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June 2020
This Issue
Institutes
CI Shield
  EWRI Shield
GEO Shield
  SEI Shield
T&DI Shield


Committees
 
Younger Member Forum
UCF Student Chapter


Embry-Riddle
Student Chapter
This time of year I should be letting you all know about our upcoming Icebreaker networking event (and it's still happening on August 12th, mark your calendars and start getting excited!!), but with current events as they are, I thought it was important to pass along this message from Society.
 
Greetings,
 
We are writing to share with you our personal sense of heartbreak and devastation at the events surrounding the death of Mr. George Floyd in Minneapolis. As we witness repeated episodes of violence perpetrated against people of color, it is impossible not to experience a deep sense of disbelief, grief and outrage. We are reaching out to you today to share the disappointment, grief and anger that we know you must also feel, but also to reaffirm our common resolve.
 
As civil engineers, we serve as expert advocates for the change needed to address some of society's great challenges-climate change, overcrowding and scarcity of resources, to name but a few. While the harms of racial injustice and inequity require multi-faceted solutions and cannot be solved by engineering alone, this does not make our knowledge and judgment less valid, nor our voices less critical, in charting a path forward.
 
As a community of global leaders dedicated to the safety, health and welfare of the public, ASCE is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, fairness, dignity and respect for all. These tenets form the very foundation of our Society, embodied in our Code of Ethics that includes equitable and fair treatment of all persons as a fundamental canon. ASCE remains deeply committed to these principles.
 
Honoring our ethical commitment to protect the public welfare and provide equitable treatment to others, engineers must work collectively to establish a professional culture that is safe, respectful and inclusive to all.
 
As leaders in our local communities, our other social or civic organizations, and in society at large, engineers must play an active role in ensuring that others within our personal and professional sphere embrace those same principles of respect and equity. We urge all members of our professional community to stand up, speak out and take action against racism and injustice wherever it occurs.
 
ASCE affirms its commitment to serve the profession and our members with the highest standards of integrity, fairness, dignity and respect. We will continue our work to promote concrete, strategic actions to prioritize and drive accountability around diversity, equity and inclusion within the civil engineering profession, making ASCE a trusting place to have complex and sometimes difficult conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion; providing best practices, leadership training, education and other diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; and advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to reduce inequities and foster peace, justice and strong institutions.
 
We recognize that this commitment is not the comprehensive and complete answer.
 
While the engineering community continues to work to broaden opportunities in our profession, any advances to date are threatened if the fear of racial profiling or violence causes members of color to feel unsafe hanging out in the student lounge, entering a job site, speaking up, conducting a post-disaster inspection or even permitting their children to leave the house.
 
ASCE knows that together we can make a difference, and we are committed to standing up and leading globally by upholding the highest standards of integrity, fairness, dignity, and respect for everyone. Now is the time for us to come together as we serve together across the engineering community. Our work has never been more critical. Our concern for each other has never been more important.
 
Please feel free to share your thoughts or have a conversation on the subject. If you have any questions or would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to reach out to us anytime.
                                                                              
K.N. Gunalan, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE, F.ASCE
ASCE President 2020
 
Thomas W. Smith III, ENV SP, CAE, F.ASCE
Executive Director
 
Yvette E. Pearson, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE
Chair, ASCE Members of Society Advancing an Inclusive Culture (MOSAIC)
 
 
I know the answer to the problem of racial inequality isn't simple. As a parent, I try to put things in simple terms and if I had to boil it down to one message, I'd say treat people the way you want to be treated. As Society stated, we as Engineers should act as leaders in our community. Set an example and confront racism when you encounter it.
 
Stay healthy and wash those hands!

 Sincerely,


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




Craig Ballock, P.E., M. ASCE
ACSE East Central Branch President
Younger Member 

ECB & YMF Virtual 5k

1 in 4 Orlando children are born into poverty
  
The East Central Branch & Younger Members invite you to join us for our June event! This is a great opportunity to help out a local charity while getting some steps in, and possibly, earning a really cool trophy. The registration fee is $5-20 and all of the proceeds will be donated to United Against Poverty.   
 
When
Wednesday, June 3, 2020 at 12:00 AM EDT to Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at 11:55 PM EDT
 
Where
Your Favorite Walking/Jogging Course 
 
7 - Trophies will be awarded to the following categories:  
  • Women: 1st Place , 2nd Place, and 3rd Place
  • Men: 1st Place , 2nd Place, and 3rd Place
  • "Participation Trophy" - Award will also be given to the last place runner!
 
 
 
Time submittance can be made directly to [email protected] or 978-293-7979 (Screenshot your Tracking App, etc to us!). 
 
Contact
Emma Sutherland 
ASCE East Central Branch YMF 
978-394-7979 
[email protected]  
 
 
Environmental & Water Resources Institute  
EWRI Webinar
The CRISPS Project - Science to Restore and Protect Florida Springs

When 
 
Thursday, June 18, 2020 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT 

Please join EWRI for a webinar with speaker Robert A. Mattson, CEP, CSE for a discussion on an extensive research project called the "Collaborative Research Initiative on Sustainability and Protection of Springs" (CRISPS).

The geology of Florida creates one of the greatest known concentrations of artesian springs in the world. For centuries, these groundwater-fed aquatic ecosystems have been used by and attracted native peoples, early explorers and colonists, scientists, writers, and artists. Over the past several decades, development of the Florida landscape for human use has resulted in significant alterations in spring water quality, hydrology and habitat. Florida has been investing substantial resources over the past 30 years into understanding, managing, and restoring its springs.

In 2013, the St. Johns River Water Management District (District) entered into a cooperative agreement with the University of Florida to conduct an extensive research project to develop the scientific understanding to support District management initiatives in springs. The project was highly interdisciplinary, involving researchers from hydrology and engineering, geology and hydrogeology, biogeochemistry, water quality, and aquatic ecology. The project ran for three years at a budget of over $3 million.

Speaker
Robert A. Mattson, CEP, CSE, SJRWMD

Rob Mattson is a Senior Environmental Scientist with the St. Johns River Water Management District. He has been with the District for 14 years and is involved in conducting ecological studies in spring ecosystems of the St. Johns River. Previously he was a Biologist with the Suwannee River Water Management District for 17 years, where he conducted ecological studies in the rivers, estuaries and springs of the northern Florida Big Bend. He earned his B.A. degree in Biology and M.S. in Zoology from the University of South Florida. Rob is certified as a Senior Ecologist by the Ecological Society of America and a Certified Environmental Professional by the Academy of Board Certified Environmental Professionals.  He is also an Adjunct Science Instructor with St. Johns River State College at the Palatka campus.

The webinar link and login instructions will be sent by June 17th to the email address provided during registration.

1.0 PDH credit has been requested from the Florida Section ASCE PDH Committee for this event. We will update you upon approval of the PDH credits.
 
Contact
Jennifer Nunn, PE, D.WRE  
EWRI ECB Luncheon Chair 
ASCE East Central Branch
[email protected] 
Register now
Upcoming ASCE ECB EWRI 1-hr webinar series. PDH approval is pending.
  • August 20th - Green Infrastructure Site Assessment with New ICPR Water Quality Tools, Mark Ellard, P.E., CFM, D.WRE, ENV SP, (Geosyntec Consultants), Mike Hardin, Ph.D., P.E., CFM, (Geosyntec Consultants), and Pete Singhofen, P.E., (Streamline Technologies)
  • September 17th - Do you sea grass? Inferring estuarine health from 30 Years of aerial seagrass mapping along Florida's west coast, Chris J. Anastasiou, Ph.D., (Southwest Florida Water Management District
Structural Engineering Institute 
The Structural Engineering Institute is seeking submissions from fellow structural engineers about their past or present projects. The submission is to quickly discuss the project's highlights, uniqueness, and/or challenges the structural engineer encountered during the project. This will provide ASCE-ECB members and aspiring student engineers with insight into the current structural engineering practices, and provide an opportunity for local or regional structural engineers to showcase their work. The submittals must include the following:
  • At least one photograph of the project location.
  • A summary of the project setting and background, such as location, new construction/restoration, private/government, etc.
  • A summary of the challenges and/or unique aspects of the project, such as new design technology or use of new construction material not typically used in similar designs.
The submittals shall be sent to Mike Olka ([email protected]) in which we will review and prepare for presentation in the next ECB newsletter.
ASCE SEI is proud to announce a scholarship opportunity for ASCE college students in the ECB area. The application will be available in next Month's ASCE ECB newsletter.
 
Employment Opportunities


Sincerely,

 

  Khanh Olka, E.I.  

  Communications Chair 

  East Central Branch

  Florida Section

  [email protected]   


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