OPAL Gala

The OPAL Gala honors outstanding civil engineering leaders whose lifetime accomplishments contributed to the creation of thriving businesses and the local economies of the communities they serve.

2026 OPAL Gala

Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 | Hyatt Regency Reston | Reston, Virginia

Celebrate industry luminaries and groundbreaking achievements at the prestigious OPAL Gala, hosted this year at the Hyatt Regency Reston. The OPAL Gala honors outstanding civil engineering leaders whose contributions have advanced the profession in meaningful and lasting ways.

Join us to recognize the 12 exceptional projects named Honor Award recipients and be there as the top three are revealed—earning the Bronze, Silver, and OPAL trophies.

2026 Recipients

OPAL Leadership Award winners

ASCE announces the 2026 OPAL Leadership Award Winners. Please join us in congratulating the people and projects recognized for their excellence in civil engineering.

View past winners

Construction
Christine M. Keville, FCMAA, NAC, NAE, Hon.D.Eng., M.ASCE; President and CEO of Keville Enterprises Inc., and chair of the National Academy of Construction - for being a trailblazer in the construction industry and a leader on a wide range of transportation infrastructure and building projects.

Design
John D. Hooper, P.E., S.E., F.SEI, NAC, NAE, Dist.M.ASCE; Director of Earthquake Engineering and senior principal at Magnusson Klemencic Associates – for important contributions to structural engineering design through seismic resilience advancements.

Education
Yvette E. Pearson, Ph.D., P.E., ENV SP, F.ASCE; Associate dean, University of Texas at Dallas Erik Jonsson School of Engineering & Computer Science and School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics; and founder & principal consultant at the Pearson Evaluation and Education Research Group LLC – for instrumental work developing educational programs that focus on topics such as ethics, sustainability, and universal design initiatives.

Government
Emmanuel CB “Cris” Liban, D.ENV, P.C., NAC, Dist.M.ASCE; Chief sustainability officer, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority - for world-renowned management and leadership skills that have driven organizations forward and spurred public discourse on infrastructure matters.

Management
Patrick J. Natale, P.E., NAC, Dist.M.ASCE; Executive director of the United Engineering Foundation - for world-renowned management and leadership skills that have driven organizations forward and spurred public discourse on infrastructure matters.

2026 Honorees

OCEA Honor Award nominees

ASCE announces the 2026 Outstanding Civil Engineering Honor Award Winners. These twelve projects are vying for recognition as the OCEA Bronze, OCEA Silver, and OPAL trophy winners.

View past winners

Train platform at Cairo Metro Line 3 Phase 3, featuring a modern station canopy and rail infrastructure. — Read more
**Cairo Metro Line 3 – Phase 3**
Cairo, Egypt

Aerial view of the Carlsbad Desalination Plant permanent intake system modifications, showing intake structures along the coastline. — Read more
**Carlsbad Desalination Plant Permanent Intake System Modifications Sub-Project**
**Carlsbad, California**

Streetscape view of traffic monitoring equipment with the downtown skyline visible in the background, part of the Central Business District Tolling Program. — Read more
**Central Business District Tolling Program**
**New York, New York**

Aerial view of the Complete 540 Phase 1 highway interchange, showing multiple elevated ramps and connecting roadways. — Read more
**Complete 540 Phase 1**
**Raleigh, North Carolina**

Aerial view of the Exploration Green detention basin, showing winding water channels, walking paths, and surrounding green space. — Read more
**Exploration Green Detention Facility**
**Houston, Texas**

Wide view of the Hyperion Water Purification Facility at sunset, showing processing buildings and coastal surroundings. — Read more
**Hyperion Advanced Water Purification Facility**
**Playa Del Rey, California**

Aerial view of the I‑64 Kanawha River Bridge, carrying traffic across the river with forested hills in the background. — Read more
**I-64 Improvement and Record-Setting Kanawha River Bridge**
**Putnam County, West Virginia**

Nighttime construction view of the Lake Washington Ship Canal large lock miter gate replacement, with cranes lifting a massive steel gate. — Read more
**Lake Washington Ship Canal Large Lock Miter Gate Replacement**
**Seattle, Washington**

Interior view of Portland International Airport Terminal Core Redevelopment Phase One, featuring a wood‑lined ceiling and open public space. — Read more
**Portland International Airport, Terminal Core Redevelopment Phase One**
**Portland, Oregon**

Evening aerial view of the Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion along the waterfront, illuminated against the surrounding cityscape. — Read more
**Seattle Aquarium’s Ocean Pavilion**
**Seattle, Washington**

Aerial view of the Southeast Treatment Plant, with industrial facilities, adjacent waterways, and surrounding urban infrastructure. — Read more
**Southeast Treatment Plant Headworks Project**
**San Francisco, California**

Aerial view of the Nutley Interchange, showing circular ramps, overpasses, and surrounding road networks. — Read more
**Transform I-66 Outside the Beltway: I-66/Nutley Street Interchange**
**Fairfax County, Virginia**

OPAL Gala on CBS Sunday Morning

One of civil engineering’s highest honors earned a moment in the national spotlight! The ASCE OPAL Gala, otherwise known as the “Oscars of Engineering,” was featured on CBS Sunday Morning. The story included all the action from the red carpet at the 2022 ASCE Convention in California, a spotlight on the 2022’s Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement award-winning project – Seattle’s Rainier Square and its innovative Speedcore construction technology, which helped speed up construction of the high-rise tower.

OPAL Gala

The OPAL Gala honors outstanding civil engineering leaders whose lifetime accomplishments contributed to the creation of thriving businesses and the local economies of the communities they serve.

2026 OPAL Gala

OPAL Leadership Award winners

OCEA Honor Award nominees

OPAL Gala on CBS Sunday Morning

OPAL News

2021 OCEA award honors Niagara Falls State Park transformation

Alampalli honored with OPAL Award in government

Barnard honored with OPAL award in design

ASCE honors de la Garza with OPAL Award in construction

ASCE honors Singh with OPAL Award in education

ASCE recognizes Neimeyer with 2021 OPAL Award

ENR newsmakers list recognizes ASCE members

Civil engineering excellence recognized with 2021 OPAL leadership awards

Information on nominations

Jane Moran Alspach

Director, Honors and Awards

Phone

Toll-free

OPAL Gala

The OPAL Gala honors outstanding civil engineering leaders whose lifetime accomplishments contributed to the creation of thriving businesses and the local economies of the communities they serve.

2026 OPAL Gala

OPAL Leadership Award winners

OCEA Honor Award nominees

OPAL Gala Past Winners

OPAL Gala on CBS Sunday Morning

OPAL News

Information on nominations

Jane Moran Alspach

Director, Honors and Awards

Phone

Toll-free