Article by ASCE Awards Committee and ASCE-PGH Blog Editor

Mr. Len Boselovic of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is the recipient of the 2014 ASCE-PGH Journalism Award for his excellent journalistic work covering various infrastructure challenges. “The problem with infrastructure is that it's taken for granted. Many consider it to be boring,” says Mr. Boselovic. “I think it's important to make more people aware of the crisis America is facing because we have not taken care of our roads, bridges, ports, lock and dams, water systems and other infrastructure.”

Among his infrastructure articles is the outstanding four-part series “The P3 Dilemma,” about public-private partnerships (P3) and their role in infrastructure renewal.  With governments reluctant to raise taxes, public-private partnerships have emerged as a possible solution to acquire the estimated $3.6 trillion needed by 2020 for infrastructure rehabilitation and renewal. Mr. Boselovic’s series provided an in-depth exploration of P3 projects around the U.S., and the potential for P3 arrangements in Pennsylvania.

The P3 concept gathers support from the widespread perception that the private sector is more efficient and imaginative than the public sector. For government officials, the temptations of big upfront payments and a shift of responsibility to the private sector have been difficult to resist. Meanwhile, some private investors have invested outside the U.S. in private roads and other traditional government functions, and now eye what they consider to be the under-served U.S. market.

“Because no one likes to pay taxes, and most naturally assume the private sector is more efficient than government, P3s are being a looked at as a way to solve America's infrastructure problems,” says Mr. Boselovic. “But people need to know there are serious public policy and financial issues involved when major public assets are turned over to the private sector.”

Thus, despite pressing infrastructure needs, the U.S. has been slow to adopt P3s. Several high profile projects that did not live up to the promises made by P3 advocates have given government officials pause. Nevertheless, considering massive funding shortfalls and an enduring reluctance to raise taxes, P3s are expected to play an increasing role in addressing America’s infrastructure needs. Mr. Boselovic’s investigation makes it clear that the challenge is aligning the private sector’s profit motive with the public sector’s obligation to public welfare.

“The P3 Dilemma” appeared in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on August 10th -13th, 2014. Reporting on this topic was no small feat. 

“The topic of private-public partnerships for infrastructure development and operation is particularly complex,” says Dr. Dave Dzombak, professor and head of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.  “Len invested months of effort researching different kinds of P3 arrangements, and evaluated objectively what has worked and what has not.  His resulting four-part series was informative, balanced, and helpful in illuminating the complexity of P3.” 

Since joining the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 1993, Len Boselovic has covered many challenges of infrastructure renewal.  In 2012, he received the Pittsburgh Section Journalism Award for another excellent series on the state of U.S. inland waterway infrastructure, entitled “Locked and Dammed.” “Len's work has shed light on crucial infrastructure issues,” says Post-Gazette Projects Editor Lillian Thomas.  “His careful and extensive reporting allows him to write authoritatively about problems with infrastructure.”

Through this extensive reporting, Mr. Boselovic increases public awareness on Pittsburgh's infrastructure issues. "Len immerses himself in the topics he writes about,” says Post- Gazette Business Editor, Brian Hyslop. “Rarely have I seen a reporter work so diligently to understand subjects of such complexity and significance, and relay that understanding to readers."

Mr. Boselovic is a 1974 graduate of John Carroll University and received an MSJ degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism in 1981. Other recognitions include being named a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting sponsored by the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University.

Article by ASCE Awards Committee and ASCE-PGH Blog Editor

Angela Mayer, E.I.T. is the 2014 recipient of the ASCE-Pittsburgh Young Civil Engineer of the Year.  Ms. Mayer recently joined Williams Companies, Inc. as an Integrity Engineer II working in the Pittsburgh Office. When asked how it feels to be the Young Civil Engineer of the Year, “I feel an immense sense of pride,” Ms. Mayer says.  “I have dedicated a large amount of time to ACSE, especially the Younger Members Forum; it is a wonderful feeling to be recognized by your peers for your accomplishments.”

Prior to joining Williams, Ms. Mayer worked in consulting for eight years as a Project Engineer. Her experience includes erosion and sedimentation control, land development, water resource and design engineering. She has experience in planning, design and bid document development, geotechnical, and value engineering, construction management, as well as assistance in forensic investigations.

Ms. Mayer worked as a Project Manager on the Monongahela Aquatorium Redevelopment project where she led internal co-workers in the planning, design, demolition, bid process, and construction of the Aquatorium. “There was a considerable amount of coordination with the Monongahela community,” says Ms. Mayer.  “The redevelopment is located near the city’s downtown district and is utilized for many community gatherings.  I was really pleased with how the project was completed per the communities’ requests.”  She coordinated between the City of Monongahela and their funding providers, RACW, to ensure the project outcome suited the needs of the community. “The Aquatorium is such a unique project, not many communities have an amphitheater on the river!”

Ms. Mayer also was a Project Manager for the Dark Hollow Recreation Facility, which was developed on a former industrial site in the community of Oakmont.  The Dark Hollow Recreation Facility was the first development where I was the Project Manager,” she says.  For this project, she was responsible to plan, execute, and finalize the project according to deadlines, client requirements, and budget. She facilitated communication between Edgewater Properties and the neighborhood of Oakmont to ensure the recreation facility met the needs of the Borough.  “At the end of the day, when the recreation facility was complete and I could physically stand on the baseball field and touch the concession stand, I had an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.”

Others remark on Ms. Mayer’s dedication.  “I am honored to have been able to watch Angela grow through her involvement with ASCE and other partner organizations,” says colleague, Lauren Terpak.  “I am proud of all that she has accomplished in regards to both her dedicated participation within the ASCE organization and her ongoing career development.”

Ms. Mayer’s success can be attributed to her enjoyment of learning.  “I am extremely grateful for my career in Civil Engineering, it is such a fantasizing occupation,” she says.  “Being an engineer one cannot be complacent; I love that I am constantly being challenged and applying my knowledge to my work.” 

Ms. Mayer has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the West Virginia University.  She is a past ASCE Pittsburgh YMF President, and has been an active ASCE member since 2009.

 

Article by ASCE-PGH Awards Committee and ASCE Blog Editor

James H. Garrett, Jr., Ph.D., P.E. is the recipient of the 2014 ASCE-Pittsburgh Civil Engineer of the Year Award.  “I am extremely honored to have been selected for this award by the ASCE Pittsburgh Chapter,” says Dr. Garrett.  “I was a student of, worked with, and taught some of the former awardees.  The list of engineers selected in the past to receive this award is impressive and humbling, and I am grateful to have been selected to join them.”

Dr. Garrett is the Thomas Lord Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and currently the Dean of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). However, he started his engineering career at CMU long before joining the faculty, as a student. “I got a fantastic education at Carnegie Mellon.  CMU formed my interdisciplinary approach to problem definition and solution. They honed my ability to think critically and to look at problems from a systems perspective,” he says. 

Dr. Garrett has earned three Civil Engineering degrees at CMU: a BS in 1982, a MS in 1983, and a PhD in 1986. “Being department head of CEE and now Dean of the College of Engineering here at CMU was not something I would have predicted earlier in my career,” he says.  “I will say that it is exciting, rewarding and very challenging to serve the excellent students, faculty and staff as the dean of their college, and I greatly enjoy every day.”

Other professors also remarked on Dr. Garrett’s long-standing leadership roles.

“Jim Garrett has been a leader in professional service activities throughout his career, including when he was a student at Carnegie Mellon,” says colleague, Dr. Jeanne VanBriesen, professor at CMU CEE.  “When I was inducted into the Carnegie Mellon chapter of Chi Epsilon, the Civil Engineering Honor Society, several years after joining the faculty, I was surprised to see Jim Garrett’s name and signature among the very first in the chapter registry.  He was one of the founders of the chapter in 1982.”

When colleagues speak about Dr. Garrett and his work, they refer to his commitment and passion.  “Jim is a very open and collaborative person, which, combined with his broad knowledge in and passion for civil engineering, makes him a great colleague with whom I have much enjoyed working,” Dr. VanBriesen says.

Colleague, Dr. Irvine Oppenheim, professor at CMU CEE, also speaks about Dr. Garrett’s passion. “Everything Jim does professionally stems from his pride in being an engineer, and most especially a civil engineer,” says Dr. Oppenheim.  “He has devoted his career to raising the standing of the profession, the CEE Department at CMU, the engineering college at CMU, and CMU itself.”

After receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Garrett worked as a Project Engineer with Schlumberger Well Services in Houston, Texas from 1986-1987, and was an Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1987-1990. Dr. Garrett joined the CMU Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty in 1990 and was promoted to Full Professor in 1996. He was appointed as Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering in June 2006 and led the department until December 2012. In January 2013 he was appointed as Dean of the College of Engineering.

Dr. Garrett has been a Fellow of ASCE since 2009 and is a licensed professional engineer.  He holds two patents, and is the author of more than 250 technical publications. Throughout his career, Dr. Garrett’s research and teaching have been focused on bringing advanced computing and information technologies to bear on civil engineering problems. His research interests have included:

•          The application of sensors and sensor systems to civil infrastructure condition assessments.
  
•          Designing mobile hardware/software systems for field applications.
  
•        Representations and processing strategies to support the usage of engineering codes, standards, and specifications.
  
•          Understanding knowledge-based decision support systems.
  

Since Dr. Garrett became the Dean of the College of Engineering, the college has created a new strategic plan, and launched a number of new initiatives in research such as advanced manufacturing, soft robotics, and smart infrastructure.  The college has also launched new initiatives in communications, faculty development and educational programs for innovation and entrepreneurship.

When asked about his accomplishments, Dr. Garrett describes his pride for the next generation of engineers. “I am very proud of the many students I have advised or taught over the years,” Dr. Garrett says. “Actually, I feel this way about all alumni I meet from CMU, not just the ones I have taught.  When they come back to visit and tell me about the great diversity of projects they are working and the impact they are having, I am filled with pride for them and their accomplishments.”

Dr. Garrett has another source of pride.  “I am most proud of my two children, both of whom graduated from CMU.”

Article by Djuna Gulliver

Dr. Jeanne VanBriesen is the 2015 recipient of the ASCE Margaret Petersen Award for outstanding woman in environmental and water resources.  The Margaret Petersen award was established in 2014 to honor Margaret S. Petersen, P.E., a pioneer in hydraulics and water resources engineering.  It is awarded every year to outstanding female professionals in environmental and water resources.

Dr. VanBriesen is a professor in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.  For over 15 years, Dr. VanBriesen has been teaching environmental engineering and conducting research on environmental systems. Her most recent research includes assessing the environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing and unconventional gas processes.  She is also an expert on water sustainability, and has presented on the energy-water nexus at the Sustainability EXPOsed, Pittsburgh. She is the 2015 winner of the Carnegie Science Environmental Award for her outstanding science and technology achievements in Pittsburgh.

Jeanne demonstrates a passion for teaching and mentoring the next generation of engineers.  She has given numerous lectures on education, and is active in various educational outreach programs. Jeanne took some time to discuss being an environmental engineering professor in Pittsburgh:

What does it mean to you to win the Margaret Petersen Award?

I am particularly honored to be selected for an award named for Margaret Petersen.  Margaret Petersen became an engineer in a time when engineers were expanding their work into large-scale water resource challenges. She contributed to projects on the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers, focused on flood control and water provision, and she wrote the book on River Engineering (1986). She was an engineering professor for almost two decades, known for her practical focus and her mentorship of students. To hear Margaret’s students talk about her influence on their professional and personal lives is deeply moving. It is impossible to say if her greatest influence was through her engineering work or through her investment in her students. To me, she embodies success: to touch the future through professional activities in engineering and personal commitment to the growth and development of young engineers. I aspire to have an impact like Margaret, and I hope my work and my life demonstrate my dedication to following her path.  

Why is research in environmental systems important to you?

Environmental systems sustain us all. It is important that we continually deepen our understanding of how natural and engineered water systems interact to enable human society.

Why is teaching/advising the next generation of environmental engineers important to you?

It is only through the work of current and future generations of environmental engineers working together that we will solve the toughest problems. New engineers continually bring new ideas and approaches. It is a privilege to work with bright new thinkers who want to change the world.

Is mentoring future female engineers and researchers important to you?

Mentoring engineers of both genders is important to me. There continue to be challenges that are unique to underrepresented groups in our field, but there are many professional challenges that we all have in common. Senior engineers have an obligation to share what we’ve learned from experience with all our students and younger colleagues.  

What accomplishments are you most proud of?

My greatest contribution to our field has been through the training of my students and mentorship of my junior colleagues, with a focus on increasing the diversity of our profession. I have advised or co-advised 15 Ph.D. mentees to completion, 12 of whom were women. These students (now colleagues) have gone on to successful careers in academia, industry, consulting, and public service. I have advised 26 MS degree students (16 women), and 20 undergraduate research students (13 women), many of whom have worked with me alongside my Ph.D. students, providing the opportunity for these younger students to learn to do research, and for my Ph.D. students to learn to mentor.

What advice would you give to young engineers?

Don’t be afraid to challenge conventional wisdom and think of new ways to solve old problems. Dream big about how your work will change the world.  

What do you enjoy most about being a Pittsburgh engineering professor?

Pittsburgh is a terrific place to be a water engineer. We have incredible water resources here, and we have many water challenges. Working as an engineering professor here enables me to study unique water systems and to use our water infrastructure challenges as a motivator for student research projects.

Jeanne VanBriesen holds a B.S. in Education from Northwestern University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Northwestern University.  She is also a licensed professional, and currently the director of CMU's Center for Water Quality in Urban Environmental Systems, and a U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board member.

Article from Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is currently updating its long range plan to meet the needs of the region to the year 2040.  The regional long range transportation and development plan is the mechanism for connecting the Regional Vision to the region’s official, coordinated implementation program of projects and actions.

Mapping the Future: The Southwestern PA Plan builds upon the Regional Vision developed during the Project Region process.  The Project Region process culminated in adoption of the regional long range plan that includes a development scenario built upon well-defined strategies and 16 policies or goals for the region that touch on a wide range of areas.  They are part of the foundation for Mapping the Future.

The Regional Vision:  Transportation and land use that supports and enhances the regional economy and the communities within it.

As we continue to develop the Southwestern PA Plan, we want to know more about your priorities on strategies and how you would spend money on transportation in the region. Would you focus on fixing and maintaining what we already have? Would you focus on building onto what we already have?  Would you do both?

In addition to telling us about your priorities, we want to know about projects that are important to you. Do you have a project in mind or know of one that reflects your investment priorities that would help to implement the Regional Vision? We want to hear about it!

By taking the Investment Priorities survey, your input will help guide investment priorities and projects for the plan. We will use the results of this survey, along with input from other regional and state partners, to further develop investment priorities and projects for the Southwestern PA Plan.

The survey should take about 5-10 minutes. Upon completing the survey, you will be able to provide additional feedback if you like. Please feel free to share this message and the link to the Investment Priorities survey below with anyone who is interested. We hope you’ll share your thoughts with us, and encourage your friends and colleagues to do the same as we work together on Mapping the Future.

Thank you!

Please click here to take the Investment Priorities Survey.

Article by Jonathan Shimko

The ACE Mentoring Program met on January 21, 2015 at the Engineer’s Society of Western Pennsylvania for a session on Water Resource Engineering, hosted by the Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI).  ACE stands for Architecture, Construction and Engineering and is a nationwide program that mentors and inspires high school students to pursue careers in design and construction.  Each year the students perform a design project and this year’s project is to design a museum.  Approximately 50 high school students from the Pittsburgh Area attended this session and worked to improve the design of their museum projects.  Students learned about stormwater issues in the urban setting and ways that engineers are working to improve water quality and reduce peak discharges into our waterways.

The students were taught basic stormwater management vocabulary and principles throughout the session and were given opportunities to experience and use these principles through hands on and visual aids.  An EnviroScape® model was used to demonstrate how precipitation reacts to different surfaces and the potential negative impacts of urban development on natural systems.  The students were able to see how utilization of simple Best Management Practices (BMPs) can effectively reduce both peak flows and contaminant transport to our valuable water resources.

Each group of students was tasked with calculating the roof area of their museum wing and then to calculate the runoff volume for a typical storm event that occurs in southwestern Pennsylvania.  They were then able to calculate the reduction in runoff that could be achieved by implementation of green infrastructure (i.e. green roofs or planted courtyards).

The session concluded with an activity that involved creating a small scale wastewater treatment system.  Teams competed to create a wastewater treatment system within a funnel using common household materials like sand, baking soda, coffee filters, charcoal, cheese cloth and pebbles.  The teams then competed to see whose system provided the cleanest looking treated water.  Every team was able to produce an effective treatment system and had some fun in the process.

In summary, the students learned simple stormwater management practices and engineering methods (calculations and BMPs) to improve developments within urban environment.  The activities allowed the students to see firsthand how stormwater impacts can be managed to improve the quality of surface waters and the quality of life for people living in the urban setting.  The lessons were well received by the students and it appeared that the students were engaged and genuinely interested in the subject matter.  Everyone involved, including the students and mentors enjoyed themselves while learning and applying water management principles.

Our appreciation goes out to The Engineer’s Society of Western Pennsylvania and Tetra Tech, Inc., for providing support for this session.

Read more about the ACE Mentor Program or the Pittsburgh ACE program, or contact Linda Kaplan, Karen Mueser, or Nicholle Piper for more information or to volunteer for future sessions.  

Article from Gannett Fleming

Gannett Fleming's Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, office is moving to a new building within the Foster Plaza office park, effective Feb. 27. The move accommodates the firm’s growing staff and provides a more modern and collaborative work environment to enhance their service to clients.

New Pittsburgh office address; phone and fax numbers remain the same:

Foster Plaza 8

730 Holiday Drive

Suite 400

Pittsburgh, PA 15220

Phone: 412.922.5575

Fax: 412.922.3717

 

Established in 1957, the Pittsburgh operation is one of Gannett Fleming’s oldest regional offices and provides bridge, highway, geotechnical, water and wastewater, municipal, environmental, geographic information systems, electrical, and construction management services. One of 12 Gannett Fleming offices in Pennsylvania and one of 60 worldwide, the technical professionals based in Pittsburgh provide innovative solutions to a wide array of public and private clients.

 

“This move brings our 90-person staff together in a more modern workspace that will enhance our ability to create innovation solutions to our clients’ challenges,” said John W. Kovacs, PE, PMP, DGE, a senior vice president and Gannett Fleming’s Midwest Region director.

From this new location, staff members in the Pittsburgh office look forward to continuing to deliver excellence to every client, on every project, every day.

Article by Djuna Gulliver (Adapted from Rhea Engineers and Consultants)

Those with young children and those young at heart may well know the tune “Do you want to build a snowman” from Disney’s 2014 animated hit, “Frozen.”  Since then, numerous parodies of the song have been made. But Rhea Engineers and Consultants engineer, Angelica Perez De La Rosa, from the Washington, D.C. area, made a parody that most ASCE members can relate to: “Do you want to build a highway?”

The music video features a young and eager engineer, played by Angelica, who is enthusiastic about initiating a new project.  She tries to coax her reclusive supervisor, played by William Johnson, PE, out of his office, where he spends his days invoicing. See the music video here.

ASCE reports the music parody video has struck a chord with grade school children.  The music parody video has won Honorable Mention in an ASCE nationwide music video contest.  The ASCE music video contest had over 30 entries with two winners and four honorable mentions. The other winning entries can be found on ASCE’s YouTube Channel.

Rhea hopes that music parody video will increase interest in engineering among young children. Please share the video with other future engineers.