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Be sure to attend this formal dinner which celebrates and applauds the impacts of Engineers on our society and the world. Join together to recognize those among us who exemplify the best of the Engineering profession. This will be our first large-scale formal dinner and awards event in over 5 years. Join us in making this a well-attended event.
Hosting societies:
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Save the date! Join us for the 16th Annual ASCE East Central Branch Icebreaker taking place on May 23rd at the Orlando Science Center! Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information on sponsorships please contact Alexis Perry at aeperry@gecfla.com. More information coming soon! | |
ENVIRONMENTAL & WATER RESOURCES INSTITUTE | |
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January Luncheon Recap
Earlier this month, EWRI held their January luncheon with speakers Tim Hull, PWS, and Katie Bowes, PWS, at the Central Florida Expressway Authority Headquarters. This presentation introduced and summarized the work completed as part of the State of the Wetlands Study to assess the effectiveness of Orange County’s current wetland protection ordinance (Article X). In addition, an overview of the wetland permitting processes that were updated to better protect the remaining wetland resources and promote sustainable growth within the County was provided. There were 40 attendees at this event.
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Lake Lucie Conservation Area
EWRI members volunteered at the Orange County 2024 Invasive Species Blitz held at the Lake Lucie Conservation Area on January 27, 2024. Volunteers removed over 45 10-gal bags of invasive plant material from the conservation area. A total of 118 volunteer hours were donated towards this cleanup effort.
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Horse Stable at Lake Lucie | |
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Seminole County Science Fair
EWRI members volunteered to judge the High School and Middle School environmental sciences entries at the Seminole County Science Fair on Saturday, February 3, 2024. There were 17 excellent entries. EWRI awarded three $50 cash prizes to students for the following entries:
- Removal of microplastics from the Indian River Lagoon using ferrofluids;
- GIS examination of environmental influences on the invasive migration of the curly-tail lizard;
- Ecology of macroinvertebrates in the soil of residential detention ponds.
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GEO-TECHNICAL ENGINEERING INSTITUTE
| Thank you to all who joined our Aero Aggregates Technical Presentation and Tour this past month. | Join us on March 7th,2024 for our next event with the Geo-Institute Student Organization at UCF for the Cross-USA Lecture series featuring Dr. Kyle Rollins presenting on Lateral Resistance of Piles near Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls! | |
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STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING INSTITUTE
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The aging structural stock makes it harder and more expensive to conduct regular engineering inspections. Lack of inspection will cause more and more safety issues in the near future. Emerging technologies, such as image processing and artificial intelligence, can help engineers in collecting, annotating, and classifying field data for a more efficient evaluation of aging structures.
This webinar will focus on the state-of-the-art technologies that can help in structural monitoring and defect detection, as well as potential use cases, advantages, and limitations. The focus will be on AI but other approaches, such as image processing and smart decision making will also be presented. Practical examples and tutorials will be shared in the webinar from masonry structures, RC structures, monuments, and reinforced concrete floor surfaces. Other uses of AI in smart decision-making will also be described shortly, to give a broader perspective of the capabilities of the technologies in hand.
Instructor: Ihsan Engin Bal, Ph.D., M.ASCE
CEU: 0.1
Non-ASCE members will have to create a nonmember login on the ASCE website to access course assessment and PDH certificate.
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SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE
The Sustainability Committee’s core mission and function are to organize and facilitate outreach opportunities, allowing the East Central Branch members to stay informed and promote sustainable engineering practices. Below are some upcoming events and other news recommended by the committee.
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Upcoming Webinars and Events
● February 14th - 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. – 1000 Friends of Florida 2024 Florida Legislative Update The 2024 Florida Legislative Session will have significant public policy impacts for planning, conservation, transportation, community design and other issues of concern to many Floridians. 1000 Friends President Paul Owens, Outreach Director Haley Busch, and Policy & Planning Director Kim Dinkins will discuss key bills and budget recommendations related to planning and growth management, conservation, transportation and water that are up for consideration during the 2024 Session, including how legislation could impact Florida governance and planning practices. For more information and to register, please see 2024 Florida Legislative Update Webinar.
Volunteer Opportunities
● Central Florida RECON (CFR) Waterway Cleanup Fleet – CFR RECON is a group of friends and concerned citizens protecting Central Florida’s surface waters and natural environment by removing trash and debris from lakes, rivers, and streams. All those who enjoy canoeing and kayaking and would have a couple hours are welcome to join upcoming events! The RECON fleet is growing and currently has 9 kayaks available to use at events. Shoreline volunteers are also welcome if you feel the urge to walk instead of being on the water. Click the link to check out upcoming events! Click here to view all RECON events on Meetup. Click here to view the Facebook page.
News / Resources / Interesting Reads
● ECB Sustainability Quarterly Update
The East Central Branch Sustainability Committee sent out our Quarterly Update this month featuring the latest Committee Activities, News, and Upcoming Events. Click here to read the February Quarterly Update
● ASCE - Advocacy and 2024 Priority Issues
Advocating for the nation's infrastructure and the civil engineering profession is a top priority for ASCE. Find out how you, your section, your branch, or your region can engage in policy decisions at all levels of government and educate policymakers about the importance of infrastructure investment, as well as how civil engineers are protecting public health and safety.
Click Here to learn how you can become a Key Contact and see how ASCE is advocating for you
● ASCE releases first-of-its-kind sustainable infrastructure standard
The American Society of Civil Engineers has provided consensus-based standard on sustainable solutions to infrastructure projects. The standard complements existing ASCE standards and tools like the Envision rating system.
Click Here to read the article
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.
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Want to hear more? Join the Sustainability Committee mailing list today! | |
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EDUCATION COMMITTEE
(K-12 OUTREACH)
Advance planning for the Creativity Fair to take place at the Odyssey of the Mind State competition March 29, 2024 from noon to 5pm. The committee is in need of people interested in planning and creating exhibitions and activities for students and their families from around the state. ASCE ECB is tasked with creating approximately 20 stations/activities. Please contact Michael Olka at mike.olka@lakecountyfl.gov if you would like to join the planning meeting.
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Engineers in the classroom
Stone Lake Elementary March 29, 9 – 11 a.m
If you would like to volunteer for an Engineer in the classroom event, please contact David Schmitt at dave.schmitt@dseorl.com
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Orlando Science Center – Science Fair Judges
Orlando Science Center is currently seeking judges for their upcoming science competitions season. Their competitions at Orlando Science Center provide opportunities for students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 to showcase their accomplishments and work toward future careers in STEM.
Competition dates and time commitments are as follows:
- Lockheed Martin Science Challenge | Grades 6th-12th, 1st Place Science Fair Winners
Display and Safety Night: March 1, 2024, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Competition Day: March 2, 2024, from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
- Curtis Kinetic Science Competition | Grades 6th-8th
Competition Day: April 13, 2024
Time: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm
If you are interested in volunteering as a judge for any competition, please complete the google form linked below. More specific information about each competition can be found on the Orlando Science Center website https://www.osc.org/learn/competitions/.
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Odyssey of the Mind – Magic Region
Judges Training for Odyssey of the Mind January 27, 8am- 2pm at Tohopekaliga High School if you would like to register to be a judge, please contact Anna Long at Along@deanmead.com.
Magic Region Tournament February 10, 2024 at Tohopekaliga High School
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MATHCOUNTS
MATHCOUNTS is always looking for volunteers. The State Competition will be held in Orlando on Saturday, March 29, 2024. If you are interested in volunteering and would like more information or if you have any questions, please contact Stehpanie Shealey at sshealey@kittelson.com.
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FIRST ROBOTICS
Event Name: Florida Championship
Description: Florida FTC State Championship that includes teams from 8 leagues
Start: Friday, March 1, 2024 at 13:30
End: Saturday, March 2, 2024 19:00
Venue Name: AdventHealth Fieldhouse
Address: 210 Cypress Gardens Blvd, Winter Haven, FL 33880
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Creativity Fair at OOTM State Competition
The Education Committee is looking for volunteers to help run STEM events at the Creativity Fair, which will be held at the Odyssey of the Mind State Competition March 30, 2024 at the Orange County Convention Center from noon until 5pm. Volunteers will staff activity centers for the students and help demonstrate/explain the STEM activities. This will include activities such as paper bridge and spaghetti towers. We will need at least 20 volunteers for this event. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Michael Olka.
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Future Events
February is full of STEM events, if you are interested in advance notice of these events, please contact Michael Olka at mike.olka@lakecountyfl.gov.
| ASCE putting civil engineering back on the big screen with Cities of the Future film | The film is to be released in February 2024 | If you have any questions, or comments about K-12 Outreach or would like to join the committee, please contact Michael Olka mike.olka@lakecountyfl.gov |  | |
February 18-24, 2024
Engineer’s Week will occur the week of February 18-24, 2024. The ECB E-Week committee has been working with other engineering societies such as WTS, FES, SWE, ASHE, and NSBE as well as SMPS to plan joint E-Week events. Below is a list of planned events.
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Formal Dinner with an awards ceremony – February 24, 2024, at the DoubleTree by Hilton. Link to register.
- Engineers in the Classroom – Osceola Science Charter School, April 2024. Event time to be determined.
- Engineers in the Classroom - West Orange High School, February 23, 2024, 10 am – Noon. Interested volunteers need to contact Michael Olka
- Panel Discussion with UCF Student Chapters of ASCE and SWE February 20, 2024
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Panel Discussion with ERAU Student Chapters of ASCE (event has been shifted to later in the year)
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Future Cities Film showing at Orlando Science Center – still working out dates of film with OSC. The film will not be available until later this year.
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Become a Sponsor Today!
- Bronze: $1,000. Logo displayed at Formal Dinner, 4 tickets to formal dinner, 4 tickets to the Film.
- Silver: $1,500. Logo displayed at Formal Dinner, 6 tickets to formal dinner, 6 tickets to the Film.
- Gold: $2,000. Logo displayed at Formal Dinner, 8 tickets to formal dinner, 8 tickets to the Film.
| If you have any questions, or comments about E-Week or would like to join the committee, please contact Michael Olka mike.olka@hotmail.com | |
YOUNGER MEMBER FORUM
The goal of the ASCE Younger Member Forum (YMF) is to promote professional development among young engineers. YMF hopes you will join us for some of our upcoming events in the new year.
| There is still time to join YMF for our 2024 winter kickball league. Games are held on Monday. | YMF is hosting the 17th Annual Central Florida Field Trip on April 5th, 2024! Civil engineering students from several of Florida's Engineering Universities will visit exciting state-of-the-art engineering projects and existing facilities showcasing the Central Florida area. Sponsorship opportunities are available! | |
Recap
We hosted a joint mini-golf event with UCF where we not only played a round of golf but also spoke to students about the engineering profession and life after graduation.
| Thank you to everyone who attended our FDOT D5 Regional Transportation Management Center Tour. | |
Thank you to everyone who attended our joint webinar with EWB on Smart Ponds for Stormwater Management and thank you to our presenter Jeff Littlejohn from National StormWater Trust Inc.
We hosted a happy hour at The Neighbors Social. Thank you to everyone who attended and to our sponsor, ADS.
| Four YMF members attended MRLC in Miami. We learned all about ASCE on a national level and were introduced to skills on how to become better leaders in the industry. We also got a chance to network with fellow chapters and learn what events other chapters are hosting. | Several YMF members attended the ASCE Student Development Conference held in Orlando. It was a great event that allowed us to connect with students. |  |  |  | |
February Update
Last month was full of events to kick-start the semester. We had two general body meetings, one sponsored by PGA and the other by BGE. These were great opportunities for members to network with professionals and learn more about possible careers in civil engineering. We also had our pour day for the concrete canoe. Many members participated and the pour day was a success. Members also attended a mini golf social with the YMF ECB chapter. Members got to network and have some fun playing golf with these young professionals. Six of our officers were able to attend the Multi-Regional Leadership Conference. The officers got to gain more leadership skills, network with many civil engineering professionals, and learn more about how to improve our section. A few members also attended the YMF ECB Happy Hour for their January social. Like the mini golf social, it was a fun way for members to connect with younger professionals in ASCE.
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Senior Highway Engineer
KCG Transportation Services (KCGTS) is currently seeking a professional with the skills and passion to excel within their areas of expertise and a desire to experience notable career advancement within our company. If you have a desire to serve clients with excellence, innovation, and responsiveness and you aspire to grow into project management and/or chief engineer roles – we are looking for you!
KCGTS has immediate openings for a skilled and motivated Senior Highway Engineer with FDOT roadway design experience. This position involves hands-on design and the ability to work well within a team environment.
The successful candidate will be responsible for the following:
Perform design and plan development tasks for transportation-related projects from preliminary to final design. Develop specifications, and cost estimates, and prepare final bid packages. Participate in project decisions regarding technical approach, budget, and schedule. Interact with colleagues and clients to ensure successful project delivery. Engage in business development activities. Experience working on FDOT projects is required. We seek an individual who is motivated to learn, grow, and seek out new project responsibilities.
Job Requirements
Minimum 10 years of highway project engineering experience. Experience should include the development of FDOT construction plans for highway projects.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering.
- Registered Professional Engineer in Florida.
- Experience working on FDOT projects is required (and with District 5 a plus).
- Experience with MicroStation and Geopak is required.
- Experience with OpenRoads is also valuable.
- Drainage design and permitting experience is a plus.
- Experience in business development a plus – client engagement, LOR’s, Interviews/ presentations, negotiations.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Our success is created by our people. If you have the drive and experience it takes to achieve design excellence and exceptional project performance – contact us. We are seeking an innovative and motivated professional to join our dynamic team.
Interested applicants should send a resume along with a brief cover letter to Frank Caruso, PE, fecaruso@kcgcorp.com
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ROADWAY DESIGNER II
Job Details
Posting Number: 23-12-15-3266
Pay Grade: 22N (Salary: $26.12 - $41.51 per hour)
Agency / Dept. / Office: Public Works - Engineering - Design Engineering
Closing Date: Open Until Filled
Job Summary
The essential functions of the position include writing legal descriptions, reviewing legal descriptions, entering and maintaining property information in GIS for the Right of Way Section, performing property vacations, assisting with property title reviews, and assisting with property acquisition. The position is responsible for creating maps and GIS solutions for resolving business/operational problems, collecting and maintaining GIS data, troubleshooting technical problems, providing professional customer service at all times, and performing related work as assigned. The position is also responsible to acquire right-of-way (ROW) through donation or purchase for road construction operations, stormwater, trails and other projects of the Public Works Department.
May be required to assist with emergency support functions in the event of a declared emergency and/or any other emergency duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
Any equivalent combination of education, training and experience may be considered. Requires an Associate’s degree in civil or transportation engineering, urban planning or a closely related field with four years of related experience or six years experience in Stormwater Design and Road Design.
Requires a valid Florida driver’s license. AutoCAD certification preferred.
Apply HERE
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