Dallas ASCE Articles RSS Feed

April Meeting Main Speaker

Sean Merrell — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:00:00 GMT

M. Dolan McKnight, P.E. is the Manager of Permitting, Regulatory Compliance, and Special Studies at the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD). Dolan was been with the NTMWD for 32 years. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from Rice University and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering & Management from University of Texas at Arlington.

At the NTMWD, Dolan is responsible for permit issues for eighteen wastewater plants, he reviews all regulatory changes for water, wastewater, and solid waste and determines effects of implementation on District operations, he oversees all water quality studies by consultants, he is responsible for research and development studies for all three operating systems of water, wastewater, and solid waste, and he conducts research and recommends improvements in process operations and equipment in response to regulatory change or advancements in technology.

Dolan is a member of the Water Environment Federation, the Water Environment Association of Texas, the Texas Association of Clean Water Agencies, and the Water Resources Council at the North Central Texas Council of Governments. Dolan has served as the President of the Texas Water Utility Association Arlington Short School, the Texas Association of Clean Water Agencies, and the North Texas Section of Texas Water Environment Association. He has also received the Hatfield Award for outstanding wastewater plant operator in Texas.

8-Mar-10 1:00 PM

The Professional Practice Ethics and Leadership Award - Call for Nominations

Sean Merrell — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:00:00 GMT

ASCE invites your nominations for the 2010 Professional Practice Ethics and Leadership Award. The award recognizes an engineer-leader for a specific accomplishment or for lifetime achievements that demonstrate superior ethics and leadership while the individual participated in professional practice or service to the public.

The individual must be a licensed professional engineer, may not currently (or within five years) serve on the ASCE Board of Direction or the ASFE Board of Directors, and may not have previously received the award. There is no membership requirement for nomination. The recipient will be presented a certificate and an honorarium cash prize.

Take this opportunity to have one of your local members recognized nationally!

For additional award information and for the official award nomination form, click here. Please send nominations to awards@asce.org by June 1. Paper submissions are also accepted. Send one original to Honors and Awards Program, ASCE Headquarters, 1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, VA 20191-4400.

4-Mar-10 1:00 PM

The Girl Scouts of America need your help

Colin Blankenship — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Girl Scouts of the USA is the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls-all girls-where, in an accepting and nurturing environment, girls build character and skills for success in the real world. In partnership with committed adult volunteers, girls develop qualities that will serve them all their lives, like leadership, strong values, social conscience, and conviction about their own potential and self-worth.

It is safe to say that most of you are familiar with the organization. The Girl Scouts of America have been a strong in our lives and in the lives of our wives, and our daughters.

The Girl Scouts of America need your help. There are four Girl Scout camps in the DFW Area that are in need of various site improvements and they have contacted The Dallas Branch of ASCE for assistance.

Please review the attached documents that highlight some of the needs of the DFW area Girl Scout Camps. If you have the ability to assist in the planning or construction of these repairs, please contact me. Click [here] for documents.

Colin G. Blankenship, P.E.

ASCE Sustainability Chair

Phone 214.750.9889 x-226

cblankenship@haydenconsultants.com

2-Mar-10 10:00 AM

2010 ASCE Joint Dallas/Ft. Worth Golf Tournament

Scott Berman — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:00:00 GMT

We have our big annual Dallas vs. Fort Worth ASCE golf tournament scheduled for Friday afternoon April 16, 2010 at Bear Creek Golf Course. We are seeking players and sponsors. Registration and Sponsorship form is available here. To see pictures of the fun and excitement from last year's ASCE Golf Tournament, click here.

100% of the proceeds from this event go towards our newly established Fort Worth ASCE Civil Engineering Scholarship Endowment at UTA and will be matched dollar for dollar by UTA through the Maverick Match program. We are doubling our donation! Please consider participating. We are also seeking volunteers to assist with the event or any golf bag items that firms would like to donate. Please contact Travis Attanasio fwasceymg@gmail.com or Scott Berman sfb@freese.com.

26-Feb-10 10:00 AM

Dallas ASCE March Newsletter

Sean Merrell — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:46:31 GMT

Hello [firstname],

Welcome to the Dallas ASCE newsletter of upcoming events, articles, jobs and more from our membership.

Calendar Events
Articles

Your login information is listed below. To log into the site, visit http://www.dallasasce.org/en/ and enter your Username and Password.

Username: [username]
Password: [password]

If you have any questions please contact Sean P. Merrell, P.E.

HAPPY ENGINEERS WEEK!!!

Calendar Events for February & March

Younger Member Event - TOP GOLF - THIS IS TONIGHT!!

Day: Thursday 18-Feb-10 7:00 PM
Location: Top Golf 8787 Park Lane Dallas, Texas 75231
Mapquest | Add to Calendar

EWB: Be Part of the Chain
Sponsor: Colin Blankenship
Day: Sunday 21-Feb-10 4:30 PM
Location: Rush Creek Christian Church Bowen @ Green Oaks Arlington, TX
Mapquest | Add to Calendar

March Dallas Branch Meeting
Speaker: Clarence Daugherty, P.E., Jacobs Engineering Group

Clarence will share with us the engineering story behind the park that is
being built over Woodall Rodgers Freeway between Pearl and St. Paul
Sponsor: Reed Engineering Group, Ltd.
Day: Monday 1-Mar-10 12:00 PM
Location: Crown Plaza Hotel (Dallas Market Center) 7050 Stemmons Freeway (IH 35E) Dallas, Texas 75247
Register Mapquest | Add to Calendar

Fund Raising Event for Engineers Without Borders-USA North Texas Professionals Chapter & Engineers In Action
Day: Thursday 4-Mar-10 6:00 PM
Location: St. Andrew United Methodist Church 5801 W. Plano Parkway Plano, TX
Mapquest | Add to Calendar

Articles for March

February President's Message

The Nation’s Infrastructure In President Obama’s State of the Union address in January he noted that investing in our infrastructure is investing in our nation, emphasizing that railroads and the Interstate Highway System are critical investments and citing construction jobs that were created through the Recovery Act. As civil engineers we know that for many years our nation has neglected to invest in infrastructure. I think of it as an “out of sight, out of mind”... [More Info]

March Main Speaker Information

Clarence Daugherty, P.E. This year Clarence celebrates 40 years of civil engineering service. He has a B.S. and a M.E. from Texas A&M University. Most of his time has been spent supporting local government, either as an employee or as a consultant. Clarence has worked for the Cities of San Antonio, Dallas, Plano, DeSoto and Bryan, as well as 14 years with Collin County. Clarence has been active in the American Public Works Association and was a founding member of the Texas Association of... [More Info]

March Main Presentation - Woodall Rodgers Deck Park is now "The Park"

The Park will serve as a central gathering space for Dallas and its visitors to enjoy in the heart of the city. The 5.2-acre deck park will create an urban green space over the existing Woodall Rodgers Freeway between Pearl and St. Paul streets in downtown Dallas. Plans include a performance pavilion, restaurant, walking trails, a dog park, a children’s discovery garden and playground, water features, an area for games and much more. Connectivity is central to The Park's purpose. The... [More Info]

March Technical Presentation

The ASCE Dallas Branch Geotech Technical Committee Presents: CU Structural Soil is a composition of soil and limestone aggregate developed by Cornell University that satisfies two very important requirements that must be satisfied when planting trees in a hardscape environment. First, it satisfies the Engineer’s structural need by supporting the sidewalk by using a compacted composition of ¾“ to 1½” crushed angular stone that is coated with a sandy loam soil. ... [More Info]

March Meeting Sponsor

Reed Engineering Group, Inc., was founded as a geotechnical engineering firm in January, 1989 by Ronald F. Reed, P.E. Since its inception in 1989, Reed Engineering Group, Inc., has experienced steady growth and has expanded into a multi-disciplinary company, providing environmental consulting, geotechnical engineering, and construction observation and testing services throughout north Texas. Reed Engineering Group Inc. remains founded on the principle of providing the highest quality... [More Info]

Younger Member Golf Event

The Dallas Section Institute of Transportation Engineers has invited the ASCE Younger Member Group to join them for their next event at Top Golf. Join us for drinks, golf, door prizes and fun! Thursday, February 18 at 7:00 PM Top Golf ( www.topgolf.com ) 8787 Park Lane Dallas, TX 75231 TopGolf Dallas is more than just a golf driving range – it is a revolutionary sports entertainment complex combining games with great food and an environment you can enjoy year-round with... [More Info]

Dallas Branch Technical Institutes

Technical Institutes: Take Advantage of FREE Local Professional Development by Rachel R. Hayden, P.E. Have you ever attended one of the Dallas Branch’s technical institute seminars? If not, you are missing a wonderful opportunity to enrich your professional development and receive free, local technical training. No travel costs, no registration fees. At the national level, membership in one technical institute is free with your ASCE membership, and members can join additional... [More Info]

Texas Section Spring Meeting - Save the Date

ASCE Texas Section Spring Meeting in Austin Sunday, April 11 – Tuesday, April 13, 2010 The Austin Branch will be hosting the Texas Section Spring 2010 Meeting. This meeting will be unique in both its revised format and location. This will be a Texas Section meeting that will be talked about for years to come. There is no better opportunity to get involved in creating the future Texas Section meeting formats. Conference Information and Online Registration (coming soon):... [More Info]

ASCE Younger Member Announcement

Hello Younger Members! The ASCE Blood Bowl winner was Texas A&M and last month’s meeting was decorated in maroon and white. Please remember this for next year’s Blood Bowl if you want to recognize your school before and after the monthly meeting. The week of February 15th is Engineers Week and ASCE will be doing demonstrations at the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science for the event. This will be a great opportunity to get Dallas area kids excited about different opportunities in... [More Info]

Show Students How You Make a ‘World of Difference’

National Engineers Week is this week, Feb. 14-20. It's not too late to plan to show students how Engineers Make a World of Difference, the theme for this year. Help celebrate engineer volunteerism and outreach by creating or joining in the week's activities. Click here to Download a Discover E toolkit with tips on how to energize yourself and recognize other volunteers; graphics to include in Web sites or in print announcements, postcards, and posters; suggestions for outreach opportunities;... [More Info]

History Highlight - Texas Electric Railway

A Look Back at Dallas Transit: Texas Electric Railway Transit has never been a hotter topic in the DFW area than right now as Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). DART forges forward with construction of the Green Line north to Farmers Branch and Carrollton. At the same time, the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) is constructing a 21-mile corridor for the commuter A-Train to connect the northern terminus of the Green Line in Carrollton to downtown Denton. It may appear that 2010 will... [More Info]

Salute Civil Engineering at the 2010 OPAL Gala

The most glamorous night on the civil engineering calendar is coming March 25 to Washington, D.C. -- ASCE's OPAL Gala. Come to the nation's capital this spring to honor outstanding civil engineers and amazing infrastructure projects. Be on hand for the announcement of the world's Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement for 2010 after learning what made each nominee worthy. Join in the ovations for several of civil engineering's greatest practitioners as they receive Outstanding Projects... [More Info]

Texas State Guard Announcement

The Texas State Guard (TXSG) is recruiting civil engineering, water and wastewater plant operations (TCEQ Class “A” through “C” license), logistics, human resources, communications, weather, and administrative professionals for its new Civil Engineer Brigade. The Brigade provides engineering support for water, wastewater, and other utilities damaged by natural or man-made disasters and for general disaster relief operations. When authorized by the Governor and the... [More Info]

ASCE Society Awards – Call for Nominations

ASCE invites you to submit nominations for the Civil Government, Friedman Professional Recognition, Parcel-Sverdrup, and Government Civil Engineer of the Year awards. Nominations are due by March 1, 2010. The winners of these awards will be honored during the Society’s 2010 Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. A short summary of the awards follows. The complete nomination rules and forms can be found on the Civil Government Award, Friedman Professional Recognition Award,... [More Info]

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18-Feb-10 4:46 PM

February President's Message

Rachel Hayden — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:00:00 GMT

The Nation’s Infrastructure

In President Obama’s State of the Union address in January he noted that investing in our infrastructure is investing in our nation, emphasizing that railroads and the Interstate Highway System are critical investments and citing construction jobs that were created through the Recovery Act. As civil engineers we know that for many years our nation has neglected to invest in infrastructure. I think of it as an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality. Until the public and the legislature actually “see” something that reminds them of the crumbling state of our infrastructure, such as the Minneapolis I-35 bridge collapse or the levee failures in New Orleans, investment in infrastructure takes a back seat to more visible and political pursuits. And even after they “see” something crumble, the short attention spans of many force their attention back to more visible issues and away from the need to improve our infrastructure.

While preparing this message I decided to Google “the nation’s infrastructure” for research material. This search generated in 12.3 million hits, primarily newspaper articles and media discussions dating as far back as 1999. Year after year the articles say the same thing: we need to invest in our nation’s infrastructure. Our infrastructure is crumbling. Investing in our infrastructure creates jobs. The cost to invest in our infrastructure grows exponentially each year that we neglect it. So much talk and so little action.

I was pleased to hear the topic of infrastructure investment in President Obama’s January speech. It is encouraging that this topic is still at the forefront of the President’s agenda. At the national level, I commend ASCE for their efforts to create the Infrastructure Report Card program and their tireless efforts to publicize the report cards and to inform the legislature of the critical state of our nation’s infrastructure. I also appreciate that a portion of the Recovery Act was allocated to infrastructure projects, even if they were “shovel-ready” projects that may or may not have affected each of us as design professionals.

Blaine Leonard, the President of ASCE National, issued a statement in response to President Obama’s January State of the Union address. Mr. Leonard’s response can be found here: http://www.asce.org/. He asks each of us to contact our U.S. Senators to encourage them to include a long-term, major infrastructure component in job creation legislation.

We are gaining momentum. After years of talking about the poor state of our nation’s infrastructure but doing nothing, it is evident that infrastructure investment is now a priority to our legislature and to our President. It is up to us to keep the momentum going by contacting our legislators to encourage further investment in our nation’s infrastructure. We must continue this momentum by insisting on action and not rhetoric.

Please join us on March 1^st when Clarence Daugherty, P.E. will present an update on the construction of the Woodall Rodgers Deck Park.

Rachel R. Hayden, PE

2009-2010 ASCE Dallas Branch President

17-Feb-10 4:00 PM

March Main Speaker Information

Sean Merrell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:30:00 GMT

Clarence Daugherty, P.E.

This year Clarence celebrates 40 years of civil engineering service. He has a B.S. and a M.E. from Texas A&M University. Most of his time has been spent supporting local government, either as an employee or as a consultant. Clarence has worked for the Cities of San Antonio, Dallas, Plano, DeSoto and Bryan, as well as 14 years with Collin County. Clarence has been active in the American Public Works Association and was a founding member of the Texas Association of County Engineers and Road Administrators. He has now spent 12 years in the consulting business and has been with Jacobs Engineering Group for almost 5 years. He is currently the Project Manager for the Woodall Rodgers Deck Plaza project, now known as The Park.

17-Feb-10 3:30 PM

March Main Presentation - Woodall Rodgers Deck Park is now "The Park"

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:15:00 GMT

The Park will serve as a central gathering space for Dallas and its visitors to enjoy in the heart of the city. The 5.2-acre deck park will create an urban green space over the existing Woodall Rodgers Freeway between Pearl and St. Paul streets in downtown Dallas. Plans include a performance pavilion, restaurant, walking trails, a dog park, a children’s discovery garden and playground, water features, an area for games and much more.

Connectivity is central to The Park's purpose. The Park will promote increased pedestrian, trolley and bicycle use between Uptown, Downtown and the Arts District, contributing to a more walkable city center.

The Park will create a front lawn for the surrounding cultural offerings including the Dallas Center for Performing Arts, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Morton Meyerson Symphony Hall, the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art, Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts and the future Museum of Nature and Science.

Construction on the deck plaza began in October 2009. The base park is expected to be complete in early 2012 with amenities expected to be complete in late 2012.

Construction is funded through a public, private partnership including $20 million in bond funds from the City of Dallas, $20 million in highway funds from the state and federal government through TxDOT and $20 million from private donations. In March, the Park was selected to receive $16.7 million in stimulus funds that are specifically for transportation enhancement construction. The Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation continues to raise private funds, including the naming rights for park features, to fund amenity construction, operations and programming.

The Park will be owned by the City of Dallas and managed by the private Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation. The Foundation has studied great public parks across the country and plans to bring best practices to The Park's operations, programming and maintenance.

The design and construction of the park is being managed by Bjerke Management Solutions and the design is led by two nationally-recognized design firms, The Office of James Burnett and Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. The Texas Department of Transportation selected Archer Western as the contractor for construction of the deck plaza.

17-Feb-10 3:15 PM

March Technical Presentation

Sean Merrell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:00:00 GMT

The ASCE Dallas Branch Geotech Technical Committee Presents:

CU Structural Soil is a composition of soil and limestone aggregate developed by Cornell University that satisfies two very important requirements that must be satisfied when planting trees in a hardscape environment.

First, it satisfies the Engineer’s structural need by supporting the sidewalk by using a compacted composition of ¾“ to 1½” crushed angular stone that is coated with a sandy loam soil.

Second, it satisfies the needs of the root system by allowing for a much higher degree of air and water flow throughout the soil providing a much higher level of nutrients and moisture to the roots.

CU STRUCTURAL SOIL RESOLVES THREE VERY LARGE PROBLEMS:

1. Sidewalk Injury Claims: In 2004 & 2005 New York city paid out a total of $120 Million in sidewalk injury claims caused by root system upheaval.

2. Replanting Trees: Trees planted in a traditional treepit live 7 to 10 years and then need to be replanted. Planted in CU SoilÔ, trees live 70 to 90 years.

3. Replacing Sidewalks: Vertically growing root systems cause upheaval, destroying sidewalks by the $ millions of dollars each year.

Rod Nickel is a graduate of the University of Arkansas where he was the President of the Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business Fraternity. His professional career was spent as an Account Executive with such notable companies as Proctor & Gamble, and Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith. He currently is Vice President of Sales for Minick Materials, an Oklahoma based international building stone wholesaler.

Rod spends his leisure time flying airplanes and scuba diving. In the military he was the Officer-in-Charge of a military diving team in southeast Asia and was awarded the Bronze Star medal while serving in Vietnam.

17-Feb-10 3:00 PM

March Meeting Sponsor

Sean Merrell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:45:00 GMT

Reed Engineering Group, Inc., was founded as a geotechnical engineering firm in January, 1989 by Ronald F. Reed, P.E. Since its inception in 1989, Reed Engineering Group, Inc., has experienced steady growth and has expanded into a multi-disciplinary company, providing environmental consulting, geotechnical engineering, and construction observation and testing services throughout north Texas.

Reed Engineering Group Inc. remains founded on the principle of providing the highest quality services possible, while providing a quality work environment for our employees. This philosophy has been positively reflected in both long-term client and employee loyalty.

Client and project diversity include municipal infrastructure, hospitals, schools, industrial complexes, single and multi-family residential, office buildings, retail development and high-rise structures. Specialty consulting services include preparation of TCEQ Subchapter T Development Permits, Municipal Setting Designations, Voluntary Cleanup Program sites, and forensic investigations of failed slopes and erosion control structures.

17-Feb-10 2:45 PM

Younger Member Golf Event

Audrey Stoddart — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:30:00 GMT

The Dallas Section Institute of Transportation Engineers has invited the ASCE Younger Member Group to join them for their next event at Top Golf. Join us for drinks, golf, door prizes and fun!

Thursday, February 18 at 7:00 PM

Top Golf ( www.topgolf.com ) 8787 Park Lane Dallas, TX 75231

TopGolf Dallas is more than just a golf driving range – it is a revolutionary sports entertainment complex combining games with great food and an environment you can enjoy year-round with friends and family of all skill levels. TopGolf features computerized microchips in every golf ball that track your shots accuracy and distance while awarding points by hitting targets ranging from 20 - 250 yards away.

TopGolf offers two levels of entertainment: the Texas Grill – offering food and drink specials every night of the week, lounges with a multitude of flat screen TVs and an award winning 54-hole miniature golf course.

TopGolf is conveniently located in the heart of Dallas. On the northwest quadrant of Abrams Road and Park Lane, we are easily accessible from North Central Expressway (75), just take the Park Lane exit and go east 1.4 miles, or from Abrams Road, turn west on Park Lane and take the first right turn. Get Directions

For more information please contact Audrey Stoddart, ASCE Dallas Younger Member Chair.

17-Feb-10 2:30 PM

Dallas Branch Technical Institutes

Rachel Hayden — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:15:00 GMT

Technical Institutes:

Take Advantage of FREE Local Professional Development

by Rachel R. Hayden, P.E.

Have you ever attended one of the Dallas Branch’s technical institute seminars? If not, you are missing a wonderful opportunity to enrich your professional development and receive free, local technical training. No travel costs, no registration fees.

At the national level, membership in one technical institute is free with your ASCE membership, and members can join additional institutes for only $20 per institute. At the local level, the Dallas Branch typically offers one or two technical institute seminars immediately following the monthly luncheon absolutely free to members. The technical institute seminars last one hour and you earn one PDH for each seminar. PDH certificates will be emailed to you following the seminar if you registered online for the seminar.

Dallas Branch Technical Institutes and corresponding committee chairs include the following:

Construction Institute (CI), Ignacio Herrera, P.E. iherrera@halff.com
Environmental & Water Resources (E&WRI), Wendy Martinez, P.E. wendy.martinez@ch2m.com
Geo-Institute (G-I), Hussein Abusaad, P.E. hhabusaad@terracon.com
Structural Engineering Institute (SEI), Mir Ali, P.E. mali@jacobs.com
Transportation & Development Institute (T&DI), Roger Behgam,P.E. roger_behgam@urscorp.com
Sustainability Committee*, Colin Blankenship, P.E. cblankenship@haydenconsultants.com

*Not officially a technical institute, the Sustainability Committee was established to provide technical training to our members similar to the training provided by the institutes.

If you would like to request a specific topic for a technical institute seminar, or if you have an idea for a speaker, please contact the institute chair listed above along with our Senior Director, Nicole Carrillo, P.E. at ncarillo@hntb.com. Nicole is responsible for coordinating the seminar schedules.

17-Feb-10 2:15 PM

Texas Section Spring Meeting - Save the Date

Vanessa Rosales-Herrera — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:00:00 GMT

ASCE Texas Section Spring Meeting in Austin

Sunday, April 11 – Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The Austin Branch will be hosting the Texas Section Spring 2010 Meeting. This meeting will be unique in both its revised format and location. This will be a Texas Section meeting that will be talked about for years to come. There is no better opportunity to get involved in creating the future Texas Section meeting formats.

Conference Information and Online Registration (coming soon):
http://www.texasce.org

Exhibitor contact:
Ron Reichert
rreichert@ejiw.com

Sponsorship contact:
Julia Harrod
juliah@mwmdesigngroup.com

17-Feb-10 2:00 PM

ASCE Younger Member Announcement

Audrey Stoddart — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:45:00 GMT

Hello Younger Members!

The ASCE Blood Bowl winner was Texas A&M and last month’s meeting was decorated in maroon and white. Please remember this for next year’s Blood Bowl if you want to recognize your school before and after the monthly meeting.

The week of February 15^th is Engineers Week and ASCE will be doing demonstrations at the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science for the event. This will be a great opportunity to get Dallas area kids excited about different opportunities in engineering and you may even learn something yourself. If you are interested, please contact Anu Kancherla.

Are you or any of your coworkers planning on taking the P.E. exam this year? The Younger Member and the Education Committees are planning an ASCE Review Course. There will be 12 two-hour sessions covering different areas of the exam. The sessions will be on Tuesdays and Thursday s from 2 - 4 pm between Feb. 16 and Mar. 25. The cost will be $100 for members and $200 for non-members. Please email Audrey Stoddart if you are interested in taking this course by Tuesday Feb. 2.

The National ASCE Committee on Younger Members is currently filling open positions. Descriptions for each position and the 2010 CYM Member and Corresponding Member nomination form are available on our ftp site. If interested in multiple positions, please only fill out one form and indicate your positions of interest in the space provided. Nomination forms are due to Nancy Berson by March 1, 2010.

The Dallas ASCE Younger Member Group has joined Facebook! The ASCE Younger Members of Dallas Group will be used to post events and activities.

The Younger Member committee has been working to plan more educational, social and service events in the upcoming year. If you have any ideas, questions, comments or are interested in joining the committee please contact Audrey Stoddart.

Audrey Stoddart, EIT
ASCE Younger Member Committee
audrey_stoddart@urscorp.com

17-Feb-10 1:45 PM

Show Students How You Make a ‘World of Difference’

Sean Merrell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:00:00 GMT

National Engineers Week is this week, Feb. 14-20. It's not too late to plan to show students how "Engineers Make a World of Difference," the theme for this year. Help celebrate engineer volunteerism and outreach by creating or joining in the week's activities.

Click here to Download a "Discover E" toolkit with tips on how to energize yourself and recognize other volunteers; graphics to include in Web sites or in print announcements, postcards, and posters; suggestions for outreach opportunities; and much more.

17-Feb-10 1:00 PM

History Highlight - Texas Electric Railway

Donna Chen — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:45:00 GMT

A Look Back at Dallas Transit: Texas Electric Railway

Transit has never been a hotter topic in the DFW area than right now as Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). DART forges forward with construction of the Green Line north to Farmers Branch and Carrollton. At the same time, the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) is constructing a 21-mile corridor for the commuter A-Train to connect the northern terminus of the Green Line in Carrollton to downtown Denton. It may appear that 2010 will exhibit the largest commuter rail network the in DFW history, but those who have stopped at the Interurban Railway Museum in downtown Plano would definitely disagree.

The museum resides at a former train depot for the Texas Electric Railway, a 226 mile passenger and freight electric train network that operated between 1908 and 1948. At the time, the three routes that connected Dallas to Sherman/Denison, Ennis/Corsicana, and Hillsboro/Waco, made up the longest interurban railway system between the Mississippi River and California. At the time, towns like Plano and Richardson were rural and small, and the railway network made a huge impact on rural life as it ended the isolation of distant farm families, connecting them to stores and resources in the big city. The Texas Electric Railway was primarily for passenger service though it also handled mail and express courier services. In 1941, the light traffic Ennis/Corsicana route was abandoned. The other two routes operated through World War II, however, with the popularity of the automobile on the rise, ridership declined and caused the eventual end of the Texas Electric Railway.

At the Interurban Railway Museum, you can take a tour of one of the electric street cars, Car 360, which made its last run on the Sherman/Denison route on December 31, 1948. For more info on the Texas Electric Railway check out http://libraries.uta.edu/SpecColl/crose01/txrail.htm.

History Trivia: What year was the first set of plans for the Woodall Rodgers Freeway approved?

Email your trivia answer to Donna Chen (chen.donna@gmail.com), a random winner will be drawn from the correct answers to win a $25 Target gift card at next month’s ASCE luncheon.

17-Feb-10 12:45 PM

Salute Civil Engineering at the 2010 OPAL Gala

Sean Merrell — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:00:00 GMT

The most glamorous night on the civil engineering calendar is coming March 25 to Washington, D.C. -- ASCE's OPAL Gala.

Come to the nation's capital this spring to honor outstanding civil engineers and amazing infrastructure projects. Be on hand for the announcement of the world's Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement for 2010 after learning what made each nominee worthy. Join in the ovations for several of civil engineering's greatest practitioners as they receive Outstanding Projects And Leaders awards and other ASCE honors. Find out about the OPAL winners and OCEA nominees. Get your tuxedo or evening gown ready for a night of great tributes to civil engineering -- register today.

17-Feb-10 9:00 AM

Texas State Guard Announcement

Marco Ramirez — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:00:00 GMT

The Brigade provides engineering support for water, wastewater, and other utilities damaged by natural or man-made disasters and for general disaster relief operations. When authorized by the Governor and the Commander of the Texas State Guard, the Brigade also acts as an on-site advisor and facilitator supporting incident commanders in a regional context.

Members of the Brigade are required to attend up to 12 drills (one Saturday each month) a year and be reasonably available to report for State Active Duty for up to a 7 day period. The Brigade recognizes the civilian work commitments of its members and will work to accommodate individual work requirements. Knowledge of the National Incident Management System and prior military service are preferred, but certainly not required. Any interested professional of any age with reasonable health and fitness should apply.

The TXSG is a voluntary organization serving at the pleasure of the Governor. TXSG members may not be involuntarily deployed outside of Texas. While the work is voluntary, some expenses may be reimbursed based on circumstances. You can learn more about the TXSG at http://www.txsg.state.tx.us.

Please contact Colonel Mike Thuss, P.E. or call him at 210-354-6530, if you are interested or for more information.

17-Feb-10 7:00 AM

ASCE Society Awards – Call for Nominations

Marco Ramirez — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:00:00 GMT

ASCE invites you to submit nominations for the Civil Government, Friedman Professional Recognition, Parcel-Sverdrup, and Government Civil Engineer of the Year awards. Nominations are due by March 1, 2010. The winners of these awards will be honored during the Society’s 2010 Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.

A short summary of the awards follows. The complete nomination rules and forms can be found on the Civil Government Award, Friedman Professional Recognition Award, Parcel-Sverdrup Award, and Government Civil Engineer of the Year Award pages of the ASCE web site.

Civil Government Award

The Civil Government Award recognizes those members of the engineering profession who have rendered meritorious service in elective or appointive positions in government.

Friedman Professional Recognition Award

The Edmund Friedman Professional Recognition Award recognizes a Society member who has contributed substantially to the status of the engineering profession by establishing a reputation for professional service.

Parcel-Sverdrup Award

The John I. Parcel - Leif J. Sverdrup Civil Engineering Management Award was created to encourage effective leadership and management skills in the civil engineering profession

Government Civil Engineer of the Year Award

The Government Civil Engineer of the Year Award recognizes distinguished civil engineers employed in public service for significant engineering contributions as a practitioner in public service.

You are encouraged to review the information and develop nominations for these important awards. In the event you have questions or need guidance on the nomination process, please contact Jane Moran Alspach, Senior Manager of Honors and Awards at jalspach@asce.org or 1-800-548-2723 x6382.

Thank you in advance for your nominations.

17-Feb-10 6:00 AM

Dallas ASCE Mini-Newsletter for February

Sean Merrell — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:05:09 GMT

Hello [firstname],

Welcome to the Dallas ASCE mini-newsletter for February. Occasionally the branch has important information to get out to its members before the traditional newsletter goes out.

Calendar of Events for February

E-week Awards Luncheon
Day: Tuesday 16-Feb-10 11:30 AM
Location: The Renaissance Dallas Richardson Hotel • Symphony Grand Ballroom 900 E. Lookout Drive Richardson, Texas 75082
Registration info is available here, but hurry, you only have until Feb 11
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Younger Member Event - TOP GOLF
Day: Thursday 18-Feb-10 7:00 PM
Location: Top Golf 8787 Park Lane Dallas, Texas 75231
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EWB: Be Part of the Chain
Sponsor: Colin Blankenship
Day: Sunday 21-Feb-10 4:30 PM
Location: Rush Creek Christian Church Bowen @ Green Oaks Arlington, TX
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Articles February

Younger Member Golf Event

Dallas Museum of Science and Nature volunteers still needed for e-week activities

The ASCE Dallas Branch is setting up an exhibit for the E-Week and the Tech Fest at the Dallas Museum of Science and Nature. In the spirit of this years’ E-Week Theme “Celebrate Engineering Volunteerism”, we encourage the members of the Dallas Branch to volunteer for the E-week activities. As this is a week long event, the Education and the Younger Member Committees need the support and participation of the members of the Dallas Branch to make this event successful. A list of... [More Info]

ACE Mentoring Fundraiser

ACE mentoring is having a bowling fundraiser on Tuesday, February 9, 2010. The Price is quite reasonable and it should be a lot of fun!! This is an opportunity to come see what ACE is all about, encourage co-workers to become a mentor, or just come out and have a great time. Please contact Stephanie Laughlin, PE, (214) 672-2917 for additional information.

2009-2010 Dallas Branch Survey Results

The 2009-2010 Dallas Branch Survey results are available. We would like to thank the 116 members who took the time to fill our our survey. The results will help our officers and committee chairs to develop better programs and lead the Dallas Branch into the future.

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9-Feb-10 2:05 PM