Austin Branch Newsletter

October 2007

Volume 12, Number 2

In This Issue…

Meeting/Speaker Info

President's Message

Classroom Volunteers Needed

YMF Update

UT Austin Update

Continuing Ed. Opportunities

October Branch Meeting – October 16th

Topic
The Domain Development

Speaker
Chad Marsh – Endeavor Real Estate

When
Tuesday, October 16th
Social - 11:30 to Noon; Lunch/Speaker - Noon to 1:00 PM

Where
Embassy Suites North - 5901 N. IH 35

Cost
$15 with RSVP; $5 for Government/Students; Additional $5 without RSVP

RSVP
Click here to RSVP by Noon, Friday, October 12th

\Meeting Sponsor

Quick Links…

About Us

Austin Branch Golf Tourney

Job Board

Younger Member Forum

President’s Message
by Kelly A. Barney, PE

Let me first start out by saying how excited and honored I am to be serving as your Austin Branch President this year. The Austin Branch has been on the rise and I am looking forward to yet another successful year for the Branch. We are riding on three consecutive Outstanding Large Branch Awards from National ASCE and I am only hoping to continue to grow and strive for this award again! Dale had a remarkable year last year and I only hope to continue on from where he left off. Our attendees at our luncheons increased to an average of 110 people and with our Membership Drive kicking off in September; hopefully it will only get better!

The only way that our branch can improve and get stronger is for you to get involved! There are several opportunities for you to volunteer and network with fellow engineers from Central Texas. This year the Branch and our Younger Member Forum will be organizing activities and events like the golf tournament, a full-day continuing education seminar, Engineering Day at the Austin Children’s Museum, PE review courses, a Habitat for Humanity event, scholarships, the West Point Bridge Competition, the 2008 Leadership Conference, E-week events, speaking at schools about engineering and many more! To get involved, simply contact the listed Committee Chair or Board member regarding your interest. We have a terrific group of Board members and Committee Chairs who are waiting to hear from you! We look forward to getting you involved in the Austin Branch!

October 20 & 21 - Austin Maker FaireÒ

The Austin Branch is partnering with Austin Children’s Museum to staff a family activities area at the Austin Maker Faire^Ò on October 20 & 21 at the Travis County Expo Center. This event is organized by the staff of Make and Craft magazines, and brings together science, art, craft and engineering plus music in a fun, energized and exciting public forum. The aim is to inspire people of all ages to roll up their sleeves and become Makers. This family-friendly event showcases the amazing work of all kinds of Makers. Go to www.makerfaire.com for more information about the event. ASCE will assist with the Air Fair activity stations which include Penny Parachutes and Paper Airplanes (helicopter, hoop glider, whirly twirlers). There will be two challenge stations to build the parachutes and two to build the airplanes as well as two testing stations for each. That is eight stations which we will need to have manned for this two-day event.

We need you! The volunteer shifts are: Sat 9:45 am - 1:45 pm, Sat 1:45 – 5:00 pm, Sun 9:45 am - 1:45 pm, and 1:45 - 6:00pm. If you cannot make the weekend shifts, the folks at the museum indicated they could use help loading up the truck to take the supplies to the Travis County Expo Center and set up on Friday (9:00 am - 12:00 pm and 1:00-5:00 pm). There is an on-line sign-up at www.austinasce.org. In order to have a minimum of two volunteers at each of the eight activity stations, for each of the four volunteer times, we need a total 64 volunteers to fully staff the Air Fair stations. Grab some friends and sign up today! Volunteers are admitted FREE!

Austin ASCE Members & UT Students Provide Ongoing Katrina Relief

During the 2007 Labor Day weekend, a group of 85 Austin ASCE members and University of Texas Civil Engineering students traveled to New Orleans for a sweat filled weekend assisting reconstruction efforts 2-years after hurricane Katrina. The trip was made possible by $12,000 in donations from the UT Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and the Austin Branch of ASCE. This is the 2^nd straight year the Austin Branch and UT civil engineering students traveled to New Orleans to assist in relief efforts.

To see the full article and pictures from the trip…please click here.

October Meeting Sponsor – Bury + Partners

Bury+Partners is a dynamic, diversified engineering and consulting firm with offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Temple, Texas; and Fairfax, and Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1984, the company has more than 400 employees. It has been named one of the state’s “Top Design Firms” by Texas Construction, has steadily advanced in the national rankings of Engineering News Record, and has been recognized by CE News as one of the Top 50 Places to Work nationally.

Caleb Goldsmith Forshey, Controversial Engineer

By Melinda Luna, P.E.

Caleb Goldsmith Forshey was born on July 18, 1812 in Somerset county Pennsylvania. He lived a controversial life, and his name has arisen again recently as work is being done on the levees of Louisiana. Forshey attended Kenyon College in Ohio, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for a total of 6 years (1831-36). He was subsequently hired as a professor at Jefferson College in Washington Mississippi, where he taught math and civil engineering despite the fact that he did not actually graduate. From 1840-1848, Forshey made his career working on projects along the Mississippi River, serving as city engineer of Natchez Mississippi while living across the river in Vidalia, Louisiana. In what is now New Orleans, he constructed a hydrologic station that measured flow in the Mississippi River from 1848 to 1855. This was one of the first hydrologic stations in existence, as the official stream gage network program did not start until the late 1800’s. Forshey later assisted in writing a document on the Mississippi titled, “The Physics of the Mississippi River.”

In 1853 Forshey moved to Texas to become the Chief Engineer of the newly formed Galveston, Houston & Henderson Railroad. The construction of this rail system greatly improved access between Galveston Island and Houston.

In 1854 he founded the Texas Military Institute, which offered engineering classes and marks what was probably the first engineering education program in Texas. Eventually the school merged with Rutersville College in Fayette County and found its way to Austin, at buildings that can be still seen today on 11th Street off of Lamar Blvd. The Civil War forced the school to close in 1861, and its staff would be later moved to College Station to start Texas A & M University.

Forshey served in the Engineering Corps as chief engineer on the defense of the coast. He helped outfit gunboats in the battle of Galveston in 1863, and built Fort Esperanza on Matagorda Island, helping plan Confederate forts near Orange, TX and the Sabine River.

After the war, he was an engineering consultant to the City of Galveston, where he proposed a system of railroads leading from the port of Galveston to the interior of Texas. He also proposed improvements to the channels and harbors of Galveston. After leaving Galveston to work on the Red River, Forshey again returned to his work on the Mississippi Delta. He died in Louisiana on July 25, 1881.

Going beyond the realms of today’s traditional engineer, Forshey’s legacy includes the publication of maps of the great Indian Mound in Mississippi in 1840; journal publication of astronomical observations which he made in Texas; collections of biological specimen from Fayette County (1856-59) which were later housed at the Smithsonian Institute and at the Academies and Museums in Boston and Philadelphia; and articles in meteorology and climate in Texas written for the Texas Almanac in 1860-1861. He also wrote a series of diaries organized by subjects including the sciences, engineering, and social issues. It is these writings that define the controversy surrounding Caleb Forshey because of his unconventional thoughts on educating minorities, and his discussions of issues related to women and to religious groups.

Despite the controversy surrounding his writings, Forshey was recognized in his day for starting a much needed school to educate future engineers and for his work on the defense of the Texas Coast. He is remembered today not only for his engineering contributions but for the contributions which he made through his other science hobbies which have been preserved by some of the various institutes and libraries.

Classroom Volunteers Needed

By Laton Carr

Early Recruiting! The ASCE Eweek committee is looking for volunteers to assist with classroom presentations at area elementary schools during the 2006-2007 school year. The ASCE Eweek mission is to grab the early interest of potential future engineers so that they will develop and pursue their interest in math and science early in their school careers, and eventually populate the future civil engineering hiring pool! To provide information about the program, The Central Texas “Discover Engineering” Steering Committee will hold their annual Kick-Off event (lunch included) on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm at the 3M Innovation Center. Demonstrations of the classroom activities will provide useful information about what ASCE volunteers can expect during school visits. For more information visit www.centexeweek.org or contact the ASCE Eweek chair Laton Carr (lcarr@pape-dawson.com or 454-8711) to volunteer. Thanks!

YMF Update

YMF President, Kim Patak

The Austin Branch Younger Member Forum (YMF) is kicking off its third year of inception this month and I couldn’t be more excited to get things rolling! To me, this organization gives young engineers just like you, a wonderful way to get to know other engineers in a relaxed, social atmosphere. One of the greatest things about the organization is that you’re automatically a member of YMF if you are an ASCE member and age 35 or younger. The only thing we ask of you is that you come out each time willing to have a good time!

We have an eventful year right around the corner, including activities such as a softball game out at Krieg Fields on October 17^th (see website in coming weeks for the field number and time), the annual ASCE golf tournament in November, and the annual Leadership Conference in January. We are also planning a football tailgating party for the Texas v. Tech game on November 10th, which is bound to be one heck of a time! So please, come on out to any or all of our upcoming events and show the world that there is such thing as a social engineer! Visit our website at http://www.austinasce.org/ymf.htm to keep informed about upcoming events and contact any of our officers or chairpersons to get signed up for our monthly Evites!

We look forward to meeting you!

UT Austin September Briefing

ASCE Student Chapter

It is easy to see that UT’s ASCE student chapter has made dramatic improvements to the organization and is well on its way to becoming a national flagship chapter. Our group is finally reaping the benefits from our countless hours of effort--with membership levels soaring participation in social events, volunteer efforts, and technical competitions has increased substantially over years past. With thoughtful planning over the summer and throughout September, the UT student chapter of ASCE is prepared to have another successful academic year.

We started off the year with an Outreach event taking place over the Labor Day Weekend. A Group UT ASCE Students along a group of Austin ASCE members volunteered their time gutting a mental hospital and building several new homes in the “Musicians Village” with Habitat for Humanity. Our group of 90 was welcomed with open arms as we learned valuable skills from talented carpenters. Thanks to leadership of UT ASCE sponsor Dr. Robert Gilbert, Crespo Consulting Services and alumnus Rose Marie Klee, new UT ASCE president Marco Guzman, and UT ASCE Steel Bridge Captain Ty Womble, this trip was an enjoyable learning experience and we look forward to returning in the future.

Even though Technical Competitions take place in the spring, we started preparing and designing over the summer. After beating A&M and finishing 6^th in the nation last summer, our Steel Bridge team returns with three ex-steel bridge captains. With 95% of design completed, our team is led by Captains Ty Womble and Josh Mouras. Our team is mobilizing our fundraising efforts to secure steel in order to begin construction. With the first Concrete Canoe meeting being held last week, we look forward to making a splash at the spring Texas Section meeting. According to Corey Meeks’s FreeShip computer modeling, our hull design is faster than last year’s national concrete canoe champion.

In September, UT ASCE was happy to Welcome TCB and Kiewit Texas Construction to our Meetings to speak with our members. With a record attendance at our first meeting of 166 students, students thoroughly enjoyed both presentations and look forward to learning about all of the exciting career options in the civil engineering spectrum. If you would like to get involved with UT ASCE, please contact Ryan Rush at ryan@mail.utexas.edu.

Our website can be found at www.ut-asce.org. It contains information for Technical Competitions, Outreach, IM Sports, and Social Events as well as useful contact information to reach our officers.

Austin Parks Foundation asks, “Are You an Engineer?”

By Rosie Weaver, APF Outreach Director

Austin Parks Foundation needs engineers with geotech or construction drawings experience to volunteer at neighborhood parks! The Austin Parks Foundation offers grants and technical assistance to community groups planning park projects. Attaining approval for projects is one of the biggest hurdles for volunteer groups. (Second only to fundraising!) Projects are generally small in size. For example, a group wishing to install a picnic pavilion in East Austin needs sealed construction documents. A group building a berm needs soil compaction tests. These services can cost many hundreds of dollars. Austin Parks Foundation is seeking engineers willing to commit to helping out with one project per year. Experience in working with the City or Parks Department would be helpful. Contact Rosie Weaver at rweaver@austinparks.org or 477-1566 if you can help.

Ode to Dale Murphy

By Rose Marie Klee

Well I won’t really try to sing my praises of Dale in verse!

Now that Dale has officially become our past-president, and I have gained control of the media (not to worry folks!), I am seizing this opportunity to publicly say a few words of thanks.

I remember the day when Dale strolled into our lives, bringing all of his enthusiasm and wisdom from his ASCE experiences in San Diego. In his time with the Austin Branch, and let it be known—ever since day one of his involvement—Dale has been a powerful driver of positive transformation within the Branch. To be sure, we have always had a wealth of really great people with great ideas, but truly this one man has made an especial contribution to our organization over the past six years.

I would include within his legacy the founding of our Younger Member Forum, the development (and constant maintenance and upgrading) of our website, much increased involvement with the student chapter, and bringing our group together to “Bowl for Kids Sake” which raised over $13,000 and was a very good time! And there are really many more things that I could list which were spawned, inspired, motivated, nurtured, and otherwise nourished by his careful and deliberate hand.

Dale has personally helped motivate and steer me in my efforts as part of the Austin Branch, and I know that many of us can say the same. So Dale, please accept my sincere gratitude for your enormous contributions to the Austin Branch and to all of us who have been inspired and entertained by your wonderful sprightly and mischievous spirit. Dale Murphy, YOU ROCK!

Upcoming ASCE Continuing Education Opportunities

November 1-2 (Austin, TX) – HEC-HMS Computer Workshop

November 8-9 (Dallas, TX) – Progressive Collapse Mitigation: Practical Analysis Methods & Proven Solutions

November 28-30 (Dallas, TX) – Design of Foundations for Dynamic Loads

For more information go to: www.asce.org/conted/seminars

Thank You to Our 2007 Sponsors

Want to be an Austin Branch Sponsor? Gives your company advertising and free postings on our online job board. Click here for more information.

The Austin Branch Newsletter gives you the latest information on ASCE events and activities. To inquire about this newsletter or to publish articles contact the Communications Director. Contact information for our Board of Directors can be found at www.austinasce.org.

National ASCE – www.asce.org Texas Section – www.texasce.org