Presents The Newsletter of the West Virginia Section West

Presents The Newsletter of the West Virginia Section West Virginia S tion American S iety of Civil Engineers ec oc February 2007 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT WV SECTION OFFICERS S. Michael Newton, P.E. President Phone: 304-534-4066 mnewton@qk4.com Jerry V. Elkins II, P.E. Vice-President Phone: 304-201-8980 jelkins@dlz.com Wes Stafford, P.E., AICP Secretary Phone: 304-345-2339 wstafford@wilbursmith.com Nikki Fint, P.E. Treasurer Phone: 304-372-3705 nfint@foxengineering.net David D. Dee, Jr., P.E. Past President Phone: 304-534-4066 dee@pbworld.com Newsletter Editor: Wes Stafford, P.E., AICP ASCE Greetings! I am honored to serve as President of the West Virginia Section ASCE this year. I would like to thank the Members for my nomination to this position and I look forward to a year full of exciting programs and events for our Section. I want to sincerely thank David Dee, Past President, for an outstanding 2006 year under his leadership. I want to also thank Past President David Tabor for hosting an Impressive Annual Meeting weekend in September, at the Bavarian Inn in Shepherdstown, including a nice Past-Presidents breakfast, Commemoration and Tour of the Baltimore and Ohio Roundhouse Complex and a great backyard barbecue and social, at Dick Klein’s house. I would also like to thank all of the new and returning officers, committee members and volunteers who have contributed so much to the success of our Section. I look forward to working with all of you this year. We have already had quite a year so far, both on a local and national level. Locally, we have already held a WV Section meeting since the Annual meeting. It was held at the WV Tech 42nd Annual Fall Technical Conference in Montgomery, WV. The Tech students did an excellent job at hosting what many believe has been one of their best conferences to date. A second meeting will be held this month on the 30th at 5:30 PM, and will be generously hosted by Rodney Holbert at Burgess and Niple’s office, in Parkersburg. Additional meetings are scheduled to be held in March during EXPO 2007, and in June. This year’s Annual Meeting is being planned by past President David Dee and will be held at the Stonewall Jackson Lake Resort, the weekend of September 2123, 2007. Watch for details in the next newsletter and by emails. The Section and Branches have also participated in many community service projects through the excellent volunteer efforts of its students, younger members, and members. As you read through the newsletter, look for ways you can volunteer and actively participate in worthwhile causes and give something back to your profession. MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT, CONT’D I look forward to meeting more of our members this year as I travel around the State to our various meetings. Please join us for one of our meeting programs and bring a friend. Also, make sure you stop by the ASCE WV Section booth at EXPO 2007. Feel free to contact any of the officers listed on the cover if you would like to become involved or have a suggestion for a new program or activity. It is through active participation that members get the most out of ASCE! Steven M. Newton, PE, PS, Member, ASCE President, WV Section By David Dee, Region 4 Governor Region 4 has held two more face-to-face meetings since their first meeting held back in February 2006. On August 24-25, 2006, the Board of Governors met in Asheville, NC along with the first gathering of the Assembly of Delegates. Region 4 elected to create an Assembly of Delegates, which consists of representatives from each Section and Branch of the Region’s membership. The Assembly provides local members with an opportunity to actively participate and voice their opinions during Board of Governors meetings as well as allow for representation and communication at the grassroots level. The Assembly of Delegates also met with the Board of Governors on January 11-12, 2007 in Nashville, Tennessee prior to the Region 4 and 5 GOVERNANCE Leadership Workshop for Section and Branches. The West Virginia Section and Branches are still having trouble in getting delegates to attend, but these meetings to date have been well attended by all of the other Sections. I am also pleased to report that I have been nominated to continue to serve as a Region 4 Governor for the next 3-year term. As Governor, I will continue to do my best to represent the interests of the members, younger members, and students of our WV Section in the governance of ASCE. If you are looking for a way to actively participate in the governance of ASCE, or if you have any issues, suggestions or concerns, please contact me at dee@pbworld.com. ASCE MEMBERSHIP Membership Dues were due on January 1, 2007. Please check to make sure your membership is not in arrears as well as update your membership information at www.asce.org and do a quick link to “My Profile”. You will need your membership number and your password to log on. As of November 2006, there were a total of 672 WV Section Members. Of those members, 525 members had paid National dues or 78%, while only 350 had paid Section dues or 52%. For the Charleston Branch, there were 247 members with 84% paying National dues and 64% paying Section dues. For the Northern Branch there were 185 members with 68% paying National dues but only 31% paying Section dues. For the Eastern Panhandle Branch there were 49 members with 82% paying National dues and 65% paying Section dues. For the Huntington Branch, there were 42 members with 79% paying National dues and 55% paying Section dues. There were also approximately 149 members who were not classified in a Branch. The 28th Annual WV Equipment, Technology & Design Exposition (2007 EXPO) is scheduled for March 21 & 22, 2007. As in the past the WV Section, Branches, and Students plan to showcase ASCE at the Exposition. Please stop by our booth to boost your energy with some cotton candy, or cool down with a snow cone. We will have many freebies available as well as information on the multiple benefits of being a member of ASCE. Applications will be available for those wishing to start or renew their membership. And if you feel so inspired, volunteer to sign up and man the ASCE booth. Contact Jerry Elkins for more information at (304) 3430833, jelkins@dlz.com. The 2007 EXPO will be also the premier event of the year to accumulate your professional development hours. The following is a list of proposed topics that ASCE will be sponsoring: Can You “Seal” the Deal? A Session for the Inquiring Engineering Mind The WV State Board of Registration for PE’s Sponsored by American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Presented by Lesley Rosier-Tabor, PE, Don Johnson, PE and WV PE Board Members. You won’t want to miss this session! Join us for the opportunity to participate in an interactive discussion with Board members and/or Board staff on current WV PE Board’s regulatory activities. Anticipated topics include discussion on the value of the PE license, ethical dilemmas, complaint submissions and resolutions, current NCEES issues as well as future exam changes. Board staff will also share the latest efforts of the agency in promotion of the profession and registration on WV. Information: Lesley Rosier-Tabor, P.E., RosierL@wvnet.edu (304) 558-3554 WVU and WVUIT Student Design Presentations Sponsored by ASCE Presented by: ASCE Student Chapter Presidents and Design Project Managers. This session joins the best and the brightest in what guarantees to be an enlightening insight into academic and student activities. The WVU-WVUIT engineering departments invite you to their annual outreach program for the highway, construction and industrial communities. Faculty and students present interesting highlights of competition with other major universities for environmental problems and bridge building. Learn details of the upcoming ASCE Virginias Regional Conference, Concrete Canoe Races and Steel Bridge Competition that will be held in the spring. Information: Jerry Elkins jelkins@dlz.com (304) 343-0833 FSU and BSC Student Design Presentations Sponsored by ASCE Presented by ASCE Student Club Presidents. ASCE would like to showcase the highlights of Fairmont State University and Bluefield State University and provide you with an opportunity to hear about their efforts in public outreach, community service, and in preparing for the Virginias Region Conference, Concrete Canoe Races and Steel Bridge competition that will be held in the spring. Information: Jerry Elkins jelkins@dlz.com (304) 343-0833 WV ASCE Section Board Meeting Sponsored by ASCE. Presented by Mike Newton, P.E., WV Section President. Open to all ASCE members or those interested in joining the professional society. After 156 years, the society is strong and very active. Please attend the Section meeting to learn of current statewide activities. In order to conduct business, it is imperative that all section, branch officers, and voting board members attend! Information: Mike Newton mnewton@qk4.com 304-201-8980 Jerry Elkins jelkins@dlz.com 304-343-0833 WVUIT Civil Engineering Advisory Board Meeting Sponsored by ASCE. Presented by Larry Nottingham, P.E. Closed meeting. In order to conduct business, it is imperative that all advisory board members and West Virginia University Institute of Technology Civil Engineering faculty attend! Information: Larry Nottingham lnottingham@novel-ge.com (304) 201-5180 Steve Leftwich sleftwich@wvutech.edu (304) 442-3367 "Interagency Performance Evaluation of Hurricane Protection System in SE Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina" Sponsored by ASCE. Presented by John J. Jaeger, PhD, P.E. of the U.S. Corps of Engineers Huntington District Dr. John Jaeger, the Technical Director for the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET), established by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chief of Engineers, will present the credible, objective, and scientific answers to fundamental questions about how the hurricane protection system in S.E. Louisiana performed following Hurricane Katrina. This presentation will provide an overview of the interagency task force, process, findings, and how those lessons learned are being used to change the Corps of Engineers. Information: Jerry Elkins jelkins@dlz.com (304) 343-0833 Please see the official web site, www.expo.com, for locations, times, additional information and the final schedule. WV SECTION OF ASCE HAS A NEW WEBSITE! As you might know, our website is in dire need of a face-lift! We now plan to have an up-to-date and fully functioning website available for all members and future members to use. The site will include: A WV Section Page WV Branch Pages for the Charleston, Huntington, Northern, and Eastern Panhandle Branches Younger Member Forum Pages Links to the Student Chapters of ASCE in West Virginia Meeting and activity information, contact information, photos, links, continuing education information, and hopefully much more! We plan to go “live” with the new website on or before February 1, 2007. If you would like to help with the website or have any information to add, please contact the current webmasters, Dan Fint, dfint@mbakercorp.com, or Melissa Thompson, melissa.thompson@mail.wvu.edu. We would like to thank Terradon Communications and especially its president, Jeff Samples, for developing and hosting this site for us. Respectfully submitted by: Melissa Thompson, P.E., M. ASCE Charleston Branch Secretary/Treasurer Asst. Professor, CET CTC at WVU Tech 304-442-3300 CHRISTMAS IN APRIL CHARLESTON 2007 YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY BY PARTICIPATING IN THE CHRISTMAS IN APRIL *CHARLESTON PROGRAM to help rehabilitate a home in the Charleston area. The Christmas in April *Charleston Program has been rehabilitating homes in the area for eleven years and ASCE will be volunteering for the ninth consecutive year. Christmas in April *Charleston is an affiliate of the national program Rebuilding Together. Rebuilding Together is devoted to the repair and rehabilitation of the homes of lowincome, elderly or disabled homeowners. The primary goal is to leave each home safe, warm, and dry. All repairs are paid with funds from the Program and the repairs are made on the last Saturday in April. This year’s date is tentative set for April 28, 2007 Please contact Rob Pennington at (304) 528-5666, rpennington@dot.state.wv.us. BRANCH ACTIVITY EASTERN PANHANDLE BRANCH By: Bridget Biddle The ASCE Park across from the B&O Roundhouse in Martinsburg, WV has been completed! Pictures below show the dedication plaque, story boards, and engraved bricks. Thank you to all who purchased a brick to help make this possible. In October a tour was taken of the USGS Facility in Leetown. We had the opportunity to tour the water supply (springs/wells) and the treatment systems for the site. The uniqueness of the site is that the water supply is very large in quantity and very good in quality for the cold water fisheries studies being conducted on site. The tour of the facilities included the ozenator systems that also scrub off excess CO2. We are in the process of preparing meetings for our 2007 year. If anyone has ideas for meetings of interest, do not hesitate to provide us suggestions. Eastern Panhandle Branch News CHARLESTON BRANCH The Branch is doing well and we would like to announce the new officers for this year. They include the following: Chad Robinson, President, Gary Graley, Vice-President, and Melissa Thompson, Secretary/Treasurer. In November and December, we collected over 327 jars of jelly for Mountain Mission, which was distributed to needy families in the area. In December members of the branch were also out “ringing the bell” for the Salvation Army and several members attended a joint Christmas party with WVSPE on December 7th at the Chesapeake Crab House, Holiday Inn in Charleston. In mid January, Melissa Thompson, our new Charleston Secretary/Treasurer, represented the branch at the 2007 Branch News Region 4 Conference in Nashville, TN. On January 23rd, we held a joint meeting with the Huntington Branch. Our guest speaker was Gerry Gilbert with Engineering Perfection, PLLC. The topic of the presentation was “Flooding in WV, A Civil Engineering Perspective.” We plan to participate in the upcoming YMF Superbowl party, E-week activities and during the EXPO, we will hold our annual raffle to raise money for the scholarship fund. Our members also typically participate in Christmas in April, organized by Rob Pennington, and the McDowell Mission, held in May and organized by J. D. Simpson. The next business meeting will be announced at a later date. For information or to get involved with the Branch, contact Gary Graley at ggraley@qk4.com or visit the new website at www.wvasce.org. By: Gary Graley BRANCH ACTIVITY HUNTINGTON BRANCH By: Belinda Weikle The Huntington Branch ASCE has been very busy the past few months. In May, the Huntington Branch ASCE conducted a joint meeting with the Charleston Branch ASCE. Mr. Kenneth Woodard, P.E., U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, presented “Cleaning Up the Mothman’s Home: Remediation of the WV Ordnance Works TNT Plant”. In July, we conducted officer elections. The election results were: Treasurer – David Meadows, P.E., P.S., Secretary – Lisa Gatens, E.I., Vice President – Joseph McCallister, P.E., and President – Belinda Weikle, P.E. Huntington Branch News September was chalked full of activity. The Huntington Branch ASCE participated in a joint meeting with the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). James E. Sothen, P.E., P.L.S., Deputy State Highway Engineer, P.S. Commissioner of Highways for West Virginia DOH, gave a presentation on, “WV Highways”. Mr. David F. Meadows, P.E., P.S. received a true honor. He was selected by the WV Section as the Civil Engineer of the Year for 2006. Our Congratulations goes out to Dave! November and December were exceptionally busy months for our small Branch. In November, there was a joint meeting between the Huntington and Charleston Branches. Mr. John Jaeger, P.E., Chief of Engineering and Construction, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gave a very informative presentation on, “Interagency Performance Evaluation of Hurricane Protection System in SE Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina”. Installing of the officers followed the presentation. Beginning in November, We conducted a fundraiser, for ‘Christmas Angels’, under privileged children in the local community, and the educational fund. A $300 Dick’s Sporting Goods gift card was raffled. The drawing was held on December 18th. Ms. Carol Chaffin’s was the proud winner of the gift card. We raised enough money to support two ‘Christmas Angels’ and added to our educational fund. Special thanks go out to Lisa Gatens, Joe McCallister and Terri Lambert for their tremendous efforts on the fundraiser. January proves to be a busy month as well. The Huntington Branch will be well represented at the 2007 Region 4 and 5 Workshop for Section and Branch Leaders. Ms. Jennifer Miller will be attending January 12-14, 2007 at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville, TN. The Huntington Branch will participate in a joint meeting with the Charleston Branch with Jerry Gilbert of Engineering Perfection PLLC presenting, “Flooding in West Virginia”. The Branch strongly encourages members as well as non-members to provide feedback for future presentations (for PDH’s) they would like to see. Participation in Branch meetings is increasing. There is a bright future in store for the Huntington Branch ASCE. BRANCH ACTIVITY NORTHERN BRANCH “For further information on the ASCE Northern Branch, contact Scott Copen at scopen@mub.com”. The Northern Branch elected officers this past year and Scott Copen is serving as the president, Shane Fisher is serving as Vice-president, Aislinn Tierney is serving as Secretary, and Tia Richardson is serving as Treasurer. The Younger Members hosted the Branch Christmas party this past December at the Morgantown Ramada Inn. Two Northern scholarships were given out to a WVU student and to a FSU Branch News student. An excellent buffet dinner was enjoyed by all along with a “dirty” Secret Santa gift exchange. In January, the Fairmont State students hosted the Branch meeting at the university and the topic was the design and construction of the modifications and additions to the Engineering Technology Building. The WVU students will be hosting the Branch meeting in March 2007. This year, the Branch also conducted a survey of its members on meeting times, potential topics and needs in an effort to increase participation at Branch meetings. As a result of the survey they will be adding lunch meetings on the third Friday of the month beginning in April that will alternate between Morgantown and Clarksburg locations. The first lunch meeting is scheduled for this February 16 at the Rio Grande Restaurant in Sabraton. The invited speaker is Terry L. Hough, PE, the City Engineer and Public Works Director who be talking on current and future projects for the City of Morgantown. The lunch begins promptly at noon and will be over by 1pm. Come out and hear about upcoming projects from the City Engineer and help support the Northern Branch. For more information, please contact Scott Copen at scopen@mub.org. 2007 West Virginia Section Annual Meeting Save the Dates! September 21-23, 2007 Stonewall Resort at Stonewall Jackson Lake! Arrive Friday evening for a casual get together around the fire pitWV Section meeting on Saturday morning from 8am-12noonSaturday afternoon on your own to golf, canoe, take out a paddleboat, swim, or enjoy the Spa! Fun for the entire family! Saturday evening, 6:00-7:30pm enjoy a DINNER CRUISE around the lake! Watch for additional information and details in the summer newsletter. This is an Annual Meeting you will NOT want to miss! STUDENT CLUBS & CHAPTERS The fall semester at WVU for ASCE students brought a lot of opportunities for professional development, volunteer work, travel, and socializing. Students came back from summer break refreshed and excited for a new year and new opportunities. Work on the steel bridge and concrete canoe began early this year with some changes in curricula helping to prioritize hands on learning. Representatives from Turner Construction Company and Alpha and Associates came to speak at general meetings, and Mr. Leonard (Joe) Timms, President of the WV Board of Registration for Professional Engineers, spoke at the November meeting on ethics and professional licensure. In addition to monthly general meetings, held for professional development, WVU-ASCE also had students attend the annual WV Section meeting in Shepherdstown and a Northern Branch meeting in Clarksburg. Field trips were hosted by Kiewit Construction in Chicago, while students were there for the Annual National ASCE convention, RW Sidley’s Precast Concrete Facility, and Turner Construction at the Monongalia General Hospital Construction site. Students volunteered for Habitat for Humanity for the second time in 2006, and cooked a chicken dinner for guests at the Ronald McDonald House in Morgantown, as well as volunteering for several College and Department run efforts here at WVU. The semester was not full without some social events, which consisted of several tailgates before home WVU football games, a canoe social with University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) ASCE students, and the WV Northern Branch Younger Member Forum’s Holiday Party, held at the Ramada Inn in Morgantown. The spring semester has started off strong, as students are WVU-ASCE Volunteers at Ronald McDonald House diligently working to prepare for the Virginias Conference, plan general meetings, change to new leadership, and organize the 43rd annual Spring Technical Conference, to be held April 19, 2007 in Flatwoods, WV. WVU-ASCE 2007 Officers President: Mackenzie Murphy Vice President: Wes McBride Treasurer: Sarah Offutt Secretary: Mark Lemon Sergeant at Arms: Steve Brown Social Coordinator: Matt Koczko **Announcement** WVU-ASCE is hosting the 43rd Annual Spring Technical Conference on Thursday, April 19, 2007. Interested speakers please contact a student coordinator: Nick Hornbeck, nhornbe1@mix.wvu.edu or James Capalbo, jcapalbo@mix.wvu.edu WVU-ASCE and PITT-ASCE at Canoe Social The American Society of Civil Engineers Student Club at Fairmont State University has been busy around the state. This past summer they hosted their annual Summer Technical Conference with approximately 40 professionals attending, earning 6 professional development hours. The theme for this event was “That Was Then, This is Now”. Paul Mattox from the West Virginia Division of Highways was the guest of honor. Mark your calendar, plans are already underway for their June 7, 2007 event. We invite any interested speakers or table displays. This fall 5 students attended and presented at the ASCE WV Section Meeting in Martinsburg, WV. Students also took a day trip to the JF Allen Rock Quarry and Central Supply and later a weekend trip to tour the Summersville Dam and New River Gorge Bridge. The students would like to send a special thanks to the Good Evening Ranch for providing lodging while visiting the Summersville area. The club is excited about the upcoming Regional Virginia’s Conference. Twenty students plan to go to compete in academic competitions, especially the concrete canoe competition. We are hoping for a repeat first in this event earning us another national invitation. We will also be visiting high schools and middle schools through out West Virginia this spring to help the schools be successful with the West Point Bridge Competition. Special thanks to the YMF who help to promote this competition. We again won the “Most Outstanding Student Club” award from ASCE National. This marks the fifth year out of the last six and we hope to maintain this high standard. We would like to close by thanking all our sponsors. We would not be able to do what we do without your support. For more information about FSU ASCE Student Club, please contact the clubs advisor at Tia.como@fairmontstate.edu The WVUIT ASCE student chapter is already very busy. The activities are exciting and interesting and there are more to come. Following are some of the activities for this year: • Planning for the 2008 Virginia Conference We are in the process of picking a location and setting up the schedule. • Fabricating the Concrete Canoe and the Steel Bridge This year we are really going to try to do better in the regional competitions. • Preparing for the West Virginia Expo We will be going to the expo and presenting some of our activities while there. • West Virginia University Institute of Technology Open House We are preparing the presentations and displays for the open house. These demonstrations will hopefully help pre-college students become interested in attending WVU Tech and/or become interested in engineering. • The Fall Technical Conference We have begun looking for speakers and information for the conference. Officers: Jeremy Benda Mathew Skeen Aaron Blount President Vice President Photographer Michel Barret Brandi Dolin Glenda Matty Jesse Sizemore Treasurer Corresponding Secretary Recording Secretary Educational Secretary The Bluefield State College Student Club of ASCE has had an exciting year, with several new projects. In the fall of 2006 we participated in the annual BSC Homecoming Parade. A replica of the Eiffel Tower was erected by the students and displayed in the parade. Also in the Spring of 2007 we plan to host a “Women in Engineering Convention” on campus at Bluefield State where over 150 high school girls will be given a tour of the Engineering Dept. at Bluefield State and will construct a bridge made of toothpicks and marshmallows. Another project is the design of a mini golf course for a local teen center. We will be surveying the dedicated site and help to build the course. And as always, we will be attending the WV Expo in Charleston, WV and the 2007 Virginia’s Conference to be held this year. YOUNGER MEMBERS! WEST VIRGINIA SECTION YOUNGER MEMBER FORUM 2006 was another banner year for the West Virginia Section Younger Member Forum. 2006 marked the sixth year in a row that WVYMF received national recognition for its activities and achievements. With many exciting activities planned for the upcoming year, it is truly a great time to be a younger member in West Virginia ASCE. Throughout 2005 and 2006, WVYMF hosted a series of tours focused on engineering projects around the state. “WV Expeditions: A Hard Hat Tour Series” was a huge success from the involvement stand point to the educational opportunities presented. Recent tours included: the Turnpike Tunnel, the Pomeroy Mason Cable Stayed Bridge construction site, a bonus New River Gorge Bridge Catwalk Excursion, and the Charleston Wastewater Treatment Facility Upgrade. If you have any thoughts about new and interesting Civil Engineering Projects to visit, please contact us with your ideas. Last summer, WVYMF again sponsored a softball team to compete in the North Charleston league. This was the third year for “Team ASCE”, and it has proven to be a popular activity among ASCE members of all ages. The softball team provides an opportunity for ASCE members to get together once a week to socialize, network and have a little fun. The team finished with a 12 and 8 record, making it the first winning season for the team. We are looking forward to the 2007 season, and hope to improve our record and the level of fun. The team is open to civil engineering professionals and students. If you would like to participate, feel free to contact us. Two other activities that have become annual events are the WVU – Marshall Basketball game and the WVYMF Super Bowl Party. WVYMF invites its members and their guests to attend both events annually. The events have become a favorite among ASCE members, young and old alike, and should not be missed. The West Virginia West Point Bridge Design Contest has become an annual outreach activity for WVYMF. This contest is open to all middle and high school students in the state. The contest generates a lot of interest among our future engineers. Last year, over 70 civil engineers from around the state volunteered to visit classrooms to demonstrate the West Point Bridge Design software and promote the contest as well as the civil engineering profession. For more info., or to get involved, contact Jerry Elkins, Contest Coordinator at jelkins@dlzcorp.com. We would like to invite anyone that is 35 years old or younger to come out and participate in any WV WVYMF activity. Even if you are not in the 35 and under category, please do not feel like you are not welcome to attend our activities. Anyone, young or just young at heart is welcome at all of our functions. For any information on WV WVYMF activities please contact Daniel Fint, WV WVYMF President at dfint@mbakercorp.com. WV Younger Member Forum Announces Qualifying Round started January 3, 2007 WV Statewide Qualifying Round ends April 1, 2007 WV Statewide Finals, Charleston, WV – April 27-28, 2007 National Recognition Round ends on June 1, 2007 Mailer #2 went out to all teachers and corresponding volunteers in early January. Please remember to call and schedule your classroom visit ASAP. National Engineers Week, February 18-24, 2007, is a perfect time to celebrate our profession and share the excitement of such a career at the same time as you present the West Point Bridge Designer to our WV students…our future. Questions? Contact the 2007 WV West Point Bridge Contest Coordinator, Jerry Elkins, PE, at jelkins@dlzcorp.com or (304) 552-2123. A REMINDER TO OUR ASCE VOLUNTEERS: SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PRIMARY SPONSORS: West Virginia S tion Americ an S iety of Civil Engineers ec oc YOUNGER MEMBER FORUM NORTHERN BRANCH YOUNGER MEMBER FORUM “For further information on the Northern Branch Younger Member Forum, contact Todd Lemasters at lemasters@pbworld.com”. Engineers Week was founded in the United States in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers. Engineers Week, a formal coalition of more than 70 engineering, education, and cultural societies, and more than 50 corporations and government agencies, is dedicated to raising public awareness of engineers’ positive contributions to our quality of life. Engineers Week promotes recognition among parents, teachers and students of the importance of a technical education and a high level of math, science, and technology literacy, and motivates youths to pursue engineering careers in order to provide a diverse, vigorous and informed engineering workforce. Each year Engineers Week reaches thousands of schools, businesses, and community groups across the United States. “For further information and program details, visit www.eweek.org”. One of the goals of the WV Section is to provide the members with opportunities to obtain continuing education and Professional Development Hours (PDH’s) at a reasonable cost or at no cost at all. The Committee’s goal is to be financially self-sustaining- which means we buy videotape courses and sponsor programs that will at least break even. The videotapes can be rented for $25 per hour of instruction. Section Branches, YMF and ASCE Student groups can borrow the videotapes at no cost. For a complete list of videotapes available and for details on renting please contact Rodney Holbert at (304) 485-8541 or e-mail rholbert@burnip.com. The WV Section also purchased a series of 14 videotapes, 28 hours of instruction entitled, “Load and Resistance Factor Design for Highway Bridges.” This is an excellent package and includes an instructional participant notebook. The cost of the series of videotapes was $795.00. The West Virginia Section has organized seminars for EXPO 2007 in Charleston, West Virginia where PDH’s will be offered. Check out the article on WV EXPO in the newsletter. In addition, the West Virginia University Student Chapter will be hosting the Spring Technical Conference on April 19, 2007 for PDH’s, and the Fairmont State University Student Club will be hosting the Summer Technical Conference on June 7, 2007 for PDH’s. CONTINUING EDUCATION COMMITTEE AWARDS & ANNOUNCEMENTS During the WV Section's January 30, 2007 meeting held in Parkersburg, WV, the firm of Fox Engineering, PLLC was presented with a Certificate of Recognition from ASCE National for their encouragement and exemplary support of Younger Member Involvement in ASCE Activities. For more information regarding ASCE National Awards and nomination processes, go to www.asce.org. SPONSORS Thanks to our sponsors we are able to keep you informed with yet another edition of THE INFORMER. If you are interested in placing an advertisement or a job posting in a future edition, please contact any of the officers listed on the front page. THE INFORMER is sent to over 700 ASCE Members in WV, the majority of which are Civil Engineers! Would you like to see your company's business card size logo here? Please contact the newsletter editor for information on future advertising opportunities! West Virginia S ection Americ an S ociety of Civil Engineers P.O. Box 20465 Charleston, WV 25362