PSI appoints three engineers to principal consultant

Professional Service Industries (PSI) has announced the appointment of Bryan Sy, P.E.; David Barndt, P.E.; and Jonathan Sink, P.E. as principal consultants for its Construction Materials Testing Service line. Sy will be the primary principal consultant for PSI’s offices in McKinney, Fort Worth, and Dallas, Texas. Barndt will serve as the primary principal consultant for PSI’s offices in Waukesha, Green Bay, Chippewa Falls, Menasha, Ripon, Wisconsin and Eagan, Minnesota. Sink will be the primary principal consultant for PSI’s Tampa, Florida office.

Sy earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Tennessee. Based in PSI’s McKinney office, he serves a dual role as district manager and has been with PSI since 2007.

Barndt has more than 20 years of experience in geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, and environmental consulting.  He earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin. Based in PSI’s Waukesha office, he serves a dual role as senior vice president and has been with PSI since 1981.

Sink earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida. He serves a dual role as senior engineer and manager of Tampa’s Construction Services Department and has been with PSI since 2012.

PSI provides a wide range of environmental, engineering, and testing services, including environmental consulting, geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing and engineering, industrial hygiene services, facilities and roof consulting, NDE, and specialty engineering and testing services. Headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, PSI operates from some 100 U.S. offices with about 2300 employees.

Virginia Tech's Amy Pruden receives innovation award and grant for her work in water quality

Amy Pruden, professor of civil and environmental engineering and associate dean and director of interdisciplinary graduate education in the Graduate School at Virginia Tech, has received the 2014 the Paul L. Busch Award, which includes a $100,000 research grant.

A well-recognized researcher in her field, Pruden has proven instrumental in developing a new way of thinking about controlling aquatic pathogens and expanding the use of recycled water. She has an international reputation in applied microbial ecology, environmental remediation, and environmental reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance.

The Busch Award comes from the Water Environment Research Foundation's Endowment for Innovation in Applied Water Quality Research. The foundation cited her efforts that have contributed significantly to water quality research and its practical application in the environment. The grant given with the award supports work that will bring new benefits to the water quality community and the water-using public they serve.

"The global future of water security will be focused on reuse. The issue of antibiotic resistance will not just go away. Science is needed, and solutions will be forthcoming because of Dr. Pruden's work," says Joan Rose, Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research at Michigan State University and a member of the selection committee. "Expanding the use of recycled water such as treated wastewater is key to achieving water sustainability," Pruden says. However, public health concerns about the reuse of water must be addressed first.

"Wastewater is of special concern because it receives domestic, hospital, and other waste that can contain antibiotics, antibiotic resistant bacteria, and antibiotic resistance genes that can persist or even multiply through treatment and recycling of water," Pruden says. "Antibiotic resistance is a critical and worsening global health threat."

"We have new tools -- the next generation DNA sequencing tools, which have just come online in the last five or so years," Pruden says. "They are providing unprecedented information about microbes in all sorts of environments, including 'clean' drinking water. These tools have really surprised us by showing us the numbers and diversity of microbes. There can be thousands of different species of bacteria in a household water supply."

Pruden said the funding from the award will be used "to help the water industry achieve an innovative and practical approach to achieving water sustainability while also addressing consumers' concerns about the real and growing problem of antibiotic resistance."

Pruden was already among a team of Virginia Tech researchers investigating the challenges presented by four often deadly pathogens that have been documented in household or hospital tap water. They proposed fighting or displacing these opportunistic pathogens with harmless microbes -- a probiotic approach for cleaning up plumbing. Their findings were the subject of a journal article focusing on four opportunistic pathogens that are emerging as a public health concern. 

Legionella is the infamous cause of deadly Legionnaires Disease and milder Pontiac Fever. Mycobacterium avium complex causes a pulmonary disease that is the most expensive waterborne disease in terms of individual hospital visits. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. Pathogenic free-living amoebae are a group of microorganisms that enhance the growth of bacterial pathogens in water by hosting the pathogen, particularly Legionella and M. avium, protecting them and providing a place for them to multiply. This research was published in the Aug. 20, 2013 online issue of the American Chemical Society journal, Environmental Science and Technology. Virginia Tech's Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science(www.ictas.vt.edu) is sponsoring this work.

In terms of her work with resistance genes, Pruden is among the first researchers who have identified antibiotic resistance developing through environmental sources. For example, when an antibiotic is consumed, researchers have learned that up to 90 percent of the substance passes through the body without metabolizing. This means that the drug can leave the body almost intact through normal bodily functions. 

So, in the case of agricultural areas, excreted antibiotics can then enter the stream and river environments through a variety of ways, including discharges from animal feeding operations, fish hatcheries, and nonpoint sources such as the flow from fields where manure or biosolids have been applied. Water filtered through wastewater treatment plants may also contain used antibiotics. Consequently, these discharges become "potential sources of antibiotic resistance genes," says Pruden, also a 2007 Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering and a 2006 National Science Foundation CAREER Award recipient.

Pruden is also a current investigator on a $300,000, three-year grant from the National Science Foundation Environmental Sustainability Program to study the residential hot water infrastructure, looking at the overlapping and sometimes at-odds issues of public health, water savings, and energy savings.

Mary Erchul of Ghirardelli Associates installed as new president of ACEC California

The American Council of Engineering Companies of California (ACEC California) announces Mary Erchul, a professional registered engineer and project manager/resident engineer of Ghirardelli Associates, as president of the organization. Her term runs through June 30, 2015.  ACEC California’s core purpose is to strengthen California’s engineering and land surveying businesses to build a better California.

“California is at a crossroads in its ability to finance and deliver vital infrastructure such as highways, roads, bridges, railways, airports, energy, water, wastewater and communications.  My goal is to focus on positive engagement with the public sector to build lasting partnerships that will strengthen our member firms, our organization, and our state,” Erchul says. 

Erchul also says she hopes to use the visibility created by her appointment to encourage more women to pursue careers in engineering and land surveying.  According to a 2013 study by the National Science Foundation, the percentage of women employed in the engineering field is the lowest of any technical occupation and at just 13 percent is significantly lower than engineering as a whole in the U.S. workforce.  Meanwhile, a 2012 study conducted by the Girl Scout Research Institute showed that almost two thirds of U.S. teenage girls were interested in careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).   

Erchul is the first woman to serve as president of the organization since 2005 and only the second to serve in the role since the formation of the organization in the early 1950s.  She has more than 25 years of experience in the management and design of municipal projects throughout California, from initial planning through final design and construction management. She is considered a national expert in pavement engineering and has worked both locally and nationally on major roadway and highway projects.

Some of her recent projects include being part of the project management team working with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Rail Division on the Metrolink Service Expansion Program (MSEP).  She is currently working with the towns of Ross and Moraga and the Alameda County Transportation Commission as a construction manager on infrastructure improvement projects. 

Erchul is a registered professional engineer in California. She has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

With offices throughout California, Ghirardelli Associates is an engineering firm that specializes in construction inspection and management on public works projects in the state. For more information, visit www.ghirardelliassoc.com.

GZA GeoEnvironmental promotes Matthew Taylor to associate principal

GZA GeoEnvironmental, an environmental and geotechnical consulting firm, announces that Matthew Taylor of Norfolk, MA has been promoted to associate principal, operating from the company’s Norwood office. Taylor is a registered professional engineer in MA, RI, ME, CT and NJ has served as a consulting geotechnical engineer on an array of projects ranging from dam rehabilitation to forensic evaluations to construction administration.

With GZA for seven years, Taylor currently serves as the technical service area lead for the firm’s Dams Group. His areas of specialization include dam and levee safety engineering, project management, seepage and slope stability analyses, subsurface investigations, development on contract drawings and specifications, environmental permitting, construction oversight, and grant applications.

Taylor earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Rhode Island and his Master of Science in Geotechnical Engineering from Northeastern University.  He is currently working towards a Professional Certificate in Strategic Management from the Harvard University Extension School.

Founded in 1964, GZA GeoEnvironmental is a multi-disciplinary firm providing environmental, geotechnical, ecological, water, and construction management services.  GZA maintains corporate offices in Norwood, MA 02062 and has over 500 employees and operates 25 offices in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes, and Appalachian regions of the United States. For more information, visit www.gza.com. 

Ohio University electrochemical engineering research center receives $379,000 NIST grant

Ohio University’s Center for Electrochemical Engineering Research (CEER) has been granted $379,000 by the U.S. Department of Commerce and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The award will be used to establish  a consortium to support, sustain, and enhance U.S. manufacturing capacity in the nation's chemical industry and allied sectors through innovative electrochemical processes. Under the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia (AMTech) Program, the award will specifically support a roadmapping activity that could lead to funding for implementation of identified solutions.

“With this award, NIST has recognized electrochemical engineering research as a primary path to foster U.S. manufacturing growth,” said CEER Director and Russ Professor Gerri Botte. Botte, who is known internationally for developing the “pee-to-power” process in which hydrogen can be created from human and animal wastewater for use in fuel cells, is also director of the Center for Electrochemical Processes and Technology (CEProTECH), a National Science Foundation (NSF) industry university cooperative research center.

According to Botte, electrochemical engineering provides transformative solutions that can benefit the entire U.S. chemical industry, from major producers to lower-tier suppliers. For example, environmentally friendly electrochemical methods can be used to convert alternative feedstock into useful chemicals and materials such as alcohols, hydrogen, polymers, and graphene, she said. Botte notes that the nation's $1.5 trillion chemical industry employs 800,000 workers and indirectly supports 5.5 million additional jobs. The industry also confronts technology challenges, including uncertain energy supplies, energy-intensive manufacturing processes and the need to reduce waste and conserve water.

The team – named the Electrochemical Pathway for Sustainable Manufacturing Consortium (EPSuM) - will consist of industry and science leaders from the electrochemical engineering field as well as industry, academic, and association leaders. They will develop a roadmap that engages the chemical industry and its supply chain in identifying critical manufacturing needs, assessing technology options to meet these needs, setting technology research priorities, and devising a sustainable plan for developing and implementing new or improved process technologies.

As part of the process, chemical industry experts will provide input to identify critical needs and select technology alternatives. The group will then generate and implement a sustainable plan to develop and deploy them for the NIST’s next phase of funding: implementation.

EPSuM will capitalize on the infrastructure of CEER and CEProTECH, with PolymerOhio, a NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership and experienced leader in conducting roadmapping and strategic planning, leading the roadmapping process. The Electrochemical Society, an international educational association concerned with a broad range of phenomena relating to electrochemical and solid-state science and technology, will expand the participation of electrochemical science and technology experts in the process with its network of more than 9,000 industry and academic scientists in the field of electrochemical science and engineering.

“As the work of the Center for Electrochemical Engineering Center, and that of Director Botte, are increasingly recognized, it is clear that their vision of the role of electrochemical engineering in responsible and sustainable solutions to environmental, energy, and materials processing technology problems is one of the most promising avenues for the Russ College’s investment in energy and environmental strategies,” says Russ College Dean Dennis Irwin.

Steven Miller promoted to assistant vice president at GAI Consultants

Engineering and environmental consulting firm GAI Consultants (GAI) has announced the promotion of Senior Director Steven Miller, P.E., MBA to assistant vice president. As an officer, Miller will be integral in formulating and administering organizational policies and long-range goals.  

Miller directs and coordinates GAI’s electric transmission, substation, and structural rehabilitation business lines and will be responsible for setting growth objectives for these markets. With 26 years of experience at GAI and 30 years of experience in the industry, he has helped develop and grow the Electric Transmission and Substation Department from just three employees in 2007 to more than 45 employees today. He has managed over 100 transmission line projects valued at over $20 million since he began managing the Transmission Line Engineering Department in 2005. Miller received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Washington State University and his Master of Business Administration from Point Park University.

In business since 1958, GAI is an employee-owned planning, engineering, and environmental consulting firm providing local expertise to worldwide clients in the energy, transportation, development, government, and industrial markets. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, GAI has offices throughout several eastern and midwestern states. For more information, visit www.gaiconsultants.com.

Jacksonville University selected for National Science Foundation grant

Jacksonville University has been awarded a $625,273 grant from the National Science Foundation that will cement the university’s status as an institution of higher education offering science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) degree programs. The NSF is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 “to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense.” It accounts for about 20 percent of federal support to academic institutions for research. JU’s award period is July 15, 2014, to June 30, 2019. 

“NSF grants are prestigious and highly competitive,” says JU Provost/Chief Academic Officer Dr. Wenying Xu. “Our faculty’s success in obtaining an NSF STEM grant thrusts JU into the national scene of STEM education.” A portion of the grant creates 14 annual scholarships of up to $10,000 each for qualified students and also will be used to build a comprehensive support system that sets them up for lifelong success as leaders in the community and beyond. In addition to the annual scholarships, Jacksonville University students will be aided by development of a Residential Learning Community, faculty mentors, tutoring, peer study groups, skills training and career development. Students also take part in an annual national mathematical modeling competition, undergraduate research and internships with local government and industry partners. 

The NSF grant also supports ASPIRE, JU’s $120 million comprehensive campaign designed to enhance the JU student experience with academic, programmatic, and facilities upgrades, Dr. Xu says. It also complements the University’s recently announced Florida Entrepreneurial, Policy and Innovation Center (EPIC), which is expected to boost economic development in Florida through a collaborative, cross-disciplinary approach among universities, business interests, governmental organizations, venture capitalists, and the military. 

JU biology Prof. Lee Ann Clements, Ph.D., chair of the university’s Division of Science and Mathematics, says the NSF was impressed by the university’s innovative, multi-pronged, and integrated support approach to its program. “This is about building a robust learning community structure, with students benefitting from taking overlapping courses as a group and receiving social and academic support,” she says. “We know there’s a high demand for students trained in these areas, so it’s an opportunity to help Northeast Florida, our students, and JU, all in one project.”