CONTACT: Tracy Withrow, 703-295-6326, twithrow@asce.org

Reston, Va.—Ten promising civil engineering college students have been recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) through its first annual New Faces of Civil Engineering – College Edition. These students are being recognized for achieving the highest standards as college civil engineering students, whose [...]]]> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 14, 2011                     

CONTACT: Tracy Withrow, 703-295-6326, twithrow@asce.org

Reston, Va.—Ten promising civil engineering college students have been recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) through its first annual New Faces of Civil Engineering – College Edition. These students are being recognized for achieving the highest standards as college civil engineering students, whose academic success and extracurricular engagement point to a bright future as professionals in the field of civil engineering.

“These students are an inspiration to future generations of students seeking a career in which they can make a difference,” said ASCE President Andrew Herrmann, P.E.

Congratulations to ASCE’s first collegiate New Faces of Civil Engineering:

• Danielle Antonellis – Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Mass.
• Tyler Beduhn – University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
• Gretchen Heberling – University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyo.
• Hannah Kiem – Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
• Andrew Odenthal – Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Miss.
• Anitha Reddy – The Cooper Union, New York, NY
• Marlie Ann Ventress – Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La.
• Edgar Verdin – Portland State University, Portland, Ore.
• Daniel Wanner – San Jose State University, San Jose, Calif.
• Steven Wong – Columbia University, New York, NY

In addition to receiving this great honor, three of the New Faces were recognized by the National Engineers Week Foundation (NEWF). Danielle Antonellis was selected as the civil engineering representative among the 2012 NEWF New Faces of Engineering – College Edition. Among her achievements, Antonellis helped raise $11,000 to benefit the Katrina-stricken Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, while president of her university’s Habitat for Humanity chapter. As part of her recognition, Antonellis will receive a $500 ASCE scholarship.

Antonellis was joined by finalists Gretchen Heberling, an accomplished violinist who is interested in small business development, and green building design and sustainability, and Steven Wong, a structural engineer student, who has worked on a hotel development project in Bahrain and teaches introductory civil engineering courses.

See photos of and read more about all of ASCE’s 2012 New Faces of Civil Engineering – College Edition, and see all of the winners from each of the 15 engineering societies for NEWF’s first annual honor.

Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 140,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society. For more information, visit www.asce.org.

The Iowa Section is alive and well, with right at 900 members, two Younger Member Groups and three Student Chapters.   Our annual technical conferences are seeing an uptick in attendance [...]]]> As is customary, the arrival of Winter calls for a report to the membership on the state of the Section, planned activities and long range goals.   

The Iowa Section is alive and well, with right at 900 members, two Younger Member Groups and three Student Chapters.   Our annual technical conferences are seeing an uptick in attendance again, returning back to and getting ready to exceed pre-financial crises levels.  All Board member positions are filled and the officers are individually and collectively working to improve the Section’s performance and value to the membership

Recent board activities have included the following:  we hosted a ‘first ever’  joint meeting of the Board, rank and file members and students in western Iowa, at Sioux City on Sep 12.   Work has begun to rejuvenate membership communications, with an e-Newsletter, revised website, Facebook page and periodic email blasts to give everyone multiple pathways to stay abreast of ASCE activities in Iowa.  

The Section recently achieved a long sought goal:  we finally have and are operating under a modernized Constitution and Bylaws.   We have slowly been working our way towards that objective over the last several years, but had reached an impasse of sorts:   the old constitution required that roughly 440 written ballots had to be received  before a proposed amendment would be valid.   But after keeping the vote open for over 18 months, trying every possible way to ask members to vote and even offering a Kindle as an incentive, we only had 201 ballots turned in: 200 in favor and 1 against.   Despite the lack of a sufficient number of ballots, members did vote at the annual business meeting in September to accept the ballots and declare the new Constitution approved – subject to review and approval by National.   The ‘bad news’ that followed was that National’s legal counsel felt that unless we actually had 440 ballots in hand, things could not move forward.   But the ‘good news’ was that, in cases like ours, the recourse is to have the Region’s Board of Directors evaluate the situation and take administrative action.   This was done by Region  7 on October 30, 2011.  Finding that although membership overwhelming supported adoption of the new guiding documents, and noting that the technical impasse could not be overcome by any other method, they voted 7-0 to dissolve the old Iowa Section and then immediately established a new one, under the new Constitution, with the stipulation that all old officers were immediately reappointed.   So the Iowa Section has been renewed and is set to move on into the future.   The Section Board voted, on November 16, to grant special recognition to Jenifer Croat, P.E., M.ASCE, whose untiring efforts were the critical factor in getting this long process brought to completion. 

An interesting additional possible change came to the Board’s attention late last summer:   we learned that there was interest in possibly forming a Younger Member Group in the Waterloo – Black Hawk County area.  When we consulted with National about this, they immediately recommended that Iowa should also consider whether or not it’s time to form Branches in this state – either in lieu of a new YMG or perhaps  in tandem with it.   The Board is conducting demographic research on these issues and will strive to have options and recommendations ready for the general membership to consider by mid-2012.

Last, all members are reminded that the value one gets out of being a member of a professional society is generally proportional to what you put into it yourself.   So anyone who has an interest in serving on a technical conference planning committee, become a board member, assisting with the newsletter, website or social media, or leading an outreach initiative, please don’t hesitate to contact any one of the current officers.     After all, if we’re going to improve the profession, offer quality continuing education, provide leadership opportunities and advancing CE technologies, the more that participate, the more we’ll  progress.

Steve Devries, ASCE Iowa Section President