridge Named Top 2008 OCEA Project

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.

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.

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.

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.

ASCE Newslink

U.S. Infrastructure Crumbling, According to Report Card

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

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