American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

Cast Your Ballot, ASCE Officers Election Season Is Open

Whether online or on paper, vote today for ASCE's 2009-10 officers. E-signatures for the official election Web site have been sent to all voting members with a valid e-mail address on file as of May 15. Paper ballots were mailed on June 15. Because ASCE updated its association management system this year, we ask that you carefully review your ballot to ensure it is correct, including all offices you are entitled to vote for. The election closes on Aug. 13, with results announced here, once validated, on Aug. 17.

Learn more about the President-Elect, At-Large Director and other contested races at the 2010 election page.
Haven't yet received your e-signature or paper ballot? Believe your ballot is incorrect? Please contact ASCE Customer Service at 800-548-2723; for international members, 703-295-6300. You'll need a current, valid e-mail address to receive an e-signature.
The President-Elect nominees recently recorded podcasts talking about key ASCE issues, plus their objectives if elected. Listen to them now or download them for later.

New Documentary Warns of 'The Crumbling of America'

A critical new look at the state of the nation's infrastructure, based in part on the results of ASCE's 2009 Report Card, is worth watching on TV's The History Channel. The two-hour documentary "The Crumbling of America" features on-location shooting and computer-generated animation to illustrate the threats we face and the kinds of disasters that loom with inaction. See what could happen if levees break around Sacramento, Calif., if New York's Tappan Zee Bridge collapses, and more.

Find out more about the documentary and when it will be shown again at The History Channel's "Crumbling of America" page.

Manage These Times With ASCE's Helpful Resource

Are you feeling the pinch of the recession, or are you fearing that you soon will? ASCE has a one-stop resource of what the Society has to offer that can help you continue to succeed and move forward in your professional and personal life. From assisting you in a job search, to building your professional skills, to making sure your personal finances can withstand the buffeting of the markets, Survive & Thrive includes links to a wide array of help available from ASCE.

Check out the Survive & Thrive guide, and bookmark it for easy reference later.

Engineering Societies Agree on Climate Change Action

Three of the world's largest civil engineering societies, including ASCE, have signed a protocol calling for "substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions ... to reduce the risk of climate change." The document commits Britain's Institution of Civil Engineers, the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, and ASCE to a set of engineering and public policy priorities intended to reduce emissions in the life cycle of infrastructure systems worldwide. "Climate change is posing serious risks to the infrastructure systems that support our global economy, and more importantly, the ability of communities worldwide to prosper and thrive," said 2009 ASCE President Wayne Klotz, who joined in signing the protocol at the CSCE Triennial Conference in St. John's, Newfoundland.

Read the joint ASCE-ICE-CSCE press release on the agreement.
Get the details of the protocol in the official document (PDF).
ASCE President Wayne Klotz discusses climate change in his latest blog entry.

Hear the Chief of Disney's 'Imagineering' Offer His Ideas

Who better to offer his thoughts on how the civil engineering profession can best promote innovation than a member of ASCE's Industry Leaders Council whose job demands creative solutions for Disney? Benedict R. Schwegler, Jr., Ph.D., M.ASCE, vice president and chief scientist of Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, sits down for the latest edition of ASCE's podcast series, Insights. Hear the creator and manager of the Disney division's Simulation-Based Design Group offer his perspective on the biggest opportunities for the profession, traits that make civil engineers stand out and succeed, and his greatest accomplishments.

Listen now to the Insights podcast or download it to hear at your convenience. Got a suggestion of someone worthy of an Insights interview? Send it to mdalton@asce.org.

Engineers Make the Case for 2009 Report Card's D Grade

Find out how civil engineering experts have justified the D grade they gave the nation's overall infrastructure in January. The rationales behind the grades in 15 categories of ASCE's 2009 Report Card for America's Infrastructure are available. Last winter, ASCE moved up the release of the Report Card, and its $2.2 trillion funding estimate, to help Congress, President Obama and the nation focus on the need for infrastructure investment in the economic stimulus. Visit the upgraded Report Card site for detailed yet easily accessible analysis of each category, an assessment of your state's status, case studies of successful projects, suggestions for actions you can take and ways you can get involved, and more.

Discover the specifics behind the grades at the official 2009 Report Card for America's Infrastructure site.
Share your comments and track the progress of action in Washington in ASCE's blog, Our Failing Infrastructure.
President Obama has cited the Report Card and ASCE in making a case for infrastructure investment in everything from town hall appearances to his 2010 budget outline. Find out from the official White House blog what he said at a recent town hall. Learn more about the budget's reference to ASCE, and see the actual page (PDF) from the relevant section of the budget outline.

UC Berkeley Snags First Concrete Canoe Victory Since '92

Despite the clouds, thunder and occasional lightning, the University of California, Berkeley has captured the 'America's Cup of Civil Engineering' at the American Society of Civil Engineers' National Concrete Canoe Competition in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Their fifth title in the competition's 22 year history and their first championship since 1992, Berkeley's 230-pound, 20-foot-long canoe, the Bear Area, defeated entries from 21 other top engineering schools. The team's closest competitors were École de technologie supérieure and the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, which placed second and third, respectively. The event, organized by the American Society of Civil Engineers and hosted by the University of Alabama, was made possible by the support of the American Concrete Institute; Baker Concrete Construction; World of Concrete; and Holcim (US) Inc.

Read the full story here.

Orange County, Calif., Water System Wins 2009 OCEA

Orange County wastewater purification
facility, Fountain Valley, Calif.

For its creative, effective solution to water shortage challenges, the Orange County, Calif., Groundwater Replenishment System has been selected as the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement for 2009. With water demand soaring in southern California, Orange County needed a solution that was more cost-effective than importing water or desalination and would satisfy needs for decades to come. The county's Water and Sanitation District opted for a process that recycles and purifies wastewater and returns it to reservoirs and groundwater aquifers – one which also mitigates the impact of droughts. ASCE President Wayne Klotz calls the system "an excellent example of how civil engineering can contribute to a community's economic success, improve residents' quality of life and protect public safety." The award was announced and presented to Orange County water officials at the Society's OPAL Gala April 23.

Find out more about the Groundwater Replenishment System – read about it and watch a 2009 Report Card water systems video that shows how it works. See the five other distinguished projects that were contenders for the 2009 OCEA.
View photos of the OPAL Gala, including the award-winning guests of honor. Watch brief video profiles with background on each of the Outstanding Projects and Leaders winners, the top OCEA project and five other nominees, plus the Pankow Award for Innovation and the Michel Award for Research winners.

ASCE's mission is to provide essential value to our members, their careers, our partners and the public by developing leadership, advancing technology, advocating lifelong learning and promoting the profession.

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