September 2015

Great outreach event or other activity? Let the whole Region know! If you’re a local ASCE leader and your Section, Branch, Younger Member Group, or Student Chapter has staged any special events, engaged in outreach from grade-school kids to lawmakers, done charity work, fund raising or anything of the sort, let ASCEnews Weekly know and we may include it in next month’s Region report. You may already have written about it and posted pictures in your newsletter, website, or social media. Share the details and any photos at asce.org/localnews. Got questions? Write to submissions@asce.org. See the other Region reports for September If you live adjacent to a Section in a different Region, or are merely interested in the other Region reports for September, click on each to view them:   Region 1   Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section, Buffalo Section, Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers Section, Ithaca Section, Maine Section, Metropolitan Section, Mohawk-Hudson Section, New Hampshire Section, New Jersey Section, Puerto Rico Section, Rhode Island Section, Rochester Section, Syracuse Section, Vermont Section Region 2   Central Pennsylvania Section, Delaware Section, Lehigh Valley Section, Maryland Section, National Capital Section, Philadelphia Section, Pittsburgh Section Region 3   Akron-Canton Section, Central Illinois Section, Central Ohio Section, Cincinnati Section, Cleveland Section, Dayton Section, Duluth Section, Illinois Section, Michigan Section, Minnesota Section, North Dakota Section, Quad Cities Section, Toledo Section, Wisconsin Section Region 4   Arkansas Section, Indiana Section, Kentucky Section, North Carolina Section, South Carolina Section, Tennessee Section, Virginia Section, West Virginia Section Region 5   Alabama Section, Florida Section, Georgia Section, Louisiana Section, Mississippi Section   Region 6   New Mexico Section, Oklahoma Section, Texas Section Region 7   Colorado Section, Iowa Section, Kansas City Section, Kansas Section, Nebraska Section, South Dakota Section, St. Louis Section, Wyoming Section Region 8   Alaska Section, Arizona Section, Columbia Section, Hawaii Section, Inland Empire Section, Montana Section, Nevada Section, Oregon Section, Seattle Section, Southern Idaho Section, Tacoma-Olympia Section, Utah Section  Region 9   Los Angeles Section, Sacramento Section, San Diego Section, San Francisco Section Region 10  All International Sections, Branches, and Groups Missed last month's Region 5 update? See the August edition of  News Around Region 5  Share this page via social media and email:

FLORIDA SECTION University of Miami creates a tempest in a tank to study hurricanes A massive wind-wave tank on the university’s campus is capable of mimicking Category 5 hurricanes. Explore what researchers hope to learn in ASCE’s online Civil Engineering magazine.

IN ASCE’s CIVIL ENGINEERING ONLINE MAGAZINE 'Doomsday Equation' points to change in water use A team at Duke University uses mathematical models to identify past periods when global water use changed dramatically and projects a similar change for the middle of this century. Delve into the projection in ASCE’s online Civil Engineering magazine.

IN ASCE’s CIVIL ENGINEERING ONLINE MAGAZINE Transducer simulates natural systems to detect cracks earlier Insects and bats have inspired a new ultrasonic transducer design that could help engineers spot smaller cracks sooner in nondestructive testing. Learn about the radical departure in ASCE’s online Civil Engineering magazine.

IN ASCE’s CIVIL ENGINEERING ONLINE MAGAZINE Researchers pinpoint how each state can be powered by renewable energy A set of maps detailing how each of the 50 states could meet all of its energy requirements by 2050 through renewable energy sources has been developed by Stanford University researchers. Explore how it's possible in your state in ASCE’s online Civil Engineering magazine.

ALABAMA SECTION, BIRMINGHAM BRANCH Birmingham golf tournament a success Courtesy ASCE Alabama Section, Birmingham Branch The recent ASCE Birmingham Branch golf tournament raised more than $4,800 to benefit the Birmingham Branch Scholarship, given annually to a graduating high school senior who has plans to enroll in an engineering program within the state of Alabama. The Birmingham Younger Members Group raised an additional $360 with its putting contest, money that will help the YMG annual holiday social.

GEORGIA SECTION City of Atlanta receives Section award for water storage vault The ASCE Georgia Section recently honored the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management with the Outstanding Civil Engineering Award for Large Projects for the construction of a 5-million-gallon storage vault beneath Turner Field’s media parking lot. The project was completed in just five months, lining up with the Atlanta Braves’ offseason. Learn about the project.

REGION 5 NEWS New Section and Branch officers ready to lead Section and Branch leaders from around the world traveled to ASCE Headquarters in Reston, VA, Sept. 20-21, for the annual Presidents and Governors Forum. The event helped prepare new Section and Branch leaders for their presidential years, while also fostering connections between ASCE members from different Regions. Learn more about the Forum. Among the Region 5 attendees: Alan J. Parker, P.E., M.ASCE (Alabama Section), Julia B. Green, P.E., M.ASCE (Alabama Section, Birmingham Branch), William L. Pratt IV, P.E., M.ASCE (Alabama Section, Birmingham Branch), Barbara R. Lehman, P.E., M.ASCE (Alabama Section, Huntsville Branch); Jose L. Acosta, P.E., M.ASCE (Florida Section), Mark W. Ellard, P.E., D.WRE, M.ASCE (Florida Section, East Central Branch), Jason E. Gowland, P.E., M.ASCE (Florida Section, Gainesville Branch), Josenrique Cueto, P.E., A.M.ASCE (Florida Section, Miami-Dade Branch), Tzufit Boyle, P.E., M.ASCE (Florida Section, Palm Beach Branch), Norman F. Robertson, P.E., M.ASCE (Florida Section, Suncoast Branch); Richard Morales, P.E., M.Sc., M.ASCE (Georgia Section), Jeffrey L. Duplantis, P.E., F.ASCE (Louisiana Section), and Garland P. Pennison, P.E., M.ASCE (Louisiana Section, Acadiana Branch).

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE STUDENT CHAPTER Lafayette students plan ahead Courtesy ASCE Acadiana Branch The newly installed University of Louisiana Lafayette Student Chapter officers (pictured) met several times throughout the summer to set goals and plan events for the new school year.

FLORIDA SECTION Longtime Tampa-based engineer named ASCE Fellow Nicholas Albergo, P.E., DEE, D.WRE, F.ASCE, founder of HSA Engineers & Scientists, an environmental and engineering consulting firm based in Tampa, FL, has been named a Fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction. Albergo served as president and CEO of HSA for 24 years. From its inception through its sale in 2013, he helped grow the firm into an employer of more than 300 professionals in 15 offices throughout the southeastern United States. Currently he serves on the engineering faculty of the University of South Florida. Read more about what made Albergo worthy of Fellow status.

MISSISSIPPI SECTION Neel-Schaffer engineering consultant earns Fellow nod Christopher D. Jones, P.E., BCEE, F.NSPE, F.ASCE, an environmental and wastewater engineering consultant who has spent the past 20 years with Neel-Schaffer Inc., in Jackson, MS, has been named a Fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction. Read more about what made Jones worthy of Fellow status.

GEORGIA SECTION Atlanta geotechnical engineer elevated to Fellow Sujan Bhattacharya, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, a geotechnical engineer and consultant in the state of Georgia, has been accorded Fellow status by the ASCE Board of Direction. Bhattacharya has worked in the Atlanta area since 1996 on both geotechnical and construction materials testing projects, and is currently the principal engineer for Materials Managers and Engineers Inc., working primarily on infrastructure projects serving the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the city of Atlanta. Read more about what made Bhattacharya worthy of Fellow status.

FLORIDA SECTION FIT CE dept. head named Fellow Ashok Pandit, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, Florida Institute of Technology’s civil engineering department head, has been elected to the status of Fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction. Pandit has been a teacher for nearly 40 years, instructing courses in statics, fluid mechanics, hydraulics, hydrology, urban hydrology and stormwater management, groundwater hydrology and transport, and numerical groundwater modeling. Read more about what made Pandit worthy of Fellow status.