I hope the 2023 year is starting out well for everyone. It seems that we are all going to be kept busy as the IIJA will bring $16.7B to the state for infrastructure projects all over the state. Specifically, there is over $240M to fix Florida’s older bridges. Private work also appears to continue to grow. As we all continue to work more hours, try to remember to take time for yourself.
The East Central Branch and the YMF offer several ways to connect with fellow engineers and have fun, as well as give back to the community. See below in the newsletter for all upcoming events, especially for E-Week.
Happy Valentine's Day to all of you and your loved ones!
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Tonya S. Mellen, PE
ASCE East Central Branch President
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This issue
- Engineer's Week
- Diversity and Inclusion Committee
- Environmental & Water Resources Institute
- Transportation & Development Institute
- Structural Engineering Institute
- Sustainability Committee
- Education Committee
- Younger Member Forum
- Student Chapter Activities
- Employment Opportunities
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ENGINEER'S WEEK 2023
Please accept this invitation to attend the 2023 Central Florida Community E-Week Events. All events are led by the Central Florida section of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and Women's Transportation.
Central FL 2023 E-Week Participating Organizations:
Registration will be one single event; please select a ticket for each day you would like to attend. You may reserve up to 1 ticket per event.
Agenda
Awards Gala
Date: Sunday 02/19/2023
Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Location: American Social 7335 W Sand Lake Road Suite #101, Orlando, Florida 32819
Description: Awards ceremony to recognize outstanding members of local engineering societies. Hor'dourves will be provided.
Engineering Society Panel Discussion (Virtual)
Date: Tuesday 02/21/2023
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Virtual - Google Meet
Description: Hear from panelists of the different societies and groups: ASCE, SWE, and WTS about what engineering means to them at all different stages of their careers.
Central Florida STEM Outreach Showcase
Date: Wednesday 02/22/2023
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Location: Virtual – TEAMS meeting
Description: A STEM Outreach Showcase involving ASCE, SWE, SHPE, NSBE, WTS, and FES. This is a chance for any STEM teachers, admin, volunteers, or support staff to learn about the outreach activities available in central Florida.
Siemens Energy Tour
Date: Thursday 02/23/2023
Time: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Location: 12501 Research Parkway Orlando, FL 32826
Description: In-person tour of the Siemens facility
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Onsite Outreach Event
Date: Saturday 02/25/2023
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Location: Edgewater High School
Description: Outreach event with First Robotics at Edgewater High School! Come play games and share your engineering experiences with the kids
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DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION COMMITTEE
For this E-Week, ASCE East Central Branch (ECB) and ASCE ECB Younger Members Forum (YMF) would like to share how diversity and inclusion can facilitate Creating the Future! We believe that diversity and inclusion play a larger role in the engineering community and we are excited to host a panel discussing these topics! We will be joined by the presidents of three Minority/Women-owned businesses with offices in our very own Orlando area and abroad. The panelist will be Will Thomas, PE president at BFA Environmental Consultants, Rachel F. Andre, PE president at Geotechnical and Environmental Consultants, Inc., and Sandeep Singh, PE president at AVCON, INC. This event is to showcase three Engineering firms that are leaders, in their respective fields, and are examples to the Engineering community.
If you have any questions, or comments about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion or would like to join the committee, please contact Michael Olka at mike.olka@lakecountyfl.gov.
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ENVIRONMENTAL & WATER RESOURCES INSTITUTE |
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We are looking for sponsors for the upcoming ASCE EWRI Annual Seminar on May 12, 2023. Please reach out to Enrique Raphael (RaphaelMiranda@ocfl.net) and Jennifer Nunn (jnunn@balmoralgroup.us) to find out how to gain firm recognition and support this event.
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Come join EWRI at the Orlando Wetland’s Festival on Saturday, February 18, 2023, from 9 AM to 3 PM. Activities for all ages, including birding, native plant identification, aquatic critter craw, and Air-Conditioned Bus Tour rides throughout the managed wetlands to observe habitats and animals. Please get in touch with Ricky Ly at ricky.ly@jacobs.com.
Save the Date: Technical luncheon on March 16, 2023. Patty Therrien, Lead Engineer at SFWMD, will discuss engineering guidance for ERP applications with the SFWMD.
The Seminole County Science Fair was held on Saturday, February 4, 2023. EWRI presented a $100 Environmental Award to Lyla Guardado attending Lawton Chiles Middle School in Oviedo. She and her colleague studied how the amoeba inside the gut of super worms allows them to break down polyethylene and polystyrene to reduce plastics in the environment. Their experiment included three different types of plastics with three trials to determine which type of plastic was consumed the most by the super worms.
EWRI Committee on March 14, 2023. Interested in attending or joining EWRI? Please contact Sue Woodbery at swoodbery@gmail.com.
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TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
FEBRUARY LUNCHEON
Providing a Foundation for your Financial Future
When
Tuesday, February 28th, 2023, 12 PM – 1 PM
Where
Central Florida Expressway Authority
4974 ORL Tower Road
Orlando, FL 32807
Like every good roadway built, it is also critical to lay a solid foundation for your financial life. Without this base, the future life you wish to lead could be undermined. Come hear a presentation where we will discuss actions you can take now, changing market conditions, and an overview of the planning options available for you to consider. We will also review potential changes in the retirement legislative landscape.
Sam Bowyer is a Financial Advisor and Assistant Vice President with Morgan Stanley and a member of the East Central Branch of ASCE. As a former civil engineer, Sam understands the needs and challenges facing engineers as they balance a career and planning for future financial events.
Please join us for an informative and entertaining look at your financial future.
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STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING INSTITUTE |
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SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE
The Sustainability Committee’s core mission and function are to organize and facilitate outreach opportunities allowing the members of the East Central Branch to stay informed and promote sustainable engineering practices. Below are some upcoming events and interesting reads recommended by the committee.
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Upcoming Events
- February 16, 2023 – 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Orange County Sustainability Advisory Board. Webex is available for non-board members. Email Lori Forsman (lori.forsman@ocfl.net) for the link to meet.
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March 4, 2023 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Fix-it-Don’t-Pitch-It. The event gives residents the opportunity to have broken items repaired by handy volunteers for free. This helps reduce the volume of trash being sent to landfills.
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March 8, 2023 – 6 p.m. – City of Maitland Sustainability Advisory Meeting. The meeting is held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. Council Chambers. 1776 Independence Lane Maitland, FL, 32751. The agenda is available here.
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Volunteer Opportunity
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February 18 and 25, 2023 – 9 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – City of Satellite Beach ongoing Samsons Island Submerged Lands Restoration (SISLR) project. Maintain habitat restoration efforts in the Indian River Lagoon. Learn more and sign up here.
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Other News / Resources
ASCE Plot Points Podcast
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How Sustainability Became the Norm - Manager of Sustainability Services for Dewberry, Antoinette Quagliata, ENV SP, talks about the changes she's seen and how current sustainability tools are better than ever. Listen on PodBean.
Interesting Reads
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The U.S. stormwater sector will soon benefit from a centralized approach to infrastructure research and development thanks to $3 million in newly appropriated federal funding. Read the article.
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Meet Envision Review Board’s newest member: Patricia Gómez. Patricia Gómez, Deputy Chief Resilience Officer with Miami-Dade County. Read the article.
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If you would like to join the ECB Sustainability Committee, please reach out to our Committee Chair Steve Sommerfeldt. The committee typically meets (virtually) on the last Tuesday of the month during lunch to plan out future activities and ideas related to sustainability. We welcome any new and/or seasoned individuals interested.
Want to hear more? Join the Sustainability Committee mailing list today!
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EDUCATION COMMITTEE
(K-12 OUTREACH)
If you would like to continue our success of inspiring and educating local students by sharing your excitement about being an engineer, please consider the following opportunities:
Odyssey of the Mind
- February 18, 2023: Magic Region -Regional Tournament at Tohopekaliga High School.
- April 08, 2023: State Tournament at Orange County Convention Center.
Engineer’s Week
February 19 through 25, see the E-Week Events section of the newsletter for more information. On February 22 a STEM Outreach Showcase involving ASCE, SWE, SHPE, NSBE, WTS, and FES will take place from noon until 1pm. This would be a chance for any STEM teachers, admin, or support staff to learn about the outreach activities available in central Florida.
This would be a TEAMS meeting format, with each organization highlighting local STEM programs or support that they offer. I am hoping it would give educators the chance to then ask questions to the organizations. The goal is to let educators know about opportunities for STEM support.
If you have any questions, or comments about K-12 Outreach or would like to join the committee, please contact Michael Olka molka@lakecountyfl.gov
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YOUNGER MEMBER FORUM
The goal of the ASCE Younger Member Forum (YMF) is to promote professional development among young engineers. We are keeping busy during the holiday season and we hope you will join us for one of our upcoming events!
To register for any of the events below, please click here:
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Kickball
We are excited to kick off our winter kickball league! This co-ed league meets on Wednesday nights and we still need a few players!
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E-Week
We have several great events coming up for E-Week!
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Mini Golf with UCF
Enjoy a round of mini golf with fellow YMF members and UCF students!
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Cornhole Tournament
Please join us for a great opportunity to meet fellow YMF members and give back to the community while having fun! We are also looking for sponsors for this event.
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Event Recap
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the WDW Marathon volunteering event!
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We had a great time last week at our annual Magic Game with the Branch! |
JANUARY ACTIVITIES
This was the first month of the spring semester, we were glad to see everyone come back from winter break and be ready to continue being involved. This month we were joined by Southland Holdings and PGA for our general body meetings, our members got to learn all about what they do and the intern programs that they offer. We also held our first social of the semester, a Minute to Win It night, in which we played and competed in games inspired by the TV show, it was a fun time and a great way for our members to get together and get to know each other better. Our concrete canoe team continued to work on their mold to prepare to have their pour day, as well as continued to have their rowing practices. Our steel bridge continued to fabricate their bridge and hold build practices. Every team has also begun working on their project for the conference.
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JANUARY 2023
In January, the ERAU ASCE exec attended the Transportation Research Board annual conference in Washington D.C. We hosted our first general body meeting for the spring semester. We also had the opportunity to attend the Student Development Conference.
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Roadway Engineer – Lakeland
4175 S. Pipkin Road, Suite 208, Lakeland, FL 33811
Florida Transportation Engineering, Inc. (FTE) is a professional civil engineering firm founded in 1989 and is a certified DBE, SBE, and W/MBE firm. FTE has a presence throughout the state of Florida with our headquarters office in Punta Gorda. We are a professional multi-discipline consulting firm providing Engineering, Planning, Surveying, and Landscape Architecture services. We have been serving our public and private sector clients for 33 years.
Florida Transportation Engineering (FTE) is seeking a full-time Roadway Engineer to join our Lakeland office. This position will manage roadway projects for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and other clients including counties and municipalities throughout the State of Florida. The ideal candidate will develop strong working relationships with clients and staff plus maintain a high level of project standards and exceed client expectations. The employee is expected to work on-site Monday through Friday in the Lakeland office.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the Engineer of Record for assigned projects.
- Leads junior staff to complete transportation projects, responsible for fulfillment of executed client contracts and financial performance of projects.
- Use appropriate project management tools to track project tasks and timelines, ensuring timely completion of project stages in accordance with the project schedule.
- Manage and review design task assignments for a team, including preparation of design calculations, plans, and submittals.
- Communicate high-level concepts effectively with team members, internal design groups, and external entities including clients, sub-consultants, and relevant government agencies.
- Coordinate with other disciplines throughout the duration of the project to ensure a streamlined design process with minimal revisions.
- Participate in project meetings with clients, sub-consultants, and contractors as necessary.
- Other marketing duties include providing timely resume updates, project write-ups, proposal support, and participating in marketing initiatives as required
Minimum Qualifications
- A Florida Licensed Professional Engineer
- Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering
- A minimum of 5-10 years of relevant experience utilizing FDOT-specific processes, manuals, or guidance.
- Experienced in assisting the marketing/proposal coordinator by providing technical approaches
- Managing Engineering Interns and other design staff.
- Experience and ability to exercise initiative and independent judgment in the solution of work problems.
- Must be able to communicate effectively; verbally and written.
- Experience with OpenRoads is a plus.
Starting Benefits
- Nine (9) paid holidays
- Minimum of two (2) weeks of paid time off (PTO)
- Monthly health insurance allowance
- Tuition reimbursement program
- 401k with company match
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Roadway Design Technician
Poulos & Bennett is actively seeking a Roadway Design Technician with Roadway Experience for immediate employment. The successful candidate would be able to prepare roadway construction plans utilizing MicroStation and/or AutoCAD Civil 3D. Our Transportation group is looking for someone who is passionate about drafting and works well in a fast-paced environment to join our team.
This CAD Technician will work with the engineering team to develop plan sets for large road projects in Florida. This position provides a unique opportunity to join an established, well-respected, and growing Land Planning, Civil Engineering, and Construction Management firm with a variety and diverse range of projects. Our teams develop solutions to policy and design challenges and focus on providing our Clients with the highest quality services and technical expertise.
Our culture is based on collaboration, accountability, empowerment, recognition, and continuous learning. P&B ranked one of the region’s Best Places to Work by the Orlando Business Journal, offers a dynamic, fun, and family-feel atmosphere with a focus on professionalism and employee growth.
Qualifications
- Designing and/or drafting
- Development of CAD drawings for transportation projects
- Experience with Microstation OpenRoads or Civil3D required
- Degree in Computer Aided Drafting or a similar field preferred
- Familiarity with FDOT standards is a plus
Skills and Abilities
- Highly organized
- Able to manage multiple tasks and deadlines
- Detail oriented
- Must work well on teams
- Must be solution-oriented
- Strong computer skills
Poulos & Bennett was founded in 2009 to fill the need for high-quality civil engineering services based
on responsible design, an innovative approach, and comprehensive engineering principles. Starting as an
Orlando-based land planning and engineering firm producing projects for both private and public sector
clients, the firm has responsibly but quickly grown to over 60 staff.
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Roadway Drainage Design Engineer
Leading land development firm Poulos & Bennett is actively seeking a Roadway Drainage Design Engineer for immediate employment in their Orlando, Florida office. This position provides a unique opportunity to join an established, well-respected, and growing Land Planning, Civil Engineering, and Construction Management firm with a variety and diverse range of projects. Our teams develop solutions to policy and design challenges and focus on providing our Clients with the highest quality services and technical expertise.
Our culture is based on collaboration, accountability, empowerment, recognition, and continuous learning. P&B ranked one of the region’s Best Places to Work by the Orlando Business Journal, offers a dynamic, fun, and family-feel atmosphere with a focus on professionalism and employee growth.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering
- 2+ years of experience providing secondary and primary drainage calculations, reports, and plans for various roadway projects
- Experience with GeoPak Drainage or StormCAD and ICPR
- Florida PE is preferred but not required.
- Familiar with FDOT and water management district criteria and methodologies
Responsibilities
- Prepare drainage studies and plans, roadway drainage systems, storm drain systems, and stormwater quality projects
- Prepare planning studies and design plans for a variety of drainage projects
- Prepare technical reports, letters, and memos for the development of stormwater projects
- Calculate quantities and generate engineering cost estimates
- Perform preliminary field investigations and existing data research
- Assure that all submittals are in accordance with company and design standards
- Communicate with the water management district and sub-consultants as needed to prepare permits and documentation for each project.
Skills and Abilities
- Ability to think critically
- Ability to work well in a team environment
- Able to manage multiple tasks and deadlines
- Highly organized & Self-motivated
- Strong computer skills with Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
- GeoPak and/or StormCAD proficiency
- ICPR proficiency
Benefits
- The compensation package commiserates with experience and location
- Excellent PTO and holiday program
- 401K plan with company match
- Competitive health and dental insurance options
- Tuition reimbursement program
Poulos & Bennett was founded in 2009 to fill the need for high-quality civil engineering services based
on responsible design, an innovative approach, and comprehensive engineering principles. Starting as an
Orlando-based land planning and engineering firm producing projects for both private and public sector
clients, the firm has responsibly but quickly grown to over 60 staff.
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Senior Roadway Design Engineer
Leading land development firm Poulos & Bennett is actively seeking a Senior Roadway Design Engineer for immediate employment in their Orlando, Florida office. This position provides a unique opportunity to join an established, well-respected, and growing Land Planning, Civil Engineering, and Construction Management firm with a variety and diverse range of projects. Our teams develop solutions to policy and design challenges and focus on providing our Clients with the highest quality services and technical expertise.
Our culture is based on collaboration, accountability, empowerment, recognition, and continuous learning. P&B ranked one of the region’s Best Places to Work by the Orlando Business Journal, offers a dynamic, fun and family-feel atmosphere with a focus on professionalism and employee growth.
Qualifications
- 5-15 years of Roadway Design experience
- BS in Civil or Environmental Engineering
- Experience with MicroStation or AutoCAD Civil 3D required
- Exposure to and a general understanding of permitting process, codes, and criteria
- Licensed Professional Engineer (Florida) preferred
Responsibilities
- Design and analysis of horizontal and vertical alignments
- Prepare roadway plan set components including plan, profile, cross-section, and detail sheets
- Calculate quantities and prepare construction cost estimates
- Prepare design documentation
- General understanding of Preliminary drainage design and provide secondary drainage design and analysis on roadway projects.
- Work with other disciplines on creative solutions to design challenges
- Coordinate with the design team and sub-consultants
- Develop and mentor junior staff
Skills and Abilities
- Strong roadway design background
- Ability to think critically
- Ability to work well in a team environment
- Able to manage multiple tasks and deadlines
- Highly organized
- Self-motivated
- Strong computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
- Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills
Benefits
- The compensation package commiserates with experience and location
- Excellent PTO and holiday program
- 401K plan with company match
- Competitive health and dental insurance options
- Tuition reimbursement program
Poulos & Bennett was founded in 2009 to fill the need for high-quality civil engineering services based
on responsible design, an innovative approach, and comprehensive engineering principles. Starting as an
Orlando-based land planning and engineering firm producing projects for both private and public sector
clients, the firm has responsibly but quickly grown to over 60 staff.
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Sincerely,
Khanh Olka
Communications Chair
ASCE East Central Branch
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