ASCE Richmond Branch Newsletter

Volume 6 Issue 2 February 2014

Important Upcoming Dates
February Branch Meeting - Virginia's Stormwater Program
February 20th, 12:00 PM, Westwood Club


President's Message

February represents an exciting time of year
for engineers as this month we celebrate
National Engineer's week. For the stereotypical
engineer it is difficult to promote one's
profession. Many engineers fall in the
introverted side of the Myers-Briggs
personality chart, which can prove difficult
when it comes to outreach. For me, I have found it easier to speak about
topics when I am passionate about the topic. For many in Richmond this
first Monday in February, they are proud of their city. For today two of
Richmond's recent athletes can call themselves Super Bowl Champions.
Who wouldn't be proud to say you hail from the home town of a Super
Bowl winning quarterback? This month I want you to think about what
makes you proud to be a civil engineer. What makes you proud to be a
member of ASCE? Take time to share with your colleagues the exciting
events we are offering over the next several months; our monthly
speaker series or our golf tournament April 24th. Share with them our
outreach to the next generation of engineers with the Popsicle Bridge
contest. Make an effort to invite someone new to our next meeting
discussing changes to VDOT's stormwater program.

This month's program will be presented by Roy Mills, VDOT's Stormwater
Program Administrator, Tracey Harmon, with VDOTs Environmental
Division, and Ginny Snead, a VDOT consultant with Louis Berger. The
presentation will begin with Roy Mills will providing a general overview
of VDOT's MS4 Program followed by Tracey Harmon who will discuss
VDOT's TMDL efforts, including the Chesapeake Bay TMDL. Ginny Snead
will close by going over the implementation of the VSMP Part IIB
Technical Criteria (Runoff Reduction and Energy Balance). This
presentation provides an excellent setting to learn about the upcoming
In This Issue
President's Message
Exciting Upcoming
Events and PDH
Opportunities
Local News and
Projects

Meet the Board and
Chair Members!

Click here for our
bio's and contact
information

President - Austin Clark,
P.E.

President Elect - Brooke
Young

Vice President - Caleb
Lange, P.E.

Secretary/Treasurer -
Shannon Kerrigan

Past President - Amy Bird,
P.E.
changes to the state's stormwater program and ask the experts questions
about the impacts that these changes may have.

Sign-ups were extended until February 10th for the Popsicle Bridge
contest. Please contact Ashley Johnson if you would like to volunteer for
the event. This is a fun event to see the creativity and ingenuity of
today's middle and high school students.

Please check our website, ASCERichmond.org, under the Government
Relations tab to find the latest civil engineering bills before the General
Assembly.

We have another learning opportunity this month from the Virginia
Water Environment Association,

Virginia Water Environment Association, Sustainable Utilities Committee
Webinar (Free): Climate Change and Sea Level Rise in the Hampton
Roads
Date: February 21, 2014, 12:00pm to 1:30 pm (Engineers' Week)
Moderators:
Denise Nelson, VWEA, Sustainable Utilities Committee Chair
Mujde Erten-Unal, Associate Professor and Director of
Sustainable Development Institute, Civil and Environmental
Engineering Department, Old Dominion University
Speakers:
Dr. Larry Atkinson, Slover Professor of Oceanography, Climate
Change and Sea Level Rise Initiative, Old Dominion University
Dr. David Basco, Professor of Civil Engineering, Director of
Coastal Engineering Center, Old Dominion Universiry
Dr. Poornima Madhavan, Associate Professor of Psychology,
Director of Undergraduate Research, Old Dominion University
Dr. Hans-Peter Plag, Professor, Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric
Sciences, Co-Director, Climate Change and Sea Level Rise
Initiative (CCSLRI), Old Dominion University
Learning Objectives: Following the webinar, attendees should be able
to:
Describe the challenges of rising sea levels and flooding in the
Hampton Roads region
Describe the engineering significance of sea level rise in the
Hampton Roads Region
Describe the public perceptions of seal level rise
Describe the social construct of vulnerability and risk related to
sea level rise and climate change and how this limits mitigation
and adaptation options

Register at: http://www.vwea.org/eventsproceedings/upcoming-
events/event/346

Many of those future engineers will be attending our Popsicle Bridge
Competition which is scheduled for February 23, 2014. The rules have

Communications Chair -
Melanie Leckey, P.E.

Education Outreach Chairs
- Ashley Johnson, P.E. and
Josiah Johnson

Government Relations
Chair - vacant

Membership Chair -
Jonathon Oliver

Website Chair - Kevin
O'Neill, P.E.

Young Member Chair -
Justin Watson

Connect with
ASCE Richmond
on our
LinkedIN Page!





been posted on our website for our Popsicle Bridge Contest which occurs
during Engineers Week at the Science Museum. Registration is now open
for those with middle and high school students who want to get a jump
on constructing their bridge. Proper planning and preparation will allow
a team to find success in one of the award categories: highest efficiency
rating, most aesthetically pleasing bridge or the innovation contest.

Next spring, April 3-5, 2014, the University of Virginia is hosting the ASCE
Virginias Student Conference and is in need of assistance judging several
of the events. ASCE Student Chapters may compete in the following
competitions: concrete canoe, steel bridge, environmental, sustainable
land development, technical problem solving, surveying, Hardy Cross cup
presentations and Marr Technical paper. Description of each event may
be found on our website, ASCERichmond.org. Three to five judges are
needed per competition. On site judging is necessary for the steel bridge
and concrete canoe competitions with 10 judges needed for each of
those events. The Marr paper and Hardy Cross papers may be reviewed
electronically. Please contact Tom Baber, ttb@virginia.edu for more
information and to volunteer.

Sincerely, Austin Clark
Exciting Upcoming Events and PDH Opportunities!

February Branch Meeting - Virginia's Stormwater Program

Location: Westwood Club, 6200 West Club Lane, Richmond, VA 23226
When: Thursday, February 20th, 2013 @ 12:00 PM
Cost: $25
PDH: 1 credit
Menu: A buffet style lunch will be served

This program will be presented by Roy Mills, VDOT's Stormwater Program
Administrator, Tracey Harmon, with VDOTs Environmental Division, and
Ginny Snead, a VDOT consultant with Louis Berger. The presentation
will begin with Roy Mills will providing a general overview of VDOT's MS4
Program followed by Tracey Harmon who will discuss VDOT's TMDL
efforts, including the Chesapeake Bay TMDL. Ginny Snead will close by
going over the implementation of the VSMP Part IIB Technical Criteria
(Runoff Reduction and Energy Balance). This presentation provides an
excellent setting to learn about the upcoming changes to the state's
stormwater program and ask the experts questions about the impacts
that these changes may have.

Contact Caleb Lange by phone at 804-641-8278 or by email at
clange@FandR.com for more information. Please register on our
website.





ASCE's 19th Annual Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition is here!
(Registration deadline extended to February 10th!)

ASCE's 19th Annual Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition will be held
on February 23, 2014 at the Science Museum of Virginia. The object of
the competition is to have students build the most efficient bridge
possible using only popsicle sticks and Elmer's glue. The contest is open
to all Richmond area Middle and High School students.

Prizes are awarded for the three most efficient bridges in each age
group, as well as for the most aesthetically pleasing and most innovative
bridges. There will even be a chance for the students to test their
bridges against one designed by professional engineers!

This competition is held in conjunction with the Richmond Joint
Engineers Council as part of their annual Celebrating Engineering
Ingenuity Day.

Registration for the competition will be open until February 10,
2014. Please visit our website for more information or to register
: www.ascerichmond.org/2014bridgecontest

For any questions about the contest, please contact Ashley Johnson
at ajohnson@rkk.com or 804-771-9159.





Save the Date - ASCE's 12th Annual Golf Tournament

Mark your calendars for April 24th for our annual golf tournament which
has been a great success in the past years. This year's tournament will
be held at Brandermill Country Club. More details to follow in later
announcements.




Best Urban BMP in the Bay Award

The Chesapeake Stormwater Network (CSN) is very proud to announce
the launch of the first ever Best Urban BMP in the Bay Award (BUBBA)
contest! This contest aims to recognize the best urban stormwater BMPs
that have been designed and installed in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
within the past 5 years. Projects can be submitted for any of
six categories: Homeowner BMPs, Innovative BMPs, Best Combination of
BMPs in a Series, Ultra Urban BMPs, Best Habitat Creation in a BMP, and
Best Stream Restorations

The goal of the BUBBAs is three-fold:

1. Recognize innovators in the field who are using new and
innovative techniques for facing the challenges of stormwater
management;
2. Provide an avenue for disseminating these techniques to other
communities who could benefit from the lessons learned and
innovative approaches; and
3. Engage CSN's nearly 4,000 member network of stormwater
professionals throughout the Bay watershed to promote
interactivity among the members.

Winners will be announced to CSN's network of 4,000 stormwater
professionals within the Bay watershed.


The top three finalists in each award category will receive certificates of
recognition for placing as a finalists in the award category and be
featured on the CSN website


Category winners will receive a free registration to the 2014 Bay-wide
Partners Stormwater Retreat where they will be recognized at a BUBBAs
awards ceremony.

Grand prize winner (the people's choice award) will receive an award of
$5,000


Visit the website for more information and to enter your submission:


http://chesapeakestormwater.net/the-bubbas/

The deadline for submission is February 28th, 2014.




The Daniel V. Terrell Paper Competition


The Region 4 Assembly of the American Society of Civil Engineers is
proud to conduct the Daniel V. Terrell Paper Competition for Younger
Members. This prestigious competition has been held for 60 years and
commemorates Dean Terrell's many years of work and service to the
Society and especially his leadership in the establishment of the District
Council System, the predecessor of the Region 4 Assembly.

All members, associate members or affiliates of ASCE who are 35 years
of age or less on February 1, 2014, residing in Region 4, are eligible to
submit papers in this competition. The following rules are to be
observed:
The Daniel V. Terrell competition topic (same as the topic for the
society's Daniel W. Mead Contest) must address professional ethics with
respect to the following question or statement:

In the built environment, there has been and will continue to be
ongoing development in areas that are prone to natural disasters.
From floods and storms to earthquakes and forest fires, natural
disasters are costly both in terms of human suffering and financial
resources. Despite the risks associate with building in such areas,
demand for public and private development in them continues to
grow. As stewards of the built environment, what responsibility do
civil engineers have in this continued growth? Consider the following
ethical questions.


What are the ethical responsibilities for planning future civil
engineering projects in natural disaster prone areas?
What are the potential ethical issues in determining design codes,
recommendations and parameters to prevent damage in natural
disasters?
What are the ethical issues involved when attempting to predict
natural disaster frequency or return periods?
What are the ethical obligations of civil engineers when advising
clients engaged in development in natural disaster prone areas?

These are two separate competitions but the same paper may be
submitted to both.

No individual may submit more than one paper in any one annual Daniel
V. Terrell paper competition.


Please include your member ID number and your name on the paper.


The paper shall be of such length that it can be presented orally in not
more than fifteen minutes and contain not more than 2000 words.


Submit one electronic copy of the paper, preferably a PDF, with a cover
letter to your Section President by March 1, 2014. Each section is limited
to two entries.


The paper must be presented orally, by the author, before the Region 4
Assembly at its Spring 2014 meeting to be held April 11 & 12 in the
Nashville, TN area. (Contestants are encouraged to seek financial
support from their Sections and Branches for travel expenses to present
their papers.)

AWARDS
First Place - Bronze plaque + $500 cash prize
Second Place - $250 cash prize

BASIS OF JUDGING

Presentation of Paper - 35%
(Delivery and Effectiveness - 20%, Choice of Words, Literary Style,
Pronunciation and Enunciation - 10%)

Content of Paper - 65%
(Material - 40%, Aquaintance with subject - Scope - 10%, Originality -
Independence - 10%, Arrangement - 5%)



Thanks to our Sponsors this Month!



Interested in advertising in this newsletter and being seen by
hundreds of local engineers and companies within the Greater
Richmond Area? Email Melanie at mleckey@dewberry.com for
more information!

If you have any comments regarding this newsletter, please don't
hesitate to contact me at mleckey@dewberry.com.

Thanks!
Melanie Leckey
ASCE Richmond Branch Communications Chair





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