ASCE New Orleans Branch

Join us for our 2024 Joint Professional Societies Holiday Party! The party is hosted by ACI, APWA, ASCE, CMAA, LA USGBC, SAME, and WTS. Join us for a night filled with fun, networking, and holiday joy! When: Thursday, December 19, 6–9 p.m. Where: Sidecar Patio and Oyster Bar, 114 Constance St, New Orleans, LA Enjoy complimentary drinks and food provided by our sponsors! There is no charge for associated members. (Guests are welcome at $30/person.) Interested in sponsoring? Tier 1- $500 (includes 4 guests and a small logo on banner display) Tier 2- $1,000 (includes 6 guests and a small logo on banner display) Tier 3- $2,000 (includes 8 guests and a small logo on banner display) Register as an attendee or sponsor using the link below: https://lnkd.in/gatePkbu

Join us this Thursday, October 24th, at Wrong Iron for our Open House event! Come meet the various committees of our branch and discover how you can get involved. It’s a great opportunity to network, learn more about our initiatives, and explore ways to contribute. Plus, the first round of drinks is on us! We look forward to seeing you there.

What a year it’s been!? Looking back on my term as ASCE New Orleans Branch, I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who made it so special. A big shoutout to the amazing board members, volunteers, and everyone who pitched in this year. Your energy and enthusiasm made all the difference! I’m excited to see what’s next for our branch and can’t wait to keep supporting the great work you all are doing.

Congratulations to this year’s Undergraduate Scholarship winner, Joseph Mieczkowski (Henry)! Henry was deeply involved with the ASCE and ACI student chapters at UNO, serving as treasurer for both organizations from 2022 to 2023. He participated in the 2022 concrete canoe competition as a rower and took part in the engineering ethics presentation at the 2023 student symposium. In the fall of 2023, Henry transferred to Tulane University to pursue a degree in engineering physics. He has worked as a geotechnical lab technician at Eustis Engineering L.L.C. and interned at Marais Consultants during the summers of 2023 and 2024. He will continue his internship with Marais Consultants throughout the school year.

Congratulations to this year’s President’s Medal Award winner, Adeleigh Smith, PE! Adeleigh is a structural engineer intern with expertise in hydraulic concrete and steel structures, including floodwalls, floodgates, platforms, beams, decks, steel and concrete piles, and more. Her project portfolio includes the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Levee, and the Port of South Louisiana Second Access Bridge. She is also experienced in corrosion assessments and maintains strong client relationships through active engagement. A graduate of Louisiana State University with a BS in Civil Engineering and a Minor in Transportation Studies, she has been involved with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) since 2016 starting with the LSU Student Chapter, then serving as New Orleans Membership Chair from 2022 to 2024 and currently as a Director at Large.

This year’s Wall of Fame Award winner is Silas Cunningham, P.E.! Si moved to New Orleans, in 1963 where he attended Tulane University pursuing his dream of Civil Engineering. He worked for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development while in school. He interned and eventually worked for Gus Perrin moving on to G.A. Heft & Co., where he designed Earhart Expressway. He joined Dixon and Associates becoming a partner in Dixon and Cunningham which later grew to become Brown, Cunningham, and Gannuch. Projects he was involved in included Clearview-Veterans Intersection improvement, Harahan Pump to the River, and Cousins Pumping Station. For over nine years, he worked with Digital Engineering, where he worked on Jefferson Parish infrastructure projects, such as Parish Line Pump Station and Sewer Capital Improvement Program projects. During his 45+ year career, Silas mentored and developed numerous engineers, managers, and technicians. Si was also credited with the concept and design of the Pontiff Playground and Earhart Retention ponds that are still alleviating flooding in Old Metairie. Under his leadership, you were encouraged to think out of the box and find a better way. Si wanted you out of your comfort zone to get his team members to become better engineers.? Si's legacy will forever be cherished, as the countless contributions he made to the Civil Engineering world continue to positively impact our communities. ??

Congratulations to this year's Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Dr. Norma Jean Mattei, P.E.! Dr. Mattei is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of New Orleans. President Biden recently appointed Mattei to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC). She just completed ten years as one of two civilian civil engineer Commissioners on the Mississippi River Commission (MRC), nominated by President Obama. She was 2017 President of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), chairing that organization’s Board of Direction that year. She is currently on the Executive Committee of CROSS-US, on the Board of Governors of COPRI, and locally serves on the ASCE New Orleans’ Chapter of the Structural Engineering Institute, and several non-profit organizations such as the Water Institute of the Gulf, SciHigh, and GNOSTEM. Norma Jean also has served in the past on several National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) committees and task forces, most recently serving as chair of the Board-level NCEES Education Committee and is an Emeritus Member of NCEES. She was named by the Governor of Louisiana to LAPELS, Louisiana’s licensing board for professional engineers, serving as Chairman of the LAPELS Board in 2011-12. She, her husband, two engineer daughters, and an engineer son-in-law all reside in New Orleans.

Congratulations to the Educator of the Year Award winner, Gianna Cothren, PhD, PE! Gianna is an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of New Orleans (UNO) and the recent chair of the department. She first came to New Orleans as a civil engineering student at UNO, joining the ASCE student chapter in 1988, where she became a concrete canoe team member and served as student chapter president. Gianna earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UNO in 1990 and 1993, respectively, and completed her PhD at LSU in 1996. She joined the UNO civil engineering faculty in August 1996 and has taught a variety of courses ranging from sophomore-level Statics to senior-level Hydrology, as well as graduate courses, for 28 years. A licensed professional engineer in Louisiana, Gianna has been the faculty advisor for the UNO ASCE since 1996. Promoting ASCE membership and licensure to young engineers has always been a significant passion of hers. Under her tenure, the student chapter has remained very active, participating in annual conferences every year and hosting events in 2000, 2010, and 2024. She is particularly proud of recently hosting a highly successful Gulf Coast American Society of Civil Engineers Student Symposium, with the support of local ASCE members, alumni, and industry partners.

Congratulations to this year’s Government Civil?Engineer of the Year Award winner, Christopher Dunn, Ph.D., P.E.! Dr. Christopher L. Dunn serves as the New Orleans District Chief of Engineering Division and the District’s Levee Safety Officer. In these roles, he is responsible for leading a team of approximately 250 engineers, scientists, technicians, and other support staff, in preparing quality engineering products in support of the New Orleans District Civil Works program and providing direct oversight of the District’s Levee Safety Program. Dr. Dunn obtained his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Louisiana State University in 1998 and his M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of New Orleans in 2001. Dr. Dunn’s academic pursuits culminated in receipt of his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University in 2013 after completing his dissertation entitled, “Assessing Levels of Reliability for Design Criteria for Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction Structures.” As a direct follow-on to his academic research, Dr. Dunn was the lead author of, “Statistical representation of design parameters for hurricane risk reduction structures,” published in Structural Safety in 2013. In August 2021, Dr. Dunn earned a Certificate in Risk Assessment and Management from the Notre Dame of Maryland University. He has been a licensed Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering in the state of Louisiana since 2002. He is also currently a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Society of American Military Engineers.

Congratulations to this year’s Outreach Award winner, Matt Salmon P.E.! Matt Salmon is a Coastal Engineer and Data Scientist at Freese and Nichols. He has served as the ASCE New Orleans Outreach Chair since 2022 attending and organizing volunteer events with the Girl Scouts, Saints and Pelicans, Louisiana Children’s Museum, and ASCE Student Symposium.