New Jersey Section Volume XXXVII,
Issue 5, April 2011
2010-2011 Section Officers
Peter Singhofen, P.E., M. ASCE
President (Central Branch)
T&M Associates
psinghofen@tandmassociates.com
732.671.6400
Teresa L. Peterson, P.E., C.M.E., M. ASCE
Vice President (North Branch)
Gannett Fleming, Inc.
tpeterson@gfnet.com
908.755.0040
Thomas N. Ott, P.E., M.B.A., M. ASCE
Treasurer (North Branch)
Systra Consulting
tott@systrausa.com
973.873.8752
A. Andrew Feranda, P.E., C.M.E., M. ASCE
Secretary (South Branch)
Shropshire Associates, LLC
aferanda@sallc.org
609.714.0400
Andrés Roda, P.E., M. ASCE
Director (Central Branch)
NJLTAP – CAIT Rutgers University
aroda@rci.rutgers.edu
732.445.3632 x 144
Ted Green, P.E.,
Director (Central Branch)
NJLTAP – CAIT Rutgers University
ted.green@comcast.net
732.445.3632 ext. 149
Kevin Doyle, P.E., M. ASCE
Director (North Branch)
Stantec Consulting
Kevin.doyle@stantec.com
201.587.9040
Robert B. Matthews, P.E., M. ASCE
Director (North Branch)
Gannett Fleming, Inc.
rbmatthews@gfnet.com
908.755.0040
Upendra Karna, D. Eng, P.E., M. ASCE
Director (South Branch)
U&S Engineers, P.C.
ukarna@usengr.com
609.516.3059
ASCE – Staff Contact
Nancy Berson
1801 Alexander Bell Dr.
Reston, VA 201941
703.295.6010
nberson@asce.org
ASCE National Headquarters
1.800.548.ASCE
www.asce.org
President’s Message
Peter Singhofen, P.E., M.ASCE On January 15th we had an
exceptional turnout for the
Future Cities competition held
at Rutgers Livingston Campus.
Special congratulations go to Valley
Middle School, Oakland, New Jersey
who advanced to the finals (for the
2nd straight year) and this year won for the best Future Cities
model. National Engineers Week was last month at Liberty
Science Center where our ASCE volunteers were present
to instruct children of various ages about the application of
engineering in science. I would like to thank all the ASCE
volunteers we had helping with these events.
In January President Obama cited the ASCE National
Report Card in his State of the Union speech. The president
referred to the “Ds” ASCE assigned to the nation’s
infrastructure when he said, “Our infrastructure used to be
the best – but our lead has slipped… Countries in Europe
and Russia invest more in their roads and railways than
we do. China is building faster trains and newer airports.
Meanwhile, when our own engineers graded our nation’s
infrastructure, they gave us a ‘D.’”
In March, NJ-ASCE members will bring the infrastructure
discussion to Washington, DC. A delegation from the NJ
Section will meet with New Jersey Congressmen and Senators
urging appropriate funding for the various infrastructure
areas. We will also inform them of the various infrastructure
legislative bills which are currently pending a vote and our
position on them. You can also have your voices heard.
“Click and Connect with Congress” through ASCE’s website
at http://www.asce.org/Content.aspx?id=7817 and you can
find out about current legislation and let you representatives
know how you feel.
Our next big event will be our Annual Awards Dinner.
Please mark your calendars for Friday, May 6th when the
New Jersey Section will host our annual awards dinner at
the Woodbridge Hilton. Congratulations to all our award
winners and I look forward to seeing many of you there!
Please consider the environment before printing this newsletter
Page 1
37th Annual Awards Dinner
Presented by ASCE NJ Section
Friday, May 6, 2011
Time: Location:
6:00 pm - Reception (cash bar) and Hors D’oeuvres
7:00 pm to 9:30 pm - Awards & Dinner
9:30 pm to 11:00 pm - Entertainment and social time with music.
Woodbridge Hilton
120 Wood Avenue South, Iselin, NJ 08830
(Exit 131A on Garden State Parkway)
Phone: (732) 494-4964
The ASCE NJ Section invites all ASCE Members and Civil Engineering Professionals to our Annual Awards
Dinner to celebrate the accomplishments of our peers and our profession. Awards will be presented as follows:
1. Civil Engineer of the Year - Arthur Linfante, Jr. P.E., HNTB
2. Government Engineer of the Year - Bruce Riegel, P.E., NJDOT
3. Educator of the Year - Dr. Beena Sukumaran — Rowan University
4. Service to the People - Joseph M. Ettore, P.E., P.P., County of Monmouth
5. Young Civil Engineer of the Year - Vijay K. Puppala, E.I.T — Parsons Brinckerhoff
6. Excellence in Management - H. Ali Vaezi, P.E., Dewberry
7. Project of the Year - Route 36 Highlands Bridge over the Shrewsbury River
Owner: New Jersey Department of Transportation, Designer: Jacobs Engineering Group and Hardesty &
Hanover, LLP, Contractor: J.H. Reid General Contractors, Construction Inspection: NJDOT w/GPI
8. Special Presidential Presentation for Service to the Profession and Citizens of New Jersey Michael Barrett, P.E., P.L.S. — Greenman-Pedersen, Inc.
Register & Sponsor On-line!
To register or sponsor go to our secure website http://2011ascenjsectionawards.eventbrite.com.
Major credit card payments are acceptable.
RESERVATIONS:
$90 per person
$850 for reserved tables of 10
SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE:
$250 - Recognition at reception and in the event program
$150 - Recognition in event program
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED:
Deadline for reservations and sponsorship is May 1, 2011.
The Board of the ASCE NJ Section Congratulates All 2011 Award Recipients.
(FOR MORE DETAILS SEE NEXT PAGE)
New Jersey Section Volume XXXVII, Issue 5, April 2011 Page 2
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS
– NEW JERSEY SECTION
37TH ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER
Friday, May 6, 2011
Woodbridge Hilton
120 Wood Avenue South, Iselin, NJ 08830
(Exit 131A on Garden State Parkway)
Phone: (732) 494-4964
Dinner Program:
Ticket and Sponsorship Costs:
Reception (Cash Bar) & Hors D’oeuvres... 6:00 PM
Welcome.......................................................... 7:00 PM
Dinner.............................................................. 7:15 PM
Awards.............................................................. 8:00 PM
Entertainment & Social Time..........9:15 -11:00 PM
Price per Person...................................................... $90
Table of 10 (no recognition in program)........$850*
Sponsorship of Cocktail Reception...................$250
Sponsorship of Dinner.........................................$150
* To sponsor, add during registration process under
‘optional items.’ Program will ask quantity – each
unit is $250 or $150 depending on type chosen.
Register & Sponsor On-line!
ON-LINE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED: The NJ Section is using an on-line registration system for our
Annual Awards Dinner. You can pay with a major credit card or you can mail your check to the below address.
Please note that paying by credit card is the preferred method.
When making reservations please be prepared to designate your dinner selection. Dinner Choices:
A – Filet Mignon B – Chicken Aurora C – Filet of Norwegian Salmon D – Vegetarian – Pasta Primavera
To register, click on the link below or carefully type the address into your internet browser.
http://2011ascenjsectionawards.eventbrite.com
Even if you are paying by check, you must still register on-line. This is a secure website and your personal
information will be kept confidential. During the registration process you will be given a receipt which you can
use for your records.
Deadline is May 1, 2011
Please make your check payable to:
ASCE North Jersey Branch
C/O Mr. Greg Landry, P.E.
Moretrench American Corporation
100 Stickle Avenue
Rockaway, NJ 07866
For questions or additional information please contact Greg Landry (973) 627-2100 or glandry@mtac.com
New Jersey Section Volume XXXVII, Issue 5, April 2011 Page 3
60th Anniversary of Volunteerism!
Engineers week 2011
The 2011 Engineers Week was held on President’s
Day, Monday, February 21st at the Liberty Science
Center (LSC) in Jersey City, NJ. The NJ Section of
ASCE took the lead in organizing the event with
Liberty Science Center, our longtime partner and
host.
Even though we had to start the event one hour
later because of inclement weather, our volunteers
and exhibitors forged on. They didn’t want to waste
the countless hours of hard work in preparing and
setting up for this once-a-year event. This was an
opportunity for our volunteers and exhibitors to
shine. With hundreds of visitors on Monday, we
were able to share our various Engineers Week
sponsored exhibits and displays manned by local
volunteers.
We would like to give special thanks to our
exhibitors: ASCE, Cyberchase (WNET/NY 13),
Team Landroids of NJ FIRST Lego League, NJ
Future City (Heritage Middle School), and NSBECJ Alumni Extension. Pearl Hwang (Willow
Engineering) of Team Landroids from NJ FIRST
Lego League greatly appreciates our effort in
providing them a venue in showcasing NJ State
Championship Winning Teams to the visitors of
LSC. Middle School Teacher, Kenneth Zushma and
his students of Heritage Middle School showcased
three Future City Models that competed at the NJ
Future City Competition last January at Rutgers
University in New Brunswick, NJ.
Engineers Week could not be possible without the
efforts of our volunteers. We would like to thank the
Engineers Make
A World of Difference!
students from Alpha Phi Omega of Stevens Institute
of Technology, who came out in large numbers to
volunteer. They were busy entertaining the visitors
of LSC with the science of flight, buoyancy and the
creativity of creating structures out of marshmallows
and toothpicks.
Lastly, the volunteers and exhibitors would like to
thank Liberty Science Center and Brian Blaney and
his staff for continuing to be our annual host site in
supporting our effort in celebrating Engineers Week
in NJ.
We also like to thank ASCE NJ Section, T&M
Associates, Marsh, and Stump/Hausman Partnership
for their contribution in this year’s event.
We encourage everyone to participate whenever
you can and help increase the awareness to the
(Continued on Page 7)
New Jersey Section Volume XXXVII, Issue 5, April 2011 Page 4
ASCE- New Jersey Section
2011 - 2012 Officer Voting Ballot
The constitution and bylaws of the New Jersey Section entitle each active dues paying, life or honorary, member to
vote for both Section Officers and Directors from his/her particular branch. Please either check the appropriate
box or write in an alternate candidate selection for both the Section Officer List and Directors from your assigned
branch.
Director (Vote for One)
President (2011-2012)
(North Jersey Branch) q
Teresa L. Peterson, PE, CME
VICE PRESIDENT (Vote for One)
Peter Singhofen, PE
(Central Jersey Branch) q
Write-in: ___________________(Central Jersey Branch) q
A. Andrew Feranda, PE
(South Jersey Branch) q
Director (Vote for One)
Write-in: ___________________
(South Jersey Branch) q
Jean Hansen, PE, PMP
(Central Jersey Branch) q
Write-in: ___________________(Central Jersey Branch) q
Treasurer (Vote for One)
Thomas Ott, PE, MBA
(North Jersey Branch) q
Director (Vote for One)
Write-in: ___________________
(North Jersey Branch) q
Kevin Doyle, PE
(North Jersey Branch) q
Write-in: ___________________
(North Jersey Branch) q
director (Vote for One)
Wayne Roorda, PE, MBA
(South Jersey Branch) q
Director (Vote for One)
Write-in: ___________________
(South Jersey Branch) q
M. Golam Kabir, PhD, PE
(North Jersey Branch) q
Write-in: ___________________
(North Jersey Branch) q
Director (Vote for One)
(Central Jersey Branch) q
Andres Roda, PE
Write-in: ___________________(Central Jersey Branch) q
Mail/Fax Ballot to
Secretary:
Andrew Feranda
Shropshire Associates LLC
662 Main Street, Suite B
Lumberton, NJ 08048
aferanda@sallc.org
Fax: (609) 714-9944
Signature: ___________________________________
Printed Name: _______________________________
Membership Number: _________________________
OFFICER ELECTIONS
To be eligible, any write-in candidate must be from the
same Branch as he official candidate and must notify
The Nominating committee has certified to the Secretary the Secretary in writing before the close of the polls of a
its list of one or more candidates, who are subscribing willingness to serve if elected.
members, for each Section office to be filled.
Signed mail or fax ballots are to be
In accordance with the Section Bylaws, the Secretary
has included in this newsletter a mail ballot containing the
list of official nominees and a space for a write-in vote for
another subscribing member candidate for each Section
office to be filled.
returned no later than May 4, 2011, at
which time the polls shall be closed.
Results of the election shall be announced at the Award
Dinner on May 6, 2011. Installation of elected officers will
occur at the Section’s Annual Meeting in October, 2011.
New Jersey Section Volume XXXVII, Issue 5, April 2011 Page 5
Innovation Education Engineers on Wheels
Rowan University
The College of Engineering at Rowan University
has launched an exciting initiative to promote
engineering to K-12 students. The program is titled
“Engineers on Wheels” and includes two vibrantly
colored vans packed with activities to introduce
various engineering disciplines to K-12 students
in South Jersey and beyond, many of whom
would otherwise not have a chance to learn about
engineering — and the world of opportunities
awaiting them in high-tech fields.
The van — “wrapped” with a dramatic
engineering scene — is equipped inside with a
handful of stations with computers and display
panels where the students can view demonstrations
The program was initiated with support from
the Lawrenceville-based Edison Venture Fund and
John Martinson, its managing partner.
If you are interested in sponsoring school visits,
please contact
Deanne P. Farrell
Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations
Rowan University
856-256-5418
farrelld@rowan.edu
on engineering fundamentals and work on projects
that demonstrate various engineering disciplines.
Students also setup tables outside the van to
demonstrate hands on activities such as drinking
water treatment, lip-gloss processing, bridge
building, flight simulations etc.
The effort is being led by Dr. Kauser Jahan from
Civil and Environmental Engineering and Dr. Issam
Hafez Abi-El-Mona, of the Teacher Education
Department at Rowan University.
Schools have limited money for educational field
trips these days. Engineers on Wheels will not only
bring the ‘field trip’ to the students, the project also
will help students learn about a possible career field.
New Jersey Section Volume XXXVII, Issue 5, April 2011 Page 6
4th Annual NJ Region Future City Competition
Oakland’s Valley Middle School Repeats as Winner
This past January the National Engineers Week
Future City Competition held its 4th annual NJ regional
competition. This year’s competition changed venues
from the Busch Campus Student Center at Rutgers to
the recently renovated Livingston Campus Student
Center. Top sponsors of this year’s competition were
the ASCE North and Central Branches, PSEG, Parsons
Brinckerhoff, and the Louis Berger Group.
In the biggest year to date for the NJ Region, over 30
schools from across the state registered approximately
100 teams. Students began working this past
September designing their city of the future and had to
submit: a technical essay, a city of the future designed
using SimCity software, and a scale model of a section
of their city. After two interim submissions, the final
(Continued on Page 8)
60th Anniversary of
Volunteerism! (continued)
wonderful world of engineering. From the continued
record numbers of visitors who let us know that they
appreciate what we do and that they look forward to
Engineers Week each and every year; it is evident
that Engineers Make A World of Difference!
If you would like to get involved with the ASCE
NJ Section Engineers Week, you can reach me via
email at pascual@StumpHausman.com.
Hope to see you all again next year!
Sincerely,
Richard Pascual
2011 ASCE NJ Section Engineers Week Chair
New Jersey Section Volume XXXVII, Issue 5, April 2011 Page 7
4th Annual NJ Region Future City Competition
submission was a formal presentation of their models
at the regional competition.
At the competition students not only presented
their model to judges, but they also received a tour
of the Livingston Campus, and attended an Engineers
Without Borders workshop. Other scheduled events
included a PSEG-sponsored class about energy and
an open booth area to chat with professionals. A
full day for the students culminated with an awards
ceremony, where student teams were competing in 24
categories. Some teams were awarded facility tours
at NJDOT, The NJ Turnpike Authority, NJ Transit,
PSEG and American Water. Others received tickets
for Adventure Aquarium, the Trenton Thunder, and
Six Flags Great Adventure. The top five teams all
received STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering
and Mathematics) Grants, ranging from $500 to
$1,500. Throughout the awards categories students
also received individual prizes ranging from IPods,
Kindles, digital cameras and gift cards.
The top three teams/cities were:
3rd Place – Les Aveugles
Heritage Middle School, Livingston, NJ
2nd Place – Kaiyou-Tomi
William R. Satz Middle School,
Holmdel, NJ
1st Place – Eleebana Wahan
Valley Middle School, Oakland, NJ
(continued)
The first place team received an all-expense paid
trip to Washington D.C. to represent NJ nationally
during Engineers Week, where it competed against
approximately 45 other regional winners and finished
2nd!
For those who volunteered the day of the event,
judged, or served as an engineering mentor, the NJ
Region Steering Committee is deeply grateful for
your efforts and hope you continue to be a part of this
growing and unique competition for middle school
students. If anyone is interested in volunteering for the
competition, we are always looking for professionals
to serve as judges, to mentor schools, and to help
on competition day. The Steering Committee is
also responsible for raising funds to support the
competition, so if your company would be interested
in becoming a sponsor please let us know. We are
always looking to do bigger and better things with the
competition and it requires support!
To learn learn more about the competition please
visit www.futurecity.org, or visit our region website at
http://www.ascenorthjerseybranch.org/futurecity/index.html.
Otherwise please contact Scott Lubarsky, Future City
NJ Region Coordinator at sblubarsky@gmail.com.
New Jersey Section Volume XXXVII, Issue 5, April 2011 Page 8
37th Annual ASCE NJ Section Award Recipients will
be Honored at Dinner on May 6, 2011
Civil Engineer of the Year
Arthur Linfante, Jr. P.E. — HNTB
Mr. Linfante has been named the NJ section
ASCE Civil Engineer of the year 2011. He is a
Senior Manager with HNTB who is responsible for
managing major transportation projects of a complex
and challenging nature, in the field of transportation
and structural engineering. Mr. Linfante has spent 45
of those years working on projects for the New Jersey
Turnpike Authority and primarily as an employee
of HNTB. For more than 20 years, he served as the
bridge department manager in the firm’s Fairfield,
NJ office. During his tenure, all bridge design and
inspection projects were performed under his overall
supervision.
Mr. Linfante has been an influence on the civil
engineering industry for half a century and is making
possibly his biggest impact as the Program Manager
for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority’s Interchange
6 to 9 Widening Program. Since 2006, he has been
at the helm of this major project benefiting countless
citizens of NJ and visitors to the state.
In addition to his efforts for the Interchange 6
to 9 Widening Program, Mr. Linfante has assisted
in supporting NJTA’s endeavors in preparing
documentation for various bond sales to finance
NJTA capital programs. He also assists HNTB with
carrying out their duties and responsibilities as
Consulting Engineers to the NJTA as set forth in the
Turnpike Revenue Bond Resolution.
Mr. Linfante received his B.S. and M.S. from
Newark College of engineering now NJIT.
Government Engineer of the Year
Bruce Riegel, P.E. — NJDOT
Mr. Riegel has been working for the New Jersey
Department of Transportation for nearly 39 years. For
nearly 23 years of this time, he has been responsible
for planning, organizing, monitoring and directing
all work activities necessary (both consultant and
in-house) to complete capital projects. Typical
activities include procurement, development of
and monitoring adherence to project schedules and
budgets, community involvement, coordination of
pre-bid conferences prior to project advertisement,
and resolution of design and construction issues. Mr.
Riegel has served as Project Manager for several large
projects including the $160 million Route 21 Viaduct
project in Newark; the $735 million I-295/I-76/Rt.42
Direct Connection project in Bellmawr, Gloucester
City, and Mt. Ephraim; the $535 million Route 7
Hackensack River (Wittpenn Bridge) project in Jersey
City and Kearny; and the $120 million I-295/Rt.42
Missing Moves project in Bellmawr, Runnemede,
and Deptford. Further, Mr. Riegel has made time
to come and give project presentations at the ASCE
monthly technical meetings.
Mr. Riegel graduated with a BS in Civil
Engineering from Drexel University in 1981. He is a
licensed Professional Engineer in New Jersey and is a
member of ASCE. In recognition of his outstanding
engineering achievements and his contributions
to the engineering profession, Mr. Riegel has been
awarded Government Engineer of the Year by ASCE
Central Jersey Branch in 2001.
Service to People Award
Joseph M. Ettore, P.E., P.P. — County of Monmouth
Mr. Ettore is the County Engineer for the County
of Monmouth. He is a licensed Professional Engineer
and Planner. Mr. Ettore was awarded a Bachelor of
Science in Civil Engineering in 1980 from New Jersey
Institute of Technology where he also did graduate
work in structural engineering, and later business
administration at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Mr. Ettore joined the Monmouth County
Engineering Department in 1983 as an Assistant
Bridge Engineer. Since then, he has been appointed
to several engineering positions, each having
increased technical and managerial responsibilities,
culminating in his appointment to County Engineer
New Jersey Section Volume XXXVII, Issue 5, April 2011 Page 9
37th Annual ASCE NJ Section Award Recipients will be
Honored at Dinner on May 6, 2011 (continued)
by the Board of Chosen Freeholders in 2004.
As County Engineer, Mr. Ettore is responsible
for the overall technical and administrative
supervision of the County’s Division of Engineering
and Traffic Safety, which consists of 70 office,
field and maintenance personnel. He directs the
planning, design, construction and maintenance
of Monmouth County’s extensive transportation
infrastructure, which includes over 380 centerline
miles of roadway, 986 bridge and culverts, 250
traffic signals, and a 1,000 passenger per day
ferry terminal. Mr. Ettore is also responsible for
the establishment of the Division’s operational
budgets and for securing adequate funding for
the advancement of Monmouth County’s Capital
Improvement Program.
Under Mr. Ettore’s direction, Monmouth County’s
Capital Improvement Program includes projects
whose annual estimated value is $25 million
dollars, with current active contracts totaling over
$40 million dollars. Mr. Ettore also oversees the
County’s Annual $3 million dollar Road Resurfacing
Program.
Mr. Ettore has either personally designed or been
responsible for the design of over 250 projects that
have advanced to construction at a total contract
value approaching $ 200 million dollars. Included in
these projects has been the rehabilitation of the Shark
River double leaf bascule bridge, the Bayshore Ferry
Terminal, the CR 526 Bypass, and the Allentown
Bridge and Dam project. He is currently overseeing
the advancement of the $75 million dollar Oceanic
Bridge replacement and a $20 million dollar project
which includes renovations to the Glimmer Glass
Bridge which is listed on the National Inventory of
Historic Places.
Mr. Ettore also serves as a member of the County
Planning Board, and a number of Technical
Advisory Committees, including the Wreck Pond
Watershed and North Jersey Planning Authority
Project Prioritization Committees. In his role with
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
(NJTPA), Mr. Ettore was instrumental in ensuring
that county projects are included for federal stimulus
funding under the 2009 American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act.
Mr. Ettore is also a member of the New Jersey
Association of County Engineers for which
he served as President in 2008. During that
tenure, he established NJSACE’s Transportation
Funding Committee and Legislation Review
Committee. He continues as a member of those
committees advocating for increased and dedicated
transportation funding to facilitate strategic
planning by New Jersey’s 21 counties.
Excellence in Management Award
H. Ali Vaezi, P.E. — Dewberry
Mr. Vaezi has been awarded the Excellence in
Management Award. He is a Senior Vice President
and Branch Manager of Dewberry’s 150-person,
office in Bloomfield, New Jersey. He is a past
President of the American Society of Civil Engineers,
current Chair of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority
subcommittee for NJ American Council of
Engineering Companies, member of the Institute of
Transportation Engineers and American Society of
Highway Engineers. Mr. Vaezi is currently teaching
the transportation portion of the Professional
Engineers course at Rutgers University.
During his 30 years of experience, he has
managed and provided technical guidance, reviews
and supervision on some of the most complex and
challenging projects in New Jersey for a wide range
of transportation projects, including highway,
structural, traffic, water resources, geotechnical,
land surveying and municipal engineering. He is
currently managing a the $130-million design of
three miles of limited access bypass on Route 206
in Hillsborough (currently under construction) and
the feasibility study for the $100-million conversion
of a 1.8-mile section of the Route 29 Freeway to an
urban boulevard in downtown Trenton. Mr. Vaezi
holds a bachelor of science and a master of science
in Civil Engineering from Iowa State University.
New Jersey Section Volume XXXVII, Issue 5, April 2011 Page 10
37th Annual ASCE NJ Section Award Recipients will be
Honored at Dinner on May 6, 2011 (continued)
Educator of the Year
Dr. Beena Sukumaran — Rowan University
Dr. Sukumaran was named the NJ ASCE
Educator of the Year. She has been an extremely
active member of the Rowan Community since she
joined the College of Engineering as a faculty of the
Civil and Environmental Engineering Program. Dr.
Sukumaran has been one of the cornerstones of the
College of Engineering at Rowan University. She
is currently Chair of the Civil and Environmental
Engineering Program. Dr. Sukumaran is a leader
and innovator in the area of civil engineering
education and actively seeks to integrate professional
practice into the curriculum through field trips
to construction sites and professional speaker
presentations are a routine part of her courses. She
values quality undergraduate engineering education
and is extremely dedicated to the success of our
students. Her teaching excellence is evidenced
by her high teaching scores, excellent student
evaluations, publications on engineering education
and past teaching awards. Dr. Sukumaran received
a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering from the
College of Engineering, Trivandrum, India, M.S.
from Auburn University and her Ph.D. from Purdue
University.
Young Engineer of the Year
Vijay K. Puppala, E.I.T — Parsons Brinckerhoff
Mr. Puppala was named the NJ ASCE section
young Engineer of the Year. He is a traffic engineer
at Parsons Brinckerhoff whose focus and experience
to date is traffic engineering and ITS design. In
addition to working on projects, Mr. Puppala
contributes to the civil engineering profession and
society in general with a wide range of volunteer
activities. He actively participates in the ASCE Young
Member Group activities and volunteers at events
like Engineers Week, Future City Competition, and
MATHCOUNTS competition. He also volunteers
for Habitat for Humanity in Trenton, and Meals
on Wheels program with American Red Cross
of Central New Jersey in Princeton. Further, Mr.
Puppala volunteers at the Plainsboro and West
Windsor Township events such as Founders
Day, Senior Citizen Barbeque, Shadow Buddies,
and Halloween party. Also, he is currently being
considered for a volunteer position in the Plainsboro
Boards and Committees. Mr. Puppala is currently
serving as the President Elect for the ASCE Central
Jersey Branch. He has a Bachelors Degree in Civil
Engineering from Nagarjuna University, India and
a Masters Degree from Auburn University. Mr.
Puppala resides in Plainsboro, New Jersey with his
wife Archana.
ASCE Project of the Year
Route 36 Highlands Bridge over the Shrewsbury River
Owner: New Jersey Department of Transportation
Designer: Jacobs Engineering Group and
Hardesty & Hanover, LLP
Contractor: J.H. Reid General Contractors
Construction Inspection: NJDOT w/GPI
The Highlands Bridge is a vital link across the
Shrewsbury River for recreational, residential,
and commercial traffic. It serves as an evacuation
route from Sea Bright and the Gateway National
Recreational Area (Sandy Hook). Built in 1933, the
existing movable double leaf bascule bridge was
classified as “structurally deficient” and “functionally
obsolete.” In 2008 the NJDOT began the $124 million
project for replacement of the Highlands Bridge;
approach roadway and intersection improvements;
new toll plaza at Sandy Hook; pedestrian/bicycle
access paths; two prestressed concrete pedestrian
bridges; landscape improvements; and two concrete
sand filter structures at each end of the bridge.
The new bridge consists of twin precast segmental
concrete box girder structures. A minimum of two
traffic lanes throughout construction was required.
The work was staged with the south structure
constructed first while portions of the existing
bridge remained in service. To minimize rightof-way impacts the bridge was constructed with a
New Jersey Section Volume XXXVII, Issue 5, April 2011 Page 11
37th Annual ASCE NJ Section Award Recipients will be
Honored at Dinner on May 6, 2011 (continued)
slight shift in the alignment. The new navigation
channel was a continuation of the existing channel
and the approach spans merged into the existing
alignment. The new bridge provides two 12-foot
traffic lanes, one 8-foot shoulder/bike lane, and one
8-foot sidewalk in both directions.
Special Presidential Award – Service to the
Profession and Citizens of NJ
Michael Barrett, P.E., P.L.S. — Greenman-Pedersen, Inc.
Mr. Barrett is this year’s recipient of a special
presidential award for Service to the Profession
and the Citizens of New Jersey. He began his career
working on a survey crew for the New Jersey
Department of Transportation. During that time
Mr. Barrett decided to attend engineering school at
night. After receiving his degree, he worked his way
up to Supervising Engineer in charge of construction
and maintenance activities for the NJDOT.
In 1976, Mr. Barrett left the NJDOT and joined
T&M Associates in Middletown, NJ where he
was Vice President, Chairman of the Board and
Manager of the Municipal Division. He later
returned to public service as the County Engineer
for Monmouth County before coming full circle
and joining the NJDOT as Deputy Commissioner
under Hazel Gluck.
Mr. Barrett has dedicated his time to ensuring
the Transportation Trust Fund in New Jersey is
solvent for years to come. He is active with the
Jersey State Association of County Engineers
(NJSACE). He participated in the Governor’s 2003
Blue Ribbon Transportation Committee. He works
with NJ Alliance for Action, the NJ Association of
Counties and many other groups working to create
a sustainable source for transportation funding in
the state.
New Jersey Section Volume XXXVII, Issue 5, April 2011 Page 12