Geohazard Association Newsletter | Summer 2019
President's Note
With summer in full swing, it is a busy time for our industry. But for those interested in debris flows and had the opportunity, the summer started with an inspiring event: the 7th International Conference on Debris-Flow Hazards and Mitigation hosted at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. Paul Santi and his team put together a genuinely distinguished meeting that attracted expertise from all corners of the world. Topics covered the entire spectrum from mapping and monitoring to modeling and mitigation. Besides the great presentations, two things really stood out to me:

The first is that the organizing committee structured the conference with a heavy emphasis on the poster sessions. Oral sessions ended early in the afternoon, and complete attention was given to the posters. Instead of being a side attraction, the poster sessions became a focal point. Students, researchers, engineers, owners, and industry partners alike were given an excellent platform for discussion and sharing information.

The second was that the exhibitor’s area was integrated into the presentation hall. Whether or not this was done for logistical reasons, it struck me as a very symbolic gesture. Exhibitors are frequently swept to the sidelines and come across as being only a financial necessity for a meeting or a means for giving out a few free drinks. Yes, there always comes an official thank you and encouragement to the attendees to circulate among the exhibitors. Most often, the exhibiting companies taking the time to exhibit at these events are the cornerstones of the industry and are the very people that put into action the research and findings presented. The integration witnessed at the conference is one of the core values of the AGHP: to bridge the gap between academia, industry, and all stakeholders dealing with geohazards.

I applaud the DFHM7 organizing committee and look forward to others following in their footsteps!

Sincerely,
Ahren Bichler
President, Association of Geohazard Professionals

AGHP BOARD OF DIRECTORS, TERM 2018 – 2020
  • President   |   Ahren Bichler, Trumer Shutzbauten 
  • Vice President   |   Colby Barrett, GeoStablization International
  • Secretary   |   Pierce Runnels, Geobrugg
  • Treasurer   |   Mike Koutsourais, Maccaferri
  • Corporate Member Rep   |   Kris Holm, BGC Engineering
  • Individual Member Representative  |  Martin Derby, Golder Associates Inc.

AGHP Committees
The AGHP Committees are a great place to stay up to date on hot topics and have an influence on initiatives that will shape the future of the industry. Most committees meet monthly via tele- or web conferencing. Everyone is highly encouraged to join a committee and get involved in the association on a much deeper level and take advantage of the wealth of knowledge from your fellow members.

Please review our committees below and sign up today!

Individual Member Profile: Kris Holm
Kris Holm is the Principle Geoscientist at BGC Engineering Inc. Most of his work is in mountainous areas of Western Canada, focusing on flood, steep creek, and landslide geohazard risk management for industry and municipal development. In past years he has also worked on mining projects in Chile and Argentina.

The types of projects he is involved with range from site-specific risk assessments to regional risk prioritization studies. Kris is particularly interested in multidisciplinary, multi-hazard projects that span the gamut of risk management, from hazard identification through mitigation design and policy integration.


Member Profile: Williams Form Engineering Corp.
The ‘Williams’ story began in 1922 when Mr. C. I. Williams graduated from Michigan State University after earning his degree in Civil Engineering. He initially took a job with the State of Michigan as a bridge inspector. However, it was not long before Mr. Williams realized the industry desperately needed an improved system for pouring concrete. By the late 1920s, he had developed a concept for a detachable concrete forming system, which he called the “Shebolt” system.

Welcome New Members
The Board of Directors would like to formally welcome the newest members of the Association of GeoHazard Professionals :

  • Rodman Cordova from Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro
  • Matthew Grizzell from Shannon and Wilson, Inc.
  • Richard Phillips from Tonkin & Taylor Ltd.
  • Adam Woods from the University of Alberta
  • Daoyuan Tan from the Hong Kong Ploytechnic University
  • Brandon Manahan from Apex Rockfall
  • Leon Gerrard from GeoSolve
  • Hardy Bartle from BC Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development
  • Shelley Higman from BC Ministry of Forest, Land, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development
  • Emily Bartlett from BC Ministry of Forest, Land, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development
  • Antonio Manzella from the University of Buffalo
  • Jerome De Graff from California State University
  • Steven Ulrich from GeoHazard Monitoring Technology Services
  • Bryan Wacker from METER Group
  • Ashish Gharpure from GENSTRU Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
  • Stanley Helenchmidt from Helenschmidt Geotechnical, Inc.
  • David Vanderveen from the Wyoming Department of Transportation
  • Sebastian Tessier from Construction & Expertise PG Inc.
  • Brittany Coupe from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
2019 Safety Recognition Program
The association encourages every company utilizing services requiring rope access to participate in the 2019 Rope Access Safety Recognition program. Presented annually to recognize outstanding achievement and efforts in the rope access safety programs of participating companies, this recognition honors best-in-class safety development and implementation initiatives within the geohazard industry.

The deadline to apply is August 31, 2019 . Winners will be announced on September 17, 2019 .

Photo Competition Deadline Extended!

The 2019 AGHP Photo Contest deadline has been extended. All entries must be submitted by August 31, 2019 , and include a photo title, description, and photo credit. All winners will be announced on September 17, 2019.

Submit your photos here
Student Memberships

The AGHP offers low-cost memberships to students. Student Members are eligible to participate on all committees, attend all webinars for free , and receive all communications from the Association. Students must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program related to the field of geohazards.

The Association of Geohazard Professionals (AGHP) was created to support the development of standards, specifications,
and best practices concerning the design and implementation of geohazard-related technologies and products;
and to support and provide education to the Geohazard Community and those it serves.