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Engineers Week - New Faces of Engineering
In celebration of Engineers Week, CH2M HILL recognizes and profiles its 19 New Faces of Engineering nominees.
Each year CH2M HILL nominates young engineers as New Faces of Engineering. As the flagship recognition program for Engineers Week (EWeek), it celebrates the accomplishments of young engineers (under the age of 30) by highlighting their contributions and the resulting impact on society.
This year, CH2M HILL nominated 19 young engineers to nine professional societies. In celebration of EWeek, February 15-21, CH2M HILL would like to congratulate each of its nominees.
"These nominees exemplify the CH2M HILL way of delivering value for our clients and giving back to our communities and profession," says Lee McIntire, CH2M HILL CEO. "We are very proud of all of our New Faces of Engineering nominees. Their passion, commitment, and leadership represent us well in the quest to inspire a future generation of engineering talent."
During Engineers Week, employee volunteers from more than 50 CH2M HILL offices will participate in local outreach events to give classroom presentations, lead students in hands-on engineering activities, judge science fairs and MATHCOUNTS competitions, and take students on project site tours to increase understanding of and excitement about engineering.
Rolana Harris
2009 New Faces of Engineering Winner
Business Group: Energy and Chemicals
Professional Society: Project Management Institute
Rolana has participated in three Habitat for Humanity house builds, assisted evacuees in Houston after Hurricane Katrina, and acts as a Junior Achievement Volunteer teaching elementary students the importance of education and economics. Rolana has worked on a variety of projects while at CH2M HILL, including several involving process and instrumentation diagram development and equipment design. She also has participated in process hazard analysis projects to ensure inherently safe plant designs.
"My most rewarding project was leading and designing a small plant improvement project, which included working with maintenance, operations, production, and project management teams to successfully design and install instrumentation, piping, and required process control code to extend compressor lifetime and maintenance schedule. It was rewarding to see material flow through the new equipment once the plant started up."
Jamesia Hobbs
2009 New Faces of Engineering Winner
Business Group: Energy and Chemicals
Professional Society: American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Jamesia has experience across several industries, including pulp and paper, chemicals, polymers, and nuclear energy. She has been involved in planning and coordinating projects, managing people, and process design. She has been president of Omega Chi Epsilon National Chemical Engineering Honor Society and the Society of Women Engineers. She was awarded the Performance Award in September 2005 for exemplary effort and support of a project trial while working for Paper Industry Leader. Outside of work she is a Hands-On-Atlanta volunteer, a volunteer mentor and educational development committee member for the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She also serves on the special events committee for the North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University Alumnae Chapter
"My most challenging and rewarding project was training to become an area manager. Learning to work with people and processes was challenging and eye opening."
Jennifer Barrett
Nominee
Business Group: Transportation Business Group
Professional Society: American Society of Civil Engineers
Jennifer serves an integral role in the delivery of major highway projects in the San Diego region. She has incorporated innovative elements such as managed lanes, direct access transit ramps, and a bus-on-shoulder concept into designs aimed at solving critical transportation issues. Passionate about her career, Jennifer takes every opportunity to share her enthusiasm for engineering with students, including serving as the Chair of the ASCE Young Member Forum Engineering Day at the Mall, an event held in conjunction with Engineers Week at a local mall offering fun activities designed to enhance children's interest in and awareness of engineering.
"I became an engineer to use my problem solving skills to make a positive difference in society."
Abhishek Dhawan
Nominee
Business Group: Energy and Chemicals
Professional Society: American Institute of Chemical Engineers
At CH2M HILL, Abhishek designs industrial processes for energy, chemicals, and industrial systems. His experience includes designing and developing process technology to build and modify plants, creating equipment configurations to meet the product range, assessing project needs, analyzing performance metrics, and assessing cost/benefit analysis. He also volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and works on fundraising for Relay for Life. Abhishek is a co-founder of the Young Professionals group for CH2M HILL's Spartanburg office, where he is responsible for organizing and promoting networking, social, and philanthropic events.
"I became an engineer because it's what I knew best and I wanted to effectively contribute to the progression that constantly modifies our ever-changing world."
Jim Garrison
Nominee
Business Group: Energy and Chemicals
Professional Society: International Society of Automation (ISA)
During college Jim served as the Electrical Team Leader for the 2004 Georgia Tech Hybrid Vehicle Team, which won third place in the Department of Energy's "Future Truck Program" and co-authored a technical paper on the project, which was presented at the SAE World Congress. As a CH2M HILL employee, Jim is a member of the instrumentation and controls team responsible for the design of the process control system and instrument specification for a $200 million polymer plant. He has increased efficiency and quality by creating a procedure for automatically noting changes made to instrument specification sheets. Jim was elected 2009 Secretary for the Atlanta ISA Chapter and was a member of the 2008 ISA Atlanta Chapter Scholarship Committee.
"I became an engineer because I love troubleshooting and solving problems. The sense of professional satisfaction that comes from solving a difficult technical problem is unmatched by anything else I've done."
Amber Girard
Nominee
Business Group: Construction Management Services
Professional Society: American Society of Civil Engineers
Since joining CH2M HILL in 2006, Amber has worked on the Los Angeles World Airports South Airfield Improvement Program, including the award-winning Runway 25L Relocation and Center Taxiway Improvement Project. Amber is also extremely involved in the ASCE Metropolitan Los Angeles Branch as the Programs Chair and Vice President of the Younger Member Forum. She is a member of the Construction Management Association of America and the Women's Transportation Seminar. Amber believes strongly in supporting her community and educating youth about the environment and engineering. She has helped lead local efforts in K-12 outreach programs such as World Water Monitoring Day and the ASCE Curious George Program.
"I became an engineer because I was fascinated by the broad spectrum of specializations within civil engineering; from planning, designing or managing a project, there are so many important things, big and small, in our lives that require the expertise of civil engineers."
Candice Hein
Nominee
Business Group: Transportation Business Group
Professional Society: American Council of Engineering Companies
During graduate school, Candice was a teaching assistant for the Geomatics lab, served as a research assistant on a project to slow driving speeds in rural communities, and was selected to attend the prestigious Eno Transportation Leadership Development Conference in Washington D.C. Since joining CH2M HILL, Candice has played an active role in the Southwest TBG. She has performed travel demand modeling and traffic operations, has worked on roadway design and modeling for two major interchange studies, and performed evaluations for pavement improvements at the Denver Federal Center. Candice is an active member of Engineers Without Borders-USA, and organized its 2008 Rocky Mountain Regional Workshop, which took place at CH2M HILL's Denver campus.
"I became an engineer because I wanted to make a difference in society, and working on transportation projects reaches entire communities."
Chris Hurst
Nominee
Business Group: Government Facilities and Infrastructure
Professional Society: : U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/ASCE
Chris has led numerous master plans in Afghanistan and Iraq in support of mission changes for U.S. and coalition forces. He has served as the project manager for a $1.25 million, 5-base master plan and as an operations leader for a $1.75 million, 7-base master plan. A prior Army officer, Chris also serves as client service manager for Army Forces, Central Command, and helps coordinate planning, environmental consulting, and design work for the Army. Chris is an avid volunteer in his local and global community, including spending six months with Winrock International in Salvador, Brazil, and volunteering with the Big Brother Program, the Open Door Shelter in Atlanta, and the Decatur Atlanta Preservation Projects.
"I became an engineer because I was interested in the design and construction of physical infrastructure. I love the possibilities for growth and change that engineering brings, and the chance to truly improve society."
Jessica Kaminsky
Nominee
Business Group: Water Business Group
Professional Society: American Society of Civil Engineers
Through Engineers Without Borders-USA and -Australia, Jessica helps provide water, sanitation, rainwater, and transportation solutions to improve quality of life for developing communities around the world. She also models utility pipe networks for CH2M HILL, and has recently made a move from Chicago to Sydney, Australia to aid CH2M HILL in the planning process of utilities.
"I became an engineer because it is so tangible; at the end of the day, there is no question of what your work has amounted to."
Theo Melo
2009 ASCE Top 10 New Faces of Civil Engineering
Business Group: Water Business Group
Professional Society: American Society of Civil Engineers
Through the 2009 New Faces of Engineering nominations, Theo was selected as one of ASCE's Top 10 New Faces of Civil Engineering. Theo serves the City of Fort Lauderdale's $691 million Capital Improvement Water Works 2011 Program, has been the construction manager for city infrastructure projects in congested urban environments, and is a lead resident estimator. His analytic skills were instrumental in evaluating past schedule and manpower requirements for more than 120 projects over a 10-year period, and this analysis is now used to train project managers on innovative techniques for developing staffing predictions. Fluent in three languages, Theo has spent multiple summers helping build one of only three public chemotherapy hospitals in Brazil.
"I became an engineer because I wanted to be a part of creating a safe, healthy, and beautiful environment for our future."
Jessica Prince
Nominee
Business Group: Water Business Group
Professional Society: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Jessica is highly involved in the San Diego Section of ASCE's Younger Member Forum, and has served as Scholarship Chair, Secretary, and participated in Engineering Day, an outreach program for kids to learn more about engineering. She has played a key role in the Golden State Water Company Hydraulic Modeling and Master Plan effort and is her office's representative for the JuMP Network, a network for junior and mid-level professionals in CH2M HILL's WBG.
"The career accomplishment I am most proud of is becoming actively involved in all facets of this great profession. From internal/external networking and outreach, seeking lifelong mentors, and truly enjoying what I do everyday!"
Monica Quinones-Burgos
Nominee
Business Group: Water Business Group
Professional Society: Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
Monica is an active member of the Society of Women Engineers, the Puerto Rico College of Engineers and Surveyors, the Water and Environmental Federation, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. With CH2M HILL she has supported the Capital Improvements Program for the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) Metro Region and was the engineer for a Filter Pilot Study in a Water Treatment Plant for Moores Bridges Water Treatment Plant in Norfolk, Virginia. She has also provided technical support to the City of Suffolk, Virginia's Consent Order Response Program, a regional effort to assess and reduce sanitary sewer overflows. She assisted in the development of a management, operations and maintenance plan on the City of Suffolk Department of Utilities' current practices and identified best management practices to ultimately reduce sanitary sewer overflows and comply with state and federal regulations.
"I became a civil engineer because I wanted to be a creative contributor to society resolving challenges, improving safety, efficiency, effectiveness and quality of infrastructure and at the same time protect the environment."
Stacey Redington
Nominee
Business Group: Energy and Chemicals
Professional Society: Project Management Institute
While still in school, Stacey was the vice president of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and Engineers Without Borders-USA. With CH2M HILL, she has provided electrical designs for multiple facility expansions and office layouts, worked on network field devices in a chemical plant, and designed a Delta-V system using Foundation Fieldbus cards and Turck Brick connection systems. She has helped clients reduce operating costs by designing a lighting system that is monitored and controlled by the site energy management system.
"I became an engineer because I enjoy being challenged to find a different, more economical and cost affective solution to the problems we face everyday!"
Chris Reischman
Nominee
Business Group: Energy and Chemicals
Professional Society: American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Chris is a valuable asset to the Energy and Chemicals group. He works in all aspects of pipeline engineering, from design to coordination of the other disciplines to ensure successful project completion. As a project engineer on a pipeline project, Chris prevented the project from overrunning cost and schedule. He was recently promoted to a lead pipeline engineer. Beyond his work for piping projects, Chris volunteers to help Douglas County School District teachers prepare field trips and activities.
"The career accomplishment I am most proud of is proving myself as a competent project engineer and being promoted to a lead pipeline engineer within 4 years of employment at CH2M HILL."
Scott Rogers
Nominee
Business Group: Energy and Chemicals
Professional Society: American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Scott has served as project engineer and process engineer for large capital projects ($100MM+). One of his recent projects include an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient facility expansion for a company whose products include ingredients for fighting infectious diseases, Cancer, and AIDS. He recently was a key member in designing various phases of an award-winning energy-efficient plant that uses a renewable resource and a biofermentation process to produce a raw material used for applications such as deicing airplanes, cosmetics, and carpet fiber. He enjoys volunteering during EWeek by speaking at local schools.
"The career accomplishment I am most proud of is helping to bring together multi-office multi-discipline project teams on numerous projects to deliver top-notch designs to our clients."
Felicia Wyatt Sanford
Nominee
Business Group: Water Business Group
Professional Society: American Society of Civil Engineers
Felicia is an active volunteer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, spending time volunteering with cleanup programs, fundraising for Water For People, and participating in World Water Monitoring Day. Her commitment to the environment is evident in all of her work, such as in the development of a scenario evaluation tool to provide the most cost-effective solution to protect a water supply reservoir serving more than 1.5 million customers, evaluating optimal outcomes for beneficial reuse of biosolids, and co-authoring a technical paper on the importance of sustainability in the future of wastewater treatment facilities.
"I became an engineer because it is a career that the lives of everyone in the world is affected by or depends on in some way."
Avinash Shekhar
Nominee
Business Group: Water Business Group
Professional Society: American Society of Civil Engineers
Avinash has worked on various innovative water treatment projects in Florida, and has run a microfiltration pilot study and energy evaluation studies. Outside of work, Avinash helped establish the local chapter of Engineers Without Borders-USA, volunteers as an English tutor, and was selected for the leadership program, Global Associates in Naples (GAIN '09) by the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce.
"I became an engineer because I thought it was the perfect bridge that links imagination to reality."
Justin Smith
Nominee
Business Group: Manufacturing and Life Sciences
Professional Society: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers
While with CH2M HILL Justin has assisted in the HVAC design of the corporate headquarters for Dial/Henkel Corporation in Scottsdale, Arizona, which included a number of research and development labs and pilot plants, done to LEED® certification. He also has supported a new solar grade polysilicon production facility in Russia and a carbon fiber production plant in South Carolina. In addition, Justin was one of the first in his department to become proficient in the use of 3-D Computer Assisted Design and has helped to train others on the tool.
"The career accomplishment I am most proud of is the successful testing of an atrium smoke exhaust system that I helped design. A lot of work went into this system that required coordination of different departments. Its successful test run was a major milestone for the project."
Blake Thomas
Nominee
Business Group: CH2M HILL Constructors, Inc. (CCI)
Professional Society: American Society of Civil Engineers
Since joining CH2M HILL in 2005, Blake has been focused on quality. He began his career as a field inspector for civil, structural, mechanical, and electrical projects. Within six months he established a Construction Management Services Program that has since successful supported multiple projects ranging from $2 to $53 million. Blake developed CH2M HILL's "Collier County Emergency Response Plan," which provided the client with facility assessment, permitting, procurement, reconstruction management and oversight, and project controls assistance following a disaster. In his free time, Blake volunteers at recruitment fairs and participates in alumni networks to encourage other students to become engineers and consider a career with CH2M HILL.
"I became an engineer because of the satisfaction of walking away from a concrete work product that serves members of the community."
CH2M HILL is a national sponsor of Engineers Week (EWeek) and a member of the coalition of more than 100 professional societies, major corporations, and government agencies dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers among young students and by promoting pre-college literacy in math and science. New Faces of Engineering is EWeek's flagship recognition program to honor talented young professionals who are making a difference in the profession and the world.
