March Dinner Meeting
Joint SEAW & ASCE Seattle Section
Sound Transit Northgate Link Extension
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Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Speaker: Robert Nichols
Sound Transit
We are excited to announce the March 2018 joint meeting between ASCE Seattle Section and SEAW. Please join us for a fun evening with friends and colleagues! Check out the "Mentoring" area on the registration page for information on our new mentoring initiative!
Robert Nichols has over 30 years of experience in the design and construction of public and private sector projects delivered through both conventional design-bid-build and alternative project delivery methods. As Corridor Design Manager, Mr. Nichols was responsible for the completion of Final Design and the management of Design Support During Construction (DSDC) for the Northgate Link Extension.
Beginning in 2018, Mr. Nichols transitioned to Sound Transit's Federal Way Link Extension and, as Corridor Design Manager, is managing the Advanced Preliminary Engineering. Prior to joining Sound Transit in 2006, Mr. Nichols directed the final design of the stations for the initial segment of the Phoenix light rail project.
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5:30pm Social Hour
6:00pm Dinner
6:30pm Program
Regular Registration ends after Wednesday, March 7.
Registration closes Sunday, March 11.
Attendees must preregister; there will be no on-site registration.
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2018 is a great year to get involved in ASCE.
When you join ASCE, you become part of the largest professional civil engineering network in the world. As a part of our community, you have access to our industry’s most comprehensive communication, networking, and learning resources. As an ASCE member, you have access to a wealth of benefits that serve you throughout your career.
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APRIL 2018 NEWSLETTER CONTENT DEADLINE:
MARCH 20, 2018
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March President's Column
By Diana Hasegan, PE, ENV SP, Seattle Section President
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Where I am from, the first of March marks a very important celebration of spring, of new beginnings and of rebirth. I hope you are all enjoying the longer days, looking forward to the warm weather, which I promise it will come, and are enthusiastic about getting involved in more ASCE activities.
Effective leaders in our organizations, local communities, and on a global scale is crucial for the future of the civil engineering profession and the world’s infrastructure. ASCE’s “Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century” recognizes leadership as one of the critical skills for civil engineers to develop and “The Vision for Civil Engineering in 2025” calls for civil engineers to serve as “leaders in discussions and decisions shaping public environmental and infrastructure policy.” Finally, ASCE’s vision is, “civil engineers are global leaders building a better quality of life.”
ASCE has resources to assist members in developing leadership skills. Some are through practice and “showing up,” and others are training opportunities. Each takes time and commitment. You can begin your leadership journey with your ASCE Section or Branch.
Become involved in the Section through the many committees and leadership opportunities we offer. Local involvement offers many opportunities for members to use and enhance their leadership skills. Being involved in a local committee or board can help you improve your:
- Communication skills – make presentations at meetings and interact with peers
- Motivation and recruitment techniques – inspire volunteers to fit your event into their busy schedules
- Team building – collaborate, listen to different perspectives, and problem solve with colleagues
- Influence others – practice building consensus, leading meetings, delegating tasks, and sharing your vision
- Management skills to compliment your leadership skills – such as organizing meetings and events and budgeting
Leaders empower others by mentoring and mentoring facilitates the growth of the mentor, protégé, and the profession. By sharing experiences, insights and ideas, a learning relationship develops that accelerates professional development.
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Join a Society Committee!
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Share your expertise, support ASCE and join your peers on a Society committee! Committees are a great way to contribute to the Society beyond your Section, Branch, Younger Member Group, or Institute. Many civil engineers share technical and professional knowledge by serving on ASCE committees that support the Society's vision and mission to advance civil engineering practice.
The committee application is open until
March 15th
this year.
ASCE has five standing Society committees that report directly to the Board of Direction, and each committee has subcommittees. Committee appointments are typically a three year commitment. If you apply and are not selected, you may be asked to serve as a Corresponding Member. These members are not funded to travel, but have access to the committee and conference calls. It is a great way to get involved and perhaps fill a member slot on the committee when one becomes available.
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Engineers Without Borders - Puget Sound Chapter | Project Update
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The Puget Sound Chapter of Engineers Without Borders had established a project in La Bendiction Community with the help of a Seattle based NGO, Agros International. La Bendiction community in northern Nicaragua is the new home for over 50 families who moved there in search of financial independence. The community faces adversity from inadequate water supply and health problems due to source contamination. An EWB team made up of Civil Engineers conducted an assessment trip to the community in December 2016, to evaluate different fresh water sources and conduct a feasibility study. With the hydraulic data the team collected and topographical survey, the project team is currently designing a new water distribution system to help the community secure a sustainable supply of water. The scope of the water supply design includes the development of a spring fed pond, a storage tank, a pumping system and a distribution line. The proposed water supply system is scheduled for construction in early Spring. An EWB team will travel to the community for construction kickoff.
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Upcoming ASCE Seattle Events
Never miss a Seattle Section event, link our calendar to your Outlook today!
Have you seen our new event calendar?
Click here
to see what exciting events we have planned!
The best way to stay up to date on Seattle Section happenings is to
add our calendar to your Outlook
or other email manager. All you have to do is
click here
to download a .ics file that you can open and add to your own calendar.
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Washington State Report Card
Volunteers Needed!
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We are gaining momentum in updating the report card. In December the ASCE Seattle Section was awarded a State Public Affairs Grant (SPAG) to help fund our report card undertaking.
Volunteers are needed for developing our report card!
Categories Include:
- Aviation
- Bridges
- Dams
- Drinking Water
- Rail
- Roads
- Schools
- Solid & Hazardous Waste
- Stormwater
- Transit
- Waste Water
Previous work by ASCE members to develop the first report card and two recent example cards (storm water and the electrical grid) have been uploaded to
Collaborate
and Google Drive.
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Rebuilding Together Volunteer Event
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April 28, 2018
New affordable housing is costly compared to rehabilitation and repair. Even with the Seattle Housing Levy providing additional financing, 1 new unit of affordable housing in Seattle costs on average $268,605 to build. Come join ASCE at the Rebuilding Together event on Saturday, April 28
th
this year. You could be part of a community of local volunteers transforming deteriorating houses into safe, healthy, and affordable homes. If interested in volunteering, please contact Megan Ramsay at
megan.ramsay@abam.com
.
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Homero Flores | Director of Technical Committees
Homero Flores has been involved in the ASCE Seattle Chapter for several years, first as the YMF sports chair, then as the WRE co-chair, and now as the Director of Technical Committees.
He grew up in Mexico, spent a year with his whole family in New York, went to graduate school in Boston, and was brought to the Pacific Northwest by a research position at the University of Washington. He studied civil engineering to impact how human activities affect natural landscapes. He considered then, as he does now, that if natural systems work just fine, we should work with them, not against them.
After earning his civil engineering degree from the National University of Mexico, he obtained a Master’s in civil engineering and a PhD in hydrology, both from MIT. His research focused on geomorphology at the landscape scale, using numerical modeling and environmental data analysis to test hypotheses about gully erosion and the bidirectional interactions between vegetation and the shape of the terrain.
Today he’s fortunate enough to help keep our waters clean, working at the Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) of King County. At WTD he models the combined sewer system of Seattle, to find ways to most effectively reduce combined sewer overflows. He knows many wonderful things about his home country Mexico, is exploring the beautiful Northwest, and appreciates all the flavors and hues of the United States. He would love to see more green and open spaces inside cities, as well as cleaner and healthier landscapes all over the world.
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