President's Monthly Message
April 2008

Let's Celebrate Civil Engineering!

Each year our Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) awards gala gives us just cause for celebration, as the event focuses on our profession’s highest level of accomplishment. The preeminent awards program for civil engineers, the OPAL gala is held each spring in metropolitan Washington, D.C., and this year it will be on April 30. It is ASCE’s celebration of the remarkable contributions of the civil engineering community.

ASCE established the OPAL awards in 1999 to celebrate the achievements and recognize the contributions of civil engineers worldwide. Combined with the presentation of the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award (OCEA award), the gala is ASCE’s major awards event.

The five OPAL lifetime achievement honorees selected by the Society Awards Committee are Clyde N. Baker, Jr., P.E., Hon.M.ASCE, for design; John M. Dionisio, P.E., M.ASCE, for management; Gerald E. Galloway, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, Hon.M.ASCE, for government; William H. Luyties III, P.E., M.ASCE, for construction; and Ernest T. Smerdon, Ph.D., P.E., Hon.M.ASCE, for education.

ASCE is especially proud of this year's OCEA finalists, which were selected by the OCEA jury in January. The five projects are the Tacoma Narrows Bridge; the Pasadena City Hall Seismic Upgrade and Rehabilitation Project; the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project; the Arsenic Crisis in the Indian Subcontinent: Sustainable Engineering Solution, West Bengal, India; and the Mission Valley East Light-Rail Transit Project. (See http://www.asce.org/opal.)

The Charles Pankow Award for Innovation and the Henry L. Michel Award also are presented at the OPAL gala. Both are awarded by the Civil Engineering Forum for Innovation. Named in honor of a man who was an innovator and leader in civil engineering for five decades, the Pankow Award recognizes organizations working collaboratively to aid the design and construction industry by bringing innovative ideas into practice. This year’s winner is the Lightweight Modular Ceramic Composite Firewall System, developed by a team comprising Composite Support & Solutions, Inc. of San Pedro, California; Southern California Edison, of Rosemead, California; San Diego State University; and the University of Southern California’s Center for Composite Materials.

The Henry L. Michel Award for Industry Advancement of Research, according to the criteria set for it, "recognizes and acknowledges leaders of the design and construction industry whose dedication and aggressive vision for the industry have provided the cornerstones for improving the quality of people’s lives around the world through research in the design and construction industry." This year's winner is Carl A. Strock, P.E., M.ASCE, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general and a former commander and chief of engineers of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Strock was chosen for his work with the Corps in promoting engineering innovations in research and technology.

Our Honors and Awards program seeks to advance the engineering profession by formally recognizing outstanding achievements and contributions. By bringing these accomplishments to the attention of the public, not only is the stature of civil engineering raised; the awards have the effect of raising standards within our profession and in the engineering and construction industries.

ASCE has some 80 awards to pay tribute to those who have contributed to the profession through leadership, research, or accomplishments in the field. This year will see the first presentation ever of the Walter LeFevre Award, and next year we will honor the first recipient ever of the Raymond D. Mindlin Medal.

Nominations for the variety of awards are accepted throughout the year, but most are due by November 1. In addition to awards for contributions in research and applications in the field, there are accolades for students and younger members. The new Honors and Awards Web site is at http://content.asce.org/handa. The success of our program is due in part to the ease with which nominations can be submitted using online tools. The Honors and Awards page walks visitors through the nomination process. In this way ASCE can maximize the value of its awards programs by making sure we draw on the best possible collection of nominees.  

In addition to the formal awards, nominations may be submitted to accord an individual the status of distinguished member (formerly honorary member). This is our highest membership status, second only to that of Society president. We will induct this year’s distinguished members at our annual conference, which will be held in Pittsburgh in early November.  Nominations for this status will be accepted until October 1.

Remember to look for detailed information on ASCE’s various honors and awards at http://content.asce.org/handa and to share that information with fellow members.

Our sections and branches also offer opportunities through their awards programs for recognition to formally recognize outstanding projects and honor individual engineers.  

Help ASCE recognize outstanding achievement by nominating a mentor, a supervisor, a colleague, or perhaps a leader in your local ASCE group for one of our awards. The possibilities are almost endless, as the list of award categories touches most every strength and area of expertise within our profession.

If you haven't yet registered for the OPAL gala, visit http://content.asce.org/handa and click on "OPAL/OCEA Awards." You’ll see a separate button for registration.

See you on April 30 at the gala, and be prepared to celebrate!

                                                                                                                                              -- David G. Mongan, P.E., F.ASCE