VIRGINIA ENGINEERS ON THE MOVE
Dewberry announces the election of Barry K. Dewberry to the position of chairman of the board. Sidney O. Dewberry, outgoing chairman, will transition into the role of chairman emeritus and founder. Barry Dewberry has most recently served as vice chairman. Sid Dewberry will continue to serve on the Dewberry Board of Directors, providing strategic guidance to Dewberry’s chairman and officers.
After joining the firm in 1975, Barry Dewberry began taking on key roles in the organization’s management in 1977. He has held the positions of chief operating officer and chief executive officer. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and master’s degree from American University.
Sid Dewberry has overseen the operations and growth of Dewberry since he co-founded the firm in 1956. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from George Washington University.
Robert Maslyn has been named a Senior Project Manager in the Norfolk, Va. office of Parsons Brinckerhoff. In his new position, his responsibilities will include leading pursuits for the federal market. Mr. Maslyn has over 25 years of experience in construction planning, scheduling, estimating, budget execution, quality assurance, and construction and contract administration. Prior to joining the firm, he was a Senior Associate with an international architecture and engineering firm, serving as Program Manager and Project Manager for various DOD contracts. Mr. Maslyn received a bachelor of architecture degree from Virginia Tech. He is a licensed architect in Virginia.
Anderson & Associates, Inc. welcomes Daniel Hutchison, BBG Survey Technician; and Nathan Keffer, BBG Survey Technician to the firm’s staff.
Thomas Larson, Principal at Facility Engineering Associates, recently earned the CAI Educated Business Partner distinction from the Community Associations Institute (CAI).
Michael Baker Jr., Inc. is proud to announce that Michael Chen, P.E. and Amie Schake have recently joined the firm’s Virginia Beach office.
Mr. Chen has joined the firm as a Project Manager in the Water/Wastewater Department and is currently working on various projects for clients throughout the Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia region. He received his B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Qingdao University in China and his M.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Mr. Chen has more than 26 years of professional engineering experience in chemical and civil engineering.
Ms. Schake has joined Baker as a Designer in the Transportation Department. She has an Associate’s degree in Specialized Technology Computer Aided Drafting and Design. Ms. Schake has nearly 12 years experience in the areas of land development, transportation design, survey, and graphics.
Michael Baker Jr., Inc. is proud to announce that Stephen Willis, P.E. has recently joined the staff in the firm’s Virginia Beach office as a Civil Engineer in the Transportation Department. Mr. Willis received his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech and has more than 20 years of professional engineering design experience.
H&A Architects & Engineers (H&A), has announced that:
Thomas Herbert, P.E. is the new vice president and director of private sector programs. Prior to joining H&A, Mr. Herbert was the director of business development and vice president at MMM Design Group. He received his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Military Institute and his master’s in Business Administration from William and Mary;
Boushra Hanna, P.E. is the newest senior vice president. Mr. Hanna is H&A’s electrical department head and has been with the firm for 24 years; and
Anne Hart has been named strategic market analyst. This new position will be instrumental in the tactical analysis of the markets H&A serves. Ms. Hart will assist with creating and implementing plans for the firm’s continued growth and geographic expansion. She is an associate of the firm.
Obenchain, Linkous, Daniels & Sowick, Inc. has recently announced that James Trexler, a new Mechanical Engineer, has joined the firm. Mr. Trexler graduated with a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2010, and is located in the firm’s Richmond office.
Wiley|Wilson’s Alexandria Office is pleased to announce that Todd A. Whaley, P.E. joined the firm as a Project Manager. Mr. Whaley received a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Purdue University with an emphasis in Structural Engineering.
The Wiley|Wilson ESOP Trustees are pleased to announce the election of Andrew G.M. Blysak, AIA, LEED AP to the Board of Directors. Mr. Blysak is a Senior Vice President, Director, and a well-respected Program and Project Manager. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Syracuse University.
U.Va. Innovation, a new initiative dedicated to maximizing the impact of University of Virginia research discoveries, has named Robin A. Felder its 2012 Edlich-Henderson Innovator of the Year. A self-described “serial entrepreneur,” and a professor of pathology and associate director of clinical chemistry at U.Va., Felder has launched nine companies out of the University over the past two decades, including WellAWARE Systems, Global Cell Solutions and Medical Automation.
Jason Lai, professor of electrical and computer engineering, was recently named the James S. Tucker Professorship by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. Prior to joining Virginia Tech in 1996, he was the power electronics lead scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). A Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Prof. Lai received his master’s degree and doctorate in Electrical Engineering in 1985 and in 1989, respectively, from the University of Tennessee.
Joseph G. Tront, who is the W.S. “Pete” White Professor of Innovation in Engineering at Virginia Tech, is the newly appointed director of education of the university’s Ted and Karyn Hume Center for National Security and Technology. Tront, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, joined Virginia Tech in 1978 as an assistant professor, received tenure and promotion to the rank of associate professor in 1984, and became a full professor in 1996. He received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Dayton and a Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
John C. Little, professor of civil and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, was recently appointed the Charles E. Via Jr. Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1993, he received a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a master’s degree in Physical Chemistry from the University of Cape Town (South Africa) and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
Stefan Duma, professor and head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, was recently named the Harry Wyatt Professor in Engineering. Prof. Duma’s appointment as department head was made in 2009. A member of the Virginia Tech faculty since 2000, he received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, a master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati, and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.
Min Li, a computer science doctoral candidate in Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering, has received an IBM Fellowship, an intensely competitive worldwide program that honors exceptional Ph.D. students who have an interest in solving problems that are fundamental to innovation. Ms. Li focuses her research on distributed storage systems for the emerging virtualized cloud computing systems. She received her bachelor’s degree in Computer Science in 2005 from East China Normal University of Shanghai, China, and her master’s degree, also in Computer Science in 2008 from the University of Science and Technology of China.
Chris Williams, an assistant professor at Virginia Tech with a joint appointment in engineering education and mechanical engineering, one of 60 superior engineers from the United States and Germany, has been invited to lead a session on additive manufacturing, often referred to as 3-D Printing, at the 2013 National Academy of Engineering (NAE) German-American Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, which will be held in the United States. Prof. Williams, who joined the Virginia Tech community in 2008, is the director of the Design, Research, and Education for Additive Manufacturing Systems (DREAMS) Laboratory. Prof. Williams has authored or co-authored nine journal papers, one book chapter, and refereed 37 conference papers.
Marc Edwards, the Charles P. Lunsford Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, has received the university’s 2012 Alumni Award for Excellence in Graduate Academic Advising. Prof. Edwards has been a dedicated graduate student advisor for 18 years. Currently he has five Ph.D. and four master’s advisees. Throughout his career, he has served as major professor for more than 50 graduate students, all of whom were supported with research assistantships from his research grants. Prof. Edwards received his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and his master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Washington. In 2008, he was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow.
Deborah L. Pollio, instructor and advisor in the Department of Engineering Education in the College of Engineering, has received the 2012 Alumni Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising. Ms. Pollio has sought out training in advising theory and skills and for many years, participated in monthly on-call training as well as campus climate meetings with the dean of students. She has been a member of a faculty study group focused on sophomore retention issues and served on the department’s quality enhancement plan committee. She is a course instructor and active participant in the university’s honor system. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1997, she earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree at Princeton University.
Walter F. O’Brien, who holds the J. Bernard Jones Professorship of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech, and is the director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Turbomachinery and Propulsion Research, will be awarded the 2012 Industrial Gas Turbine Institute (IGTI), Aircraft Engine Technology Award at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Turbo Expo. Prof. O’Brien will receive this award at the ASME Turbo Expo in June 2012 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The acclaimed professor and director has been a part of the of the Virginia Tech community since 1970. He has held the J. Bernard Jones professorship since 1985 and was the mechanical engineering department head from 1993-2004.
Patricia Baker, retired fiscal technician in the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics in the College of Engineering, has received the 2012 Staff Career Achievement Award. Ms. Baker retired in 2011 after 22 years of service to the university.
Margaret Zelinski, retired business manager for the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering the College of Engineering, has received the 2012 Staff Career Achievement Award. Ms. Zelinski retired in 2011 after 15 years of service to the university.
Tracey Keister, retired office manager in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering, has received the 2012 Staff Career Achievement Award. Ms. Keister retired in 2011 after 11 years of service to the department.
Francis Quek, professor of computer science in the College of Engineering and Fellow of the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology at Virginia Tech, has received the university’s 2012 XCaliber Award for excellence as an individual involved in teaching with technology. Prof. Quek received the award in recognition of his contributions to technology-assisted learning in Physical Computing for Computer Scientists, a class for graduate students with considerable knowledge and expertise in broad areas of computing. Prof. Quek received his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
Clark Nexsen has recently announced that Samuel K. Estep, P.E., LEED AP and Teresa S. Hall, P.E., LEED AP have joined the firm’s Board of Directors, which currently consists of five other members.
Since joining the firm in 1996, Mr. Estep has served in such capacities as structural engineer, Director of Structural Engineering, Project Manager and Managing Principal on numerous government, commercial and industrial projects throughout North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. He currently serves as Operations Director for the firm.
Ms. Hall has over 13 years of leadership experience with Clark Nexsen where she has held such positions as Senior Mechanical Engineer, Project Manager, Principal, and most recently Operations Director.
According to information made available from Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic’s Public Works Business Line coordinator has been selected to receive the 2012 Federal Asian Pacific American Council Outstanding Individual Leadership Award at a ceremony May 3rd in Atlanta, Ga. Jean Dumlao was chosen for her leadership in promoting diversity and cultural transformation within the Navy and the federal government. As one of the first Asian Pacific American women to graduate from the United States Naval Academy, she later became one of the first women to serve as an officer in charge of a construction battalion unit in the Civil Engineer Corps. Before retiring, she was the first woman to serve as the Public Works officer of Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Va. Throughout her 20 years in the Navy, Dumlao volunteered her time to community organizations which included several Filipino-American non-profit organizations.
David A. Schoenwolf, P.E. is the new president of ASFE/The Geoprofessional Business Association. Accepting office during ceremonies at ASFE’s annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, Mr. Schoenwolf is the 42nd individual to serve as ASFE’s president and chair the group’s board of directors. Mr. Schoenwolf is a senior vice president/principal consultant of Haley & Aldrich, Inc., one of the ten firms that founded ASFE in 1969. Located at the firm’s McLean, Virginia office, Mr. Schoenwolf has been with the firm for more than 34 years. He serves as the firm’s water/wastewater market segment leader and is also the client leader for several major, national infrastructure clients. Mr. Schoenwolf earned both his B.S. degree (in Civil Engineering) and Master of Science degree (in Geotechnical Engineering) from the University of Illinois.
American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) President Terrie S. Norris, CSP, ARM, of Long Beach, CA, recently announced the winners of ASSE’s worldwide annual election of open board of directors’ positions. Complete bios and more information on the elected members and the board of directors can be found at www.asse.org/elections/index.php.
Congratulations to Patsy Napier on being named the 2012 Woman of the Year by the Central Virginia Chapter of the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS)! This award goes to a woman in the transportation industry who demonstrates leadership both in the field and in WTS. Ms. Napier received the honor at the Second Annual Awards and Scholarship Banquet on April 12, 2012. Also, in recognition of her work to advance women in the industry, WTS revealed the Patricia G. Napier Future Transportation Leader Scholarship. The scholarship was named in Ms. Napier’s honor and will be awarded to a high school senior in pursuit of a degree within the transportation field. Prior to joining McCormick Taylor in 2004, she spent 37 years with the Virginia Department of Transportation. She served as the Founding President of WTS’ Central Virginia Chapter and is currently Chairman of the Scholarship Committee.
