ASCE announced the Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion as the winner of the 2026 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award, Oct. 15, at the OPAL Gala in Reston, Virginia.
"I think back to this project and all the amazing photos that you saw in that video; it's really three projects woven together,” said Hannah Walters, P.E., SE, a structural engineer and senior associate at Magnusson Klemencic Associates who served as project manager for the Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion. “… Combined with the overlook walk and the main corridor project, the Ocean Pavilion really wove together to transform the landscape from the city down to the waterfront, so we're grateful to be a part of that."
As the final piece in Seattle’s urban-planning waterfront redevelopment vision, the project improves accessibility between Pike Place Market and Puget Sound. The Open Ocean Pavilion provides visitors to the Seattle Aquarium with an immersive marine life experience. It contains more than 500,000 gallons of water and includes a 30-foot-wide window that resists more than 1.1 million gallons of water pressure. It’s also designed to withstand a magnitude-9.0 earthquake.
Established in 1960, the OCEA recognizes those projects that best illustrate superior civil engineering skills while representing a significant contribution to civil engineering progress and society.
The Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion is one of 12 projects saluted with 2026 OCEA Honor Awards. The OCEA Silver Award went to both Lake Washington Ship Canal: Large Lock Miter Gate Replacement, also in Seattle, and Hyperion Advanced Water Purification Facility in Playa Del Rey, California.
The New York City Central Business District Tolling Program received the OCEA Bronze Award.
OPAL winners
In addition to the big OCEA announcements, the OPAL Gala also honors the year’s new Society fellows, the 2026 class of New Faces of Civil Engineering, and the 2026 Outstanding Project And Leadership (OPAL) Awards in each of five categories.
This year’s OPAL winners:
Construction
Christine Keville, FCMAA, NAC, NAE, Hon.D.Eng
President and CEO of Keville Enterprises Inc., a 170-person construction management firm with 10 offices nationwide, 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. Keville was the first woman president of the Moles and the first woman to hold the positions of national chair, foundation chair and chancellor of the Construction Management Association of America. Her numerous awards include Northeastern University’s Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award and Virginia Tech’s Outstanding Women in Construction Award.
"Construction is, above all, a team effort,” said Keville. “Together, we build infrastructure that strengthens communities and improves lives."
Design
John D. Hooper, P.E., SE, NAC, NAE, F.SEI, 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. Hooper’s portfolio of more than 500 projects reflects performance-based seismic design, renovation, structural analysis, and earthquake engineering across diverse markets. His expertise has been integral to world-renowned buildings, including Amazon Blocks 14, 19, and 20 in Seattle; Salesforce Tower in San Francisco; Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers; Lumen Field (Seahawks Stadium) and Rainier Square Tower in Seattle; and SJC Mineta International Airport in San Jose, California.
Education
Yvette E. Pearson, Ph.D., P.E., ENV SP, F.ASEE, 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. Pearson has also led programs that advance training for educators on these topics. She has spent three decades as an engineering educator and administrator, managing more than $80M in awards for two- and four-year institutions and leading four university programs. She also served as program director of the National Science Foundation’s Division of Undergraduate Education.
Government
Emmanual CB “Cris” Liban, Ph.D., P.E., ENV SP, NAC, Dist.M.ASCE
Chief sustainability officer, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
… for demonstrated leadership improving the quality of life of Californians through professional, political, and social capacities. Liban oversees a $140 billion capital program for sustainability and resilience in preparation for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Through his leadership, LA Metro has been named the best environmental management system according to Columbia University; largest renewable energy installation in transit; first sustainability training program in the public sector to achieve a Model Program Award from the National Transit Institute; first transit agency to develop a climate action and adaptation plan; first transit agency in the nation to run an EV charging program focused on first and last mile, to and from park and ride stations; and first Green Construction Policy in the nation, cited by the U.S. EPA as the best nonregulatory tool to ensure clean air in construction.
Management
Patrick 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. Natale previously served 12 years as ASCE’s executive director, leading development of the nationally recognized Report Card for America’s Infrastructure and ASCE’s codes and standards. Natale served on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Industry Trade Advisory Committees for Services and Finance Industries; on the board of directors of the NJIT Foundation and the board of visitors for New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Newark College of Engineering; and executive director of the National Society of Professional Engineers. Natale was principal investigator on a National Science Foundation-funded project to increase the number of women in the engineering profession. He also spent 28 years with the Public Service Electric and Gas Company of New Jersey.
Distinguished members
The new class of distinguished members typically is recognized at the annual ASCE Convention, but with no convention scheduled for 2026 – as the organization plans for the inaugural ASCE2027: The Infrastructure and Engineering Experience next spring – the 2026 class of distinguished members took center stage at the OPAL Gala.
This year’s class (click on each name to learn more about their career accomplishments):
Pedro J.J. Alvarez, Ph.D., P.E., AAA&S, NAE, Dist.M.ASCE
Chandra R. Bhat, Ph.D., P.E., Dist.M.ASCE
Rudolph Bonaparte, Ph.D., P.E., BC.GE, NAE, Dist.M.ASCE
Nicholas M. DeNichilo, P.E., BC.WRE (Hon.), NAC, Dist.M.ASCE
Garry H. Gregory, Ph.D., P.E., S.E., BC.GE, Dist.M.ASCE
Jerome F. Hajjar, Ph.D., P.E., F.SEI, NAE, Dist.M.ASCE
Jie Han, Ph.D., P.E., Dist.M.ASCE
Arpad Horvath, Ph.D., NAC, NAE, Dist.M.ASCE
Arif Masud, Ph.D., F.EMI, Dist.M.ASCE
Soroosh Sorooshian, Ph.D., NAE, Dist.M.ASCE
Berrin Tansel, Ph.D., P.E., BC.WRE, F.EWRI, Dist.M.ASCE
Robert D. Wolff, Ph.D., SES (Ret.), Dist.M.ASCE
