Unofficial ASCE ECB Horizontal - White

Newsletter - White



   
November 2019
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


First and foremost, Happy Birthday to ASCE! 167 years old and still looking good! The world has changed a lot in 167 years and ASCE continues to evolve and adapt to the challenges of the future. ASCE has launched a bold, comprehensive project to anticipate, reimagine and prepare for future changes - FUTURE WORLD VISION. Future World Vision is an interactive virtual world that allows Engineers and Future Engineers to envision a city of the future that has to adapt to challenges such as climate challenge or overcrowding while utilizing the tools of the future like autonomous vehicles, 3-D printed infrastructure and alternative energy sources. I had the opportunity to check out this new project at the ASCE Convention in Miami and it was pretty cool! I highly recommend you check it out... https://www.futureworldvision.org/
 
A potential member asked me what do you get for being a Member of ASCE? There are a ton of member benefits and you can check them out here: https://www.asce.org/member-benefits/. But for me, the biggest benefit is your interaction with your fellow members. So if you aren't taking part in the many activities our Branch puts on then you aren't getting the full ASCE experience! I encourage you to take a few hours out of your month to attend a Technical Luncheon or participate in a Volunteer Activity or Social Event. We've got a lot going on in November and I hope to see you out there!    
 
Finally, in the spirit of November, I wanted to take a moment to thank my fellow Board Members, Committee Chairs, Institute Leaders and the many volunteers of the East Central Branch who give up their personal time to further our profession and give back to our Engineering Community. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! You all Rock!
 
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
 
Sincerely,


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

Craig Ballock, P.E., M. ASCE
ACSE East Central Branch President
Spotlight
The purpose of this section is to shine a "Spotlight" on volunteer members, within ECB, that are known to go out of their way, above and beyond expectations. This month's Spotlight is shining on Mrs. Khanh Olka. Read below on how her involvement with ECB is making a difference.
 
Khanh Olka 
Khanh Olka graduated from the University of Technology in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam with a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Civil Engineering. She started her career as a Structural Engineer with the Power Engineering Consulting Company No.2 (PECC2) in Vietnam. She was fortunate to be able to work primarily on power projects, including hydropower, fossil-fuel thermal power. When Vietnam developed the preliminary plan for nuclear power, she had an opportunity to spend two years studying on nuclear power plant safety in South Korea, where she earned a master's degree in Nuclear Power Plant Engineering.  
 
Highligh project: Dong Nai 3 Hydropower Project located in Lam Dong province, north of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Started in 2004 and completed in October 2010.
Photo courtesy of Hung Le 
 
Born and raised in Vietnam, Khanh has only been in the United States for 4 years. She has been quietly supporting the ECB Education Committee since moving to the US. This includes representing the ECB at the Wetlands Festival in Christmas, FL just a few months after moving to the US. In 2016, she was a judge of Odyssey of the Mind for the Magic Region. In 2018, Khanh became ECB Communications Chair. Her goal for the position is to keep members informed of local and state events through the Branch's monthly Newsletters, which encourage fellow civil engineers to engage at the local and regional level. She is also handling the branch email account at [email protected]. Feel free to email to this address to say Hi to her.
   
Khanh is working on another master's degree at the University of Central Florida. This time, her focus is on Structural Civil Engineering. Growing up, she would have never thought she would be a collector of graduate degrees. Khanh currently lives with her husband Mike, and their lovely son Mark in Sanford, Florida. When Khanh is not busy volunteering with ASCE, studying, or spending time with Mike and Mark, she likes to sew clothes or bake bread.
 
Next time you see Khanh, please help us thank her for her outstanding service. Also, if you are aware of an ECB member deserving to be in the Spotlight, please let a branch officer know so they can be properly recognized in a future Spotlight. 
Construction Institute 
CI and SEI Joint December Technical Luncheon
 
Tavistock Steel Office Building Construction Site Visit 
   
The construction institute has scheduled a site visit for a 4 story structural steel office building under construction by Barton Malow for Tavistock. The tour will discuss the construction challenges, methods, lessons learned and logistics of the project.  
 
Project facts 
  • 4 story structural steel office building
  • ~124k square feet of space
  • Curtain wall system, metal vertical fin façade, and modern look

When
Thursday, December 5, 2019 from 7:30 AM to 10:30 AM

Where
Tavistock offices 
6900 Tavistock Lakes Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32827

Fee
$10.00 fee (Space is limited to 30 people)
Coffee, Juice, muffins and doughnuts will be available
 
PDH's are a possibility and are being applied for.

Contact
Louis Bramblett 
ASCE ECB Construction Institute 
Transportation & Development Institute 
JOINT TRANSPORTATION MEETING
ASCE - ASHE - FES

Annual Transportation Capital Improvement Programs
(CIP) Luncheon

AGENCIES REPRESENTATED
FDOT District 5
FDOT District 1
Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE)
Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX)
Orange County

TOPIC
Transportation Capital Improvement Programs

DATE
Monday, December 9, 2019

TIME
12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
(Registration begins at 11:30 a.m.)

LOCATION
Doubletree Orlando Downtown
60 South Ivanhoe Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32804

COST
$35.00 per person for lunch (includes beverage)
Please make checks payable to: ASCE Transportation
(bring checks day of event)

CONTACT
Michelle Guard at [email protected]
or 407-896-0594 no later than 5:00 p.m., on Wednesday, December 4, 2019

PARKING
Valet or parking charges in the Doubletree Garage

Education Committee
FTC Team 7477, Super 7 News

INTRODUCING THE SUPER 7 TEAM FOR THE 2019-20 SEASON

Team Super is excited to start this season with 5 new students joining our team: Jeremiah, Jamiya, Pranay, Journee and Shrey. We are excited to work with them and build a bigger FIRST family. We have 14 students in the team ranging from 7th to 12th grade, from 10 different middle and high schools. Three members from our previous team graduated and are off to college. We are working to cross-train the new members for programming, CAD, building and notebook activities. We have 5 seniors on the team this year. Because so many of us are graduating after this season, we have to make sure that the rookie and younger members will be able to carry the team forward next season. We are excited to work together and create our robot to take on this year's SKYSTONE challenge!


CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRADUATES!

Three of the Super 7 team members graduated from high school in May 2019 and started their college life. Alex is studying computer science at MIT, Srinija is studying Electrical Engineering at University of California, Berkeley, and Angelina has joined the Rollins College Political Science/Pre Law major. Congratulations to our graduates!
                                                                                                                                 






 

SUPER 7 IN THE NEWS

This summer, we had a pleasant surprise when Channel 6 news showed up at our "garage" to talk to our team members and coaches and see what we are up to in the garage. They were invited to our garage by our mentors Dr. Richard Gilson and Mrs. Liz Gilson. We had fun sharing about our team with the news 6 team. Here is the link to the video that the Channel 6 team produce.


We are blessed to have your support and guidance through the years. Please send your good wishes to the team so that they can do their best this season. We are counting on your continued support and encouragement.

Sincerely,
Prasad Chittaluru, PE
[email protected]
Education Committee current events

1. Seminole County Public Schools Outreach, SCPS Dividends
TEACH IN - Be a Teacher for a Day Tuesday
November 12, 2019 from 7:00am - 4:30pm
 
2. Orange County Public Schools Outreach OCPS Additions
Compact Mentor @ JHS & other OCPS - OCPS Additions
TEACH IN - Be a Teacher for a Day Thursday, November 21-22, 2019
 
3. I/ITSEC - Looking for volunteers for the event from Dec 2nd to Dec 6th at the Orange County Convention Center
 
4. STREAMing Day at Castle Creek, East Orlando 32828
Friday, December 13th, 2019 from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Please let engineer Dave ([email protected]) know if you can help and what topic.
 
5. STREAMing Knight at Treadway Elementary, Leesburg, Floirda
Tuesday, December 17th, 2019 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Please contact Engineer Juan [email protected], or Chelsea Bernier, Curriculum Resource Teacher, Treadway Elementary, [email protected]
 
6. FTC Robotics (8-12th Grade)
FIRST - Telsa League
  • December 1st - Tesla Meet 2 "Gauntlet Games Melee" - Forest Lake Academy
  • December 29th - Tesla Meet 3 "Toxic Tech" - Lake Highland Prepatory School
  • January 26th - Tesla Judgement Day - Forest Lake Academy
  • February 2nd - Tesla League Championship "Panther Prowl" - Forest Lake Academy
Future Events

1. Construction Career Day at Orlando Fairgrounds on Thursday, January 30-31, 2020
Contact William Soehaili at [email protected]
 
2. Odyssey of the Mind Magic Center Region - Looking for volunteers
  • Judges Training Saturday, February 8, 2020, 8 am - 4 pm, Anna Long, Esq.,
Toho High School, 3675 Boggy Creek Rd., Kissimmee

Structural Engineering Institute 
CONSTRUCTION DEFECTS for the DESIGN ENGINEER Luncheon

The Structural Engineering Institute held their first luncheon for the 2019-2020 year. The event was a success with over 30 local members in attendance. The presentation was given by ECB's very own Donna Friis, P.E. and Christina Gierke, Esq. Attendees were given a summary of the Florida Statutes that govern the Engineering profession. There was also examples of contract wording engineers should be aware of while participating in negotiations.


Structural Engineering Institute News
 
Mike Olka also introduced the other SEI officers, Rocio Rodriguez (vice chair), Jignesh Vyas (treasurer), and Anthony Oliver (secretary). If you see any of the officers please be sure to express your support for their efforts. Also SEI is requesting that any ECB members with suggestions for luncheons, contact Mike at [email protected]

On October 25th, SEI held a Local Leaders Conference in Reston, VA at the Society's headquarters. Mike Olka represented ECB at the conference. While attending the conference, Mike learned that SEI at the Society level has 60 scholarships available for graduate students and younger members if this would be their first time attending the conference. There is 5 scholarships available for college professors. Structures Congress will be held in St. Louis on April 5-8, 2020.
Environmental & Water Resources Institute
Younger Member 

Register now
Student Members
  October Update    
 
This past month, ASCE-UCF partook in a wide variety of events involving giving back to our community. The first of which this month was at the SERV Mirror Lake Restoration where our members worked on replanting shoreline vegetation.  
 
Our chapter also had the opportunity to offer our help to our university's annual K-12 Outreach STEM Day in which kids were given the opportunity to construct basic structures with uncooked spaghetti and marshmallows. Providing young students with rudimentary engineering applications in a fun way is a great way of stimulating their interests in our future profession from an early age! 
 

 
Our final volunteering event from the month of October was one also hosted by SERV. Members gathered at the Geneva Wilderness Area in order to remove invasive plants from the area to protect the habitats native vegetation.


E-Week
   
Employment Opportunities
Founded in 1995, KPM Franklin's corporate headquarters are located in Kissimmee, Florida, with a second office in Orlando near the International Airport.
 
We specialize in providing high-quality civil engineering and surveying services, throughout the State of Florida. As part of an aggressive growth focus, we have integrated Transportation, Planning, Program Management, Government Relations and Landscape Architecture services.
 
Our client base is diversified, consisting of residential, commercial, hospitality, tourism, entertainment, and institutional owners and developers in the private sector; and in the municipal sector, local-state-federal governments, school boards, regulatory agencies and special districts.
 
Like our client base, we have a diverse staff of over 60 employees that includes engineers, planners, surveyors, technicians, managers, public relations personnel, business specialists and other specialists of various kinds.
 
Our vision is to maintain a broad based professional civil services firm, offering challenging opportunities to create value through innovative design for our clients.
 
We are focused on providing our employees a rewarding and stable work environment, allowing balance between professional and personal life. We believe in a culture that encourages education and the professional growth of our employees. KPM Franklin's bottom-up management approach allows all team members to participate in every step of a project from conception to completion.
 
KPM Franklin is committed to providing career advancement opportunities, and employee ownership opportunities. Hence, we are continuously in pursuit of a culture comprised of highly motivated, self-driven and innovative individuals.
 
What Do We Offer Our Full-Time Employees:
  • Meaningful, challenging work with a focus on learning and career growth
  • Opportunity to grow with us
  • Excellent competitive salary
  • Health benefits (100% paid by the company)
  • Long and short-term disability & Life insurance policy (100% paid by the company)
  • Excellent PTO package with paid holidays
  • SIMPLE IRA with a company match
  • Excellent continuing education benefits 
Please send resume and cover letter to [email protected] Attn. Lisa Precourt
 
KPM Franklin is an equal opportunity employer.
 
Project Engineer
We are seeking a full-time Project Engineer to join our Kissimmee, Florida office. The candidate's initial role is to perform and be responsible for the project cycle including design, development and project completion.
 
Qualifications and Education:
  • Bachelor's in Civil Engineering 
  • Should have minimum 2-5 years of experience in land development, utilities and storm water design and permitting
  • Proficient in AutoCAD Civil 3D
  • Florida professional engineer license a plus
  • Self-motivated
  • Positive attitude
  • Good oral and written communication skills
  • Ability to work under pressure
  • Desire to improve professional skills
Senior Project Manager
We are seeking a full-time Senior Engineer/Project Manager to join one of our Orlando and Kissimmee Florida area offices. The candidate should have technical and management experience dealing with teams on a variety of projects including production coordination, planning, organizing, directing, controlling, and financial management.
 
Qualifications and Education:
  • Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering
  • Florida professional engineer license
  • Minimum of 6+ years of experience (Land Development with site civil and/or Drainage Design experience, Utilities, Transportation)
  • Proficient in AutoCAD Civil 3D and/or MicroStation
  • Management of project team & client relationships including contract administration, production, and project coordination.
  • Hard working, detail oriented, and technically sound with engineering principles & practices.
  • Permitting experience with local, state and federal agencies and governmental entities
  • Proficient in both verbal and written communications
 
Senior Engineering Practice Builder
We are seeking a full-time Senior Engineer/Practice Builder to join our Central Florida practice. The candidate should have technical and management experience dealing with teams on a variety of projects including production coordination, planning, directing, business and staff development, and financial management. This person will actively participate in the growth of our firm in the Central Florida area as well as provide leadership & management to our team of engineers and designers.  We offer a strongly competitive compensation and equity participation package.
 
Qualifications and Education:
  • Bachelor's in Civil Engineering.
  • Florida professional engineer license required.
  • Minimum of 10+ years of experience (General Civil Engineering, Municipal and/or Land Development, Construction Services (CEI)). 
  • Experience in management of project team & client relationships including contract procurement, administration, and production coordination.
  • Florida Permitting experience a plus with local, state and federal agencies and governmental entities
  • Proficient in both verbal and written communications
  • Must assist in mentoring and training staff
 
CAD Technician/Designer
We are seeking a full-time Project Engineer to join our Kissimmee, Florida office.
 
Qualifications and Education:
  • High School or Equivalent
  • Minimum of 3 years of Civil Engineering drafting
  • Design and Drafting Commercial and Residential Plans using AutoCAD CIVIL 3D
  • Work with Project Managers and Project Engineers to understand scope of work and Project Responsibilities.
  • Complete Drawing/Project Responsibilities within scope, budget and schedule; Review Drawings for accuracy.
  • Organize/Maintain all revisions of project drawings, files and related information in a well-organized manner.
  • High Proficiency in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017 required 

Sincerely,

 

  Khanh Olka, E.I.  

  Communications Chair 

  East Central Branch

  Florida Section

  [email protected]   


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ASCE East Central Branch | [email protected] | Orlando, Florida