May 2026 Newsletter

A Message from the ASCE JAX Branch Board:

Greetings!

Our branch has had an eventful Spring, and we are currently making preparations for our 75th Anniversary Awards Banquet that is to take place on June 12th at the Prime Osborne Center. More information is included below in this newsletter on how you can register, sponsor, or contribute ASCE historical information needed for the event!

Recently, in collaboration with the local ACE Mentor Program, our branch was proud to present the ASCE Scholar of the Year award to Jaliyah Manning. Ms. Manning is a first-generation college student from Riverside High School, who maintains a 4.2 weighted GPA, ranks in the top five percent of her class, and has demonstrated her commitment to community through her involvement in organizations ranging from Student Government to the ACE Mentor Program. Jaliyah plans to pursue civil engineering at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).

We are excited on what is to come within the City of Jacksonville's civil engineering community, and we are always looking for more engineers to help us make this city a better place to live for all people. Find a committee that interests you and join our next board meeting to let us know you're interested!

ASCE Jacksonville Branch Board Members

Editorial and

Advertising Contact

secretary@jaxasce.com

ASCE JAX Branch Officers

PRESIDENT

Michael Nee, P.E.

VICE PRESIDENT

Ian O'Gorman

TREASURER

Courtlyn Hisey, P.E.

SECRETARY

Grant Curtiss, P.E.

PAST PRESIDENT

Sam Alix, E.I.

75^th Anniversary Jacksonville Branch Banquet

Friday, June 12^th 2026

Reserve your Table

We are reaching out to all of the Jax Branch members as we prepare to celebrate a major milestone, the 75th anniversary of the Jacksonville Branch, at our first annual Awards Banquet this June.

As part of this celebration, we would love to highlight the rich history of our Branch and the individuals who have helped shape it over the years.

We are currently gathering historical information to share during the event. Specifically, we are looking for items such as:

Lists of past officers and board members
Past Branch Presidents
Photos from past events
Notable events hosted by the Branch (e.g., ERYMC, Student Symposiums, conferences, fundraisers, etc.)
Or any other relevant information regarding the Branch's history

If you have any information, records, or photos you would be willing to share, we would greatly appreciate your support. Please feel free to email treasurer@jaxasce.com with any materials or details you may have by May 31st.

ASCE Bridge FL Committee

Edgar Garcia, P.E., Grant Curtiss, P.E. (ASCE Bridge FL Committee)

After months of hard work and dedication, we are proud to recognize the top participants in our ASCE Bridge Florida Contest.

In the High School Category, we congratulate the following winners:

1st Place: Cole Porter - Back-to-Back Champion (Atlantic Coast High School)
2nd Place: Luis Sosa (Sandalwood High School)
3rd Place: Samuel & Santiago Diaz (Sandalwood High School)

In the Middle School Category, we congratulate our winner:

1st Place: Davean Asistio (River City Science Intracoastal)

These young future engineers enjoyed the contest and worked hard to build the best possible bridge in 25 minutes. Their bridges displayed remarkable strength and creativity.

Thank you to all our YMG volunteers, parents, and the ASCE Bridge team. Your engineering passion made this contest a success. Special thanks to Dr. Ryan Shamet, for getting us VIP access to the UNF Engineering Computing Lab. He wowed everyone with an educational and entertaining Civil engineering presentation for the audience, including a behind the scenes tour of the UNF Engineering labs.

Lastly, we would also like to express our deepest gratitude to Kimley-Horn for being a PASSAGE sponsor for this event. Their support enabled our students to gain valuable civil engineering experience. We appreciate their commitment to education and fostering future engineers.

We look forward to the contestants moving on to the next state-level contest at the ASCE Annual Conference!

COMMITTEE CHAIRS:

James Austin, P.E. (Events Chair)

Rex Robinson, P.E. (Technical Committee Chair)

ANNOUNCEMENT! The Jacksonville Branch is looking for a new location to host our technical presentations and luncheons. If you have a space at your company to host an event over the lunch hour, please reach out to secretary@ascejax.com. PDH/ CEU credits are typically provided at each technical presentation!

COMMITTEE CHAIRS:

Isabella Caporini, E.I. (Community Service Chair)

Join fellow ASCE Jax Branch members for a day volunteering at Fernandina Beach at the Wild Amelia Nature Festival!

Please follow the link below to register.

Click here to register!

Event Details:

Volunteer for a shift, stay for the day, or anything in between

7:30 AM - 7:30 PM

Saturday, May 16, 2026

Main Beach Park, 32 N Fletcher Ave, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

Volunteers receive a sweet T-shirt!

Volunteers are needed to help with ticket sales, attendee surveys, set up, tear down, monitoring the Water Monster and recycle bins, assisting residents with directions, and general goodwill.

Upcoming YMG Event:

ASCE YMG

JAX Branch Officers

PRESIDENT

Madeline Batey, P.E.

VICE PRESIDENT

Tiffany Ritch, E.I.

TREASURER

Makaya Malila, E.I.

SECRETARY

Nathan Thoresen, E.I.

PAST PRESIDENT

Courtlyn Hisey, P.E.

Join us for a virtual webinar on the "Art of Salary Negotiation", presented by Leigha Tipley from Mott MacDonald during your lunch break on Wednesday, May 13th.

ASCE Southeast Student

Symposium 2026

Hosted by Florida Atlantic University

March 12-14, 2026

The UNF ASCE Student Chapter swooped in on the competition at the Symposium. This year they brought home four awards.

Congratulations UNF ASCE!

1st place: Prestressed Concrete Beam

1st place: Mystery Competition

2nd place: Concrete Minigolf

3rd place: FE Problem Solving

The ASCE Jacksonville Branch is returning with its annual Topgolf Fundraiser. Last year was an incredible year; we raised over $8,000 and had more than 150 people come out to support us. Sponsoring this event means you support the civil engineering community and the University of North Florida student scholarships. Look out for the sponsorship package coming soon!