ASCE El Paso Branch

Happy Hour – The Pershing Inn
2017-03-30 17:30 - 19:30 (America/Denver) | The Pershing Inn, 2909 Pershing Drive, El Paso, TX, 79903, United States

Meeting – Bob Bielek, TxDOT
2017-03-29 11:30 - 13:00 | Great American Land & Cattle Co., 9800 Gateway N Blvd, El Paso, TX, 79924, United States
To pre-pay through PayPal, click here. To RSVP, click here. Please RSVP by Tuesday, March 28th.
Guest Speaker
Robert Bielek, DPA, P.E.
District Engineer
El Paso District
Texas Department of Transportation
Robert (Bob) Bielek is a transportation industry veteran with 48-years of experience in the planning, design, construction and operation of highways, airports, and transit facilities. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from Penn State University and the University of Pittsburgh respectively and a Doctorate in Public Administration from Nova Southeastern University. He has been a licensed professional engineer since 1975 and is currently licensed in Florida, Colorado and Texas and holds a national certificate from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. He has been TxDOT’s District Engineer in El Paso, Texas for the past 5-years and is responsible for more than a billion dollars of infrastructure improvements completed, underway or planned as well as the maintenance and operation of the El Paso District which encompasses nearly 22,000 square miles made up of the six westernmost counties in Texas. The District has hundreds of miles of both international border with Mexico as well as hundreds of miles of state border with New Mexico. El Paso is the nexus where Texas, Mexico and New Mexico join and is a critical hub for commerce for these entities.

2017 ASCE Texas–Mexico Student Conference
2017-03-02 - 2017-03-04 | El Paso Convention Center, One Civic Center Plaza, El Paso, TX, 79901, United States
Register here!

Meeting – Shane Walker, UTEP
2017-01-25 11:30 - 13:00 | Great American Land & Cattle Co., 9800 Gateway N Blvd, El Paso, TX, 79924, United States
To pre-pay through PayPal, click here. To RSVP, click here. Please RSVP by Tuesday, January 24th.
Improving access to reliable drinking water:
Centralized and decentralized approaches
Guest Speakers
W. Shane Walker, Ph.D., P.E.
(UTEP Photo)
Associate Professor, Civil Engineering
The University of Texas at El Paso
UTEP – Dr. Walker’s research focuses on water and wastewater treatment technologies, especially membrane separations (e.g., reverse osmosis and electrodialysis) for high-recovery inland brackish desalination. His research interests include increasing water recovery, decreasing energy consumption, and recovering minerals/products from waste streams. Dr. Walker is also passionate about low-cost water treatment solutions for developing countries/communities.

Meeting – Ellen Smyth, Environmental Services
2016-11-30 11:30 - 13:00 | TX
To pre-pay through PayPal, click here. To RSVP, click here. Please RSVP by Tuesday, November 29th.
General Overview of Environmental Services
Guest Speakers
Ellen A. Smyth, PE
Environmental Services & Code Enforcement, City of El Paso
Ellen Smyth is the Director of Environmental Services for the City of El Paso and has over 33 years’ environmental and management experience in “for-profit” fortune 100 firms as well as in public service.Before returning to El Paso, Ellen worked for Eastman Kodak, Waste Management, TxDOT, and the City of Las Cruces. Ellen holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Master of Public Administration from New Mexico State University. She also holds a Master of Pastoral Studies in Theology from Loyola University, New Orleans. She is a registered Professional Engineer in the States of Texas and New Mexico.
In her current position she oversees Solid Waste Management (trash, recycle, landfills), Code Enforcement (nuisances, environmental health, vector control), and Environmental Engineering (mold, asbestos, ESAs, methane gas, leachate). She is a member of the American Public Works Association, Solid Waste Association of North America, the National Recycling Coalition, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers and the Texas Association of Environmental Professionals. Ellen is a native El Pasoan and she is a proud graduate of Austin High School. Her hobbies include hiking, sewing, and handwriting analysis. She is married to Frank and they have one daughter, Ann Marie who holds an MBA from Texas Tech University.

Fall Social – Hope & Anchor
2016-11-17 17:30 - 19:30 | Hope & Anchor, 4012 N Mesa St, El Paso, TX, 79902, United States

Meeting – ASCE/TSPE Joint Ethics
2016-11-02 11:30 - 13:00 | Great American Land & Cattle Co., 9800 Gateway N Blvd, El Paso, TX, 79924, United States
$25 for TSPE and ASCE Members/$35 for Non-Members | Great American (Northeast)
Guest Speaker
John Ho, P.E.
President-elect
Texas Society of Professional Engineers
To RSVP, click here.
Please RSVP for the Ethics Meeting by November 2nd at 10 a.m. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Meeting – Audra Morse, Texas Tech, TexASCE
2016-09-28 11:30 - 13:00 | TX
To pre-pay through PayPal, click here. To RSVP, click here. Please RSVP by Tuesday, September 27th.
Biofouling Mitigation in Membrane Treatment Systems
Guest Speakers
Audra Morse, PhD, PE, BCEE
Professor
Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering
Texas Tech University
President 2015-2016
ASCE Texas Section
Audra Morse, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE is a Professor in the Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering Department. Her research focuses on water and wastewater treatment, specifically water reclamation systems and the fate of personal products in treatment systems. In an exciting new area of research, Audra and others are investigating the use of organoselenium compounds to inhibit biofouling of RO membranes. Audra is highly involved in service to her profession. She currently serves as the President of the Texas Section of ASCE and has been active on national ASCE committees. She works to improve the quality of education at Texas Tech and seeks to increase diversity in the field of engineering. Audra has received the two highest teaching honors at Texas Tech for her teaching efforts inside and outside of the classroom. She was awarded the President’s Excellence in Gender Equity Award, Texas Tech University in 2016 and the Outstanding Woman Leader (OWL) Award, West Texas -Association for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, Math (STEAM) in 2016. She received the ASCE Texas Section – Professional Service to Students Award in 2009, ASCE Region 6 Faculty Advisor of the Year in 2007 and 2010, and the ASCE ExCEEd New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award in 2006.

Conference – Texas CECon 2016
2016-09-21 - 2016-09-23 | TX
Texas Civil Engineering Conference (CECON 2016) is our annual gathering of civil engineers and industry from across Texas representing all of the civil engineering disciplines. CECON 2016 is brought to you by the Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers in partnership with the Texas Concrete Pipe Association. Other partnerships include the Texas Water Development Board, Texas Department of Transportation, and Move Texas Forward. Finally, we are partnering with the Texas Chapters of the Geo-Institute, Structural Engineering Institute, Environmental & Water Resources Institute, Transportation & Development Institute and Construction Institute to develop special breakout sessions and provide content for all civil engineering disciplines.
Click here for more info.

Conference – TSPS & NMPS El Paso Seminar
2016-09-16 08:00 - 2016-09-17 17:00 | Camino Real Hotel, 101 S El Paso St, El Paso, TX, 79901, United States
Texas Society of Professional Surveyors & New Mexico Professional Surveyors
El Paso Seminar
Hosted by TSPS Paso Del Norte Chapter 17 & NMPS Southern Rio Grande Chapter
Earlybird registration ends Monday, August 29
Beginning Tuesday, August 30, a late fee of $25 will be added to all fees
See complete Brochure for courses and speakers
or
Register now online
Earn 4, 8 or 12 CEUs | Seminar, Materials and Breaks included.
Lunch is on your own Friday, but provided on Saturday only.
Special discount registration fee to TSPS/NMPS members.

Meeting – El Paso MPO
2016-06-22 11:30 - 13:00 | TX
To pre-pay through PayPal, click here. To RSVP, click here. Please RSVP by Tuesday, June 21st.
The El Paso MPO: Structure, Planning Documents, Process and Activities
Guest Speakers
Alexandra Riccillo, E.I.T.
Associate Regional Transportation Analyst
El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization
Alexandra Riccillo is an Engineer-In-Training and active ASCE member since 2009. Alexandra is currently working as a Regional Transportation Analyst for the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization where she works with the Transportation Improvement Program. Born in El Paso, she graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. During her education career, she obtained experience in transportation planning and design thru internships at Moreno Cardenas Inc. and at Conde Inc. where she acquired a desire for long range transportation planning for a pleasing benefit of her home town. Since 2013, she have been active with the Texas-United States Green Building Council where she dedicates her time as an advocate for infrastructure policies that reflect a desire for healthier options to get around communities.
Bryan Miskimen
Transportation Financial Analyst
El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization
Bryan Miskimen is currently working as a Transportation Financial Analyst for the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization where he works with the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Team. A lifetime resident of El Paso, Bryan graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), with a BBA in Computer Information Systems. Bryan has over 13 years of working in finance. Prior to joining the TIP Team, Bryan was a small business owner, operating a successful FedEx Ground Franchise from 2007-2015. Bryan also supported Operation Iraqi Freedom as a private contractor from 2003-2007 working in finance. In his spare time, Bryan enjoys to play semi-pro rugby and compete in CrossFit.

Meeting – Bob Bielek, TxDOT
2016-05-25 11:30 - 13:00 | TX
To pre-pay through PayPal, click here. To RSVP, click here. Please RSVP by Tuesday, May 24th.
Guest Speaker
Robert Bielek, DPA, P.E.
District Engineer
El Paso District
Texas Department of Transportation
Robert (Bob) Bielek is a transportation industry veteran with 47-years of experience in the planning, design, construction and operation of highways, airports, and transit facilities. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from Penn State University and the University of Pittsburgh respectively and a Doctorate in Public Administration from Nova Southeastern University. He has been a licensed professional engineer since 1975 and is currently licensed in Florida, Colorado and Texas and holds a national certificate from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. He has been TxDOT’s District Engineer in El Paso, Texas for the past 4-years and is responsible for more than a billion dollars of infrastructure improvements completed, underway or planned as well as the maintenance and operation of the El Paso District which encompasses nearly 22,000 square miles made up of the six westernmost counties in Texas. The District has hundreds of miles of both international border with Mexico as well as hundreds of miles of state border with New Mexico. El Paso is the nexus where Texas, Mexico and New Mexico join and is a critical hub for commerce for these entities.

Meeting – Ivonne Santiago (Ethics)
2016-04-26 11:30 - 13:00 | TX
$35 | Great American (Northeast)

To pre-pay through PayPal, click here. To RSVP, click here.
Guest Speaker
Ivonne Santiago, Ph.D., P.E.
Clinical Professor, University of Texas at El Paso
Topic: Engineering Ethics and the Public
Ivonne Santiago is a Clinical Professor in the Civil Engineering (CE) Department at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). She has a combined experience of over 20 years in the areas of water quality, water and wastewater treatment in Puerto Rico, New Mexico, and Texas among the government, academic, and private sectors. At the CE Department she coordinates the Senior Capstone Design courses, the Hydraulic Laboratory, and assessment and accreditation. She is involved in activities that connect education and research to engineering practice, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Examples of her projects include the use of natural and surface modified minerals for removal of contaminants from water and the development of water quality sensors. She is the recipient of numerous local and state teaching awards including the UT Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award. She is especially dedicated to the creation of opportunities for female engineers and help them overcome gender and ethnical barriers.

Meeting - Javier Reyes, City of El Paso
2016-01-27 11:30 - 13:00 | TX
$20 | Great American (Northeast)
To pre-pay through PayPal, click here. To RSVP, click here.
Guest Speaker
Javier Reyes, P.E.
City of El Paso
Quality of Life Infrastructure
Reservation deadline is 12:00 PM Tuesday, January 26, 2016. Persons who RSVP will be responsible for meal cost whether they attend or not.

Event - Rededication Luncheon
2015-11-21 11:30 - 14:00 | Ardovino’s Desert Crossing, 1 Ardovinos Dr, Sunland Park, NM, 88063, United States
$35 | Ardovino’s Desert Crossing
Immediately following the rededication ceremony, the El Paso and Southern New Mexico Branches of the American Society of Civil Engineers are hosting a luncheon at Ardovino’s Desert Crossing.
To register to attend, click here.
Online registration is available until November 11, 2015.

Event - Rededication of International Boundary Marker No. 1
2015-11-21 10:00 - 11:00 | International Boundary & Water Commission, 2616 W Paisano Dr, El Paso, TX, 79922, United States
Join us for the rededication of International Boundary Marker No. 1, an ASCE National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
To register to attend, click here.
Online registration is available until November 11, 2015.
Related Event: Rededication Luncheon

Meeting - Mark W. Woodson, ASCE President
2015-11-20 11:30 - 13:00 | The State Line, 1222 Sunland Park Drive, El Paso, TX, 79922, United States
$25 | The State Line

Guest Speaker
Mark W. Woodson, P.E., L.S., D.WRE, F.ASCE
American Society of Civil Engineers
2016 President
To RSVP, click here.
Reservation deadline is Friday, Nov 6, 2015. Persons who RSVP will be responsible for meal cost whether they attend or not.

Meeting – ASCE/TSPE Joint Ethics
2015-10-07 11:30 - 13:00 | TX
$25 | Great American (Northeast)
Guest Speaker
Steve Hiner, P.E.
Director of Product Development
Rinker Materials
To RSVP, click here.
Reservation deadline is Tuesday, October 6, 2015.

Conference – Texas CECon 2015
2015-09-30 - 2015-10-02 | TX
Texas Civil Engineering Conference (CECON 2015) is our annual gathering of civil engineers and industry from across Texas representing all of the civil engineering disciplines. CECON 2015 is brought to you by the Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers in partnership with the Texas Concrete Pipe Association. We have also partnered with the Texas Chapters of the Geo-Institute, Structural Engineering Institute, Environmental & Water Resources Institute, Transportation & Development Institute and Construction Institute to develop special breakout sessions on our conference topics.
Click here for more info.

Event - City Manager Community Update
2015-09-28 18:00 - 20:00 | EPCC Administrative Services Center Auditorium, 9050 Viscount Blvd, El Paso, TX, 79925, United States

Meeting – Curtis Beitel, TexASCE
2015-09-23 11:30 - 13:00 | The State Line, 1222 Sunland Park Drive, El Paso, TX, 79922, United States
$20 | The State Line
Guest Speaker
Curtis Blane Beitel, P.E., CFM
President 2014-2015
ASCE Texas Section
Curtis Beitel has been active in ASCE since he graduated from Texas A&M University in 1993. In 1996 he served as the Continuing Education Chair of the Fort Worth ASCE Branch, organizing several CPD classes on HEC-RAS and Bioengineering. He continued to serve the Fort Worth Branch in several officer positions including Branch President in 2001-02. Curtis served as the Water Resources Chair of the Texas Section from 1999 to 2001 and was Vice President-Technical in 2002-2003. He continued to serve on the Texas Section Board as the Section Director from the Fort Worth Branch from 2003 to 2005. He was the Budget Chair for Fall 2007 Meeting of the Texas Section in Fort Worth, and served as the General Co-Chair of the Texas Section/CI/ICSDEC Fall 2012 Conference in Fort Worth.
Curtis received the Fort Worth Branch’s Young Engineer Award for Professional Achievement in 1998. He is also active in the Texas Floodplain Management Association, serving as their Newsletter Editor since 2004, and is a member of the Society of Military Engineers. To help community leaders understand the risk that flooding poses to their local economy, Curtis conceived and led the development of the FloodManager game for the ASFPM Foundation, and teaches the “Experience a Town At Risk” classes at various conferences. The ASFPM Foundation presented him with an award for Outstanding Contributions in 2010. HDR presented him with a Pathfinder Award for External Client Service in 2013.
Curtis is currently the North Texas Water Resources Program Manager for HDR Engineering, and was named a Professional Associate of the company in January 2013. He is leading the development of the Bexar County Flood Warning System for the San Antonio River Authority, and works on projects for public clients across Texas. He has been married to his wife Leanne since 1996 and they have two daughters – Katherine and Ellie.
To RSVP, click here.
Reservation deadline is 12:00 PM Tuesday, September 22, 2015. Persons who RSVP will be responsible for meal cost whether they attend or not.

Conference - APA-NM & ASCE-NM Joint Conference
2015-09-23 07:30 - 2015-09-25 13:45 | TX
$175 | Las Cruces Convention Center
2015 APA-NM & ASCE-NM Statewide Conference
Building Alliances for a Livable New Mexico
More info here.

Meeting – Reza Ashtiani, UTEP
2015-06-24 11:30 - 13:00 | The State Line, 1222 Sunland Park Drive, El Paso, TX, 79922, United States
$20 | The State Line
Guest Speaker
Reza Ashtiani, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
The University of Texas at El Paso
Topic: Challenges and Opportunities in Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design
Dr. Ashtiani received his Master’s degree in Transportation Engineering and Doctorate degree in Pavements and Materials from Texas A&M University. After his tenure at the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), Reza joined the Applied Research Associates Inc. (ARA) at senior engineer level at Tyndall AFB in Florida. Reza managed and/or participated in several cutting edge research projects sponsored by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Army Corps of Engineers, the US Air Force Civil Engineering Support Agency (AFCESA), US Department of Transportation (USDOT), and Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to name a few. Reza conducts research in the area of computational mechanics with emphasis on geomaterials. His main area of expertise is constitutive modeling of civil engineering materials and its relevance to the design and analysis of infrastructure systems. Specifically, the focus of his research is modeling, design and analysis of multi-layer systems such as highway pavements and airfield runways. In 2012, Reza joined the civil engineering department of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), where he teaches courses on geotechnical engineering, unsaturated soil mechanics and mechanistic pavement design. Currently he is the Principal Investigator (PI) of four externally funded research projects at UTEP. Reza serves as a committee member in two national expert tasks groups in the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Science.
To RSVP, click here.
Reservation deadline is 12:00 PM Tuesday, June 23, 2015. Persons who RSVP will be responsible for meal cost whether they attend or not.

TFMA – FPM 101 on Steroids
2015-06-24 08:30 - 17:00 | TecH2O Center, 10751 Montana Ave, El Paso, TX, 79935, United States
presented by
Texas Floodplain Management Association’s
Region 3
Includes LID presentation along with updated
Elevation Certificate – 6 CECs
Floodplain Ethics – 1 CEC

Monthly Board Meeting
2015-06-04 11:30 - 13:00, 2015-05-07 11:30 - 13:00 | The Healthy Pizza Company, 3800 N Mesa St, El Paso, TX, 79902, United States

Meeting – Bob Bielek, TxDOT
2015-05-27 11:30 - 13:00 | The State Line, 1222 Sunland Park Drive, El Paso, TX, 79922, United States
$20 | The State Line
Guest Speaker
Robert Bielek, DPA, P.E.
District Engineer
El Paso District
Robert (Bob) Bielek has served as El Paso District Engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation since 2012.
Bob has 46 years of experience in the planning, design and construction of transportation facilities, including highways, airports and mass transit. Twenty-five years of Bob’s professional experience has been with engineering consultants.
As City Engineer for the Houston Airport System, Bob managed over 25 projects with a constructed value of approximately $600 million, including pavement and lighting, major terminal reconstruction, road and street improvements, and storm water system improvements.
For the past two years, Bob has successfully addressed El Paso’s growth through important projects totaling over $1.8 billion. One of these is the completion of a loop around the city.
Bob holds BS and MS degrees in Civil Engineering and a doctorate in Public Administration. He is a licensed professional engineer in Texas, Florida and Colorado. He also holds a certificate from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. Bob is also a licensed pilot.
Bob has been married for 38 years to Dagmar Bielek, a retired clinical psychologist. They have two adult sons.
To RSVP, click here.
Reservation deadline is 12:00 PM Tuesday, May 26, 2015. Persons who RSVP will be responsible for meal cost whether they attend or not.

déTour – City Development Conference 2015
2015-05-13 - 2015-05-14 | Scottish Rite Theater, 301 W Missouri Ave, El Paso, TX, 79901, United States

Meeting – ASCE/TSPE Joint Ethics
2015-04-22 11:30 - 13:00 | The State Line, 1222 Sunland Park Drive, El Paso, TX, 79922, United States
Guest Speaker
Steve Hiner, P.E.
Rinker Materials-Concrete Pipe Division
CEMEX
Topics

Understanding Ethics And How It Applies To Engineering
State P.E. Ethics Requirements
Rules & Regulations Regarding Ethics
Case Studies & Sanctions

Bio
Steve Hiner, P.E. is a 1976 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute with a BS degree in Civil Engineering. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas and is currently based out of Houston, TX. Steve has been with Rinker Materials – Concrete Pipe Division (CEMEX) for over 36 years. He has held a number of positions with Rinker, including Sales Engineer, Plant Manager, Corporate Engineer and Director of Product Development. Prior to working for Rinker Materials, Steve was a Technical Services Engineer and Materials Engineer for Martin Marietta Cement in the Washington, DC – Baltimore area. He is active in ASTM C13, C27, AASHTO and the ACPA.

Meeting – Ken Rainwater, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, D.WRE, CFM
2015-03-25 11:30 - 13:00 | The State Line, 1222 Sunland Park Drive, El Paso, TX, 79922, United States
Dr. Ken Rainwater is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas Tech University. He also served as the Director of the Texas Tech University Water Resources Center from 2002-12. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas, a Board Certified Environmental Engineer (AAEE), a Diplomate Water Resources Engineer (AAWRE), and a Certified Floodplain Manager. He received his B.S. from Rice University (1979), and M.S. (1982) and Ph.D. (1985) in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
Rainwater has 30 years of experience in water resources and environmental engineering. He teaches courses in fluid mechanics, environmental engineering, engineering hydrology, water systems design, groundwater hydrology, groundwater contaminant transport, and water resources management. His research expertise is in problems of groundwater quantity and quality, remediation of soil and groundwater contamination, and water resources management. His research has been funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Reclamation, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, and Texas Water Development Board. He has been honored with several teaching awards at Texas Tech, including with the Abell Faculty Teaching Award and the President’s Excellence in Teaching Award. He was named the Whitacre College of Engineering Researcher of the Year in 2011. He served as the co-faculty advisor of the J.H. Murdough Student Chapter of ASCE from 1985 to 2004. He also served various roles in the Texas Section of ASCE, including Vice President for Education and President. He is currently a Region 6 Governor and chair of the Committee on Student Members. His daughter Janice has both BSCE and MSCE degrees, and she works in Denver for Amec Foster Wheeler while her husband Scott with BSCE and MSCE degrees works for the Colorado Department of Transportation. His son Kirk is completing his BSME degree this spring. His wife Kathryn feels outnumbered by the engineers in the family and tries to keep them connected to the rest of society.
Reservation deadline is 12:00 PM Tuesday, March 24, 2015. Persons who RSVP will be responsible for meal cost whether they attend or not.
