Civil Engineering Institute2011 Annual Report

Civil EngineeringInstitute (CEI)

Civil EngineeringInstitute (CEI)

Chairman’s Letter

February 9, 2012

Dear Members and Friends of the Civil Engineering Institute,

1 Encarta Encyclopedia

Momentum.To many people, momentum is a sports

term describing a team’s temporary condition of having a psychological advantage against theiropponents. Hopefully, most of you reading thisletter think of momentum as one of the founda-tional concepts of engineering science. To thoseof us on the Civil Engineering Institute’s (CEI)Board, momentum defines what is in the handsof the Department of Civil, Environmental andInfrastructure Engineering (CEIE), specifically:“Capacity for progressive development; thepower to increase or develop at an ever-growingpace.1” I am simply amazed at where the CEIE -CEI partnership envisions our program, and themomentum it possesses. In the next decade, ourprogram will:

• attract some of the highest qualified scientific high school students in the world;

• produce some of the world’s finest engineers to build our physical surroundings in a new age;

• be recognized by our federal government as a superior resource for research in infrastructure, construction and design;

• be known globally as part of a university ‘going global’ and for civil engineering leadership throughout the world.

Yes, the CEIE has the power — and is usingthat power — to develop at an ever-growing pace.

On the next page, our Department Chair, Dr. Deborah Goodings will highlight where thedepartment and our students stand today. As youread her report, remember our humble begin-nings and my words above — the power is still growing. The CEI has played a significantrole in this success. In the past year, the membersof CEI have:

• provided the CEIE Department with valuable advice and guidance on the increasingly challenging curriculum;

• held counseling and advisory sessions for students to assist in their career opportunities;

• provided funding for many significant out-of-the-classroom student learning experiences including: Chi Epsilon, ASCE, DBIA, and EfID.

• provided close to $30,000 in scholarship funding in 2011 and 2012, and added to the perpetual Bronzini Scholarship Fund;

• committed to services through three CEI member construction firms — Shirley Contracting Company, Lane Construction Corporation, and Balfour Beatty Construction,confirming the construction of the teach-ing and research laboratory this summer;

• supported fundraising for the laboratory.In addition to these successes, the Directors

of the CEI and other members have receivedgreat satisfaction out of our relationships witheach other and with the students and faculty ofthe Department.

Come join us. Over the coming year we willaddress new challenges as well as those ongoing:

• supporting the department in maintaining its re-accreditation;

• fundraising to purchase advanced teachingand research equipment for the laboratory;

• advising department leadership on curriculum and educational needs;

• supporting further growth of the Engineers for International Development and other learning initiatives;

• offering scholarship development initiatives and funding; and

• providing industry vision for the CEIE’s next level of achievement.

The Board of Directors takes great pride inpresenting this 2011 Annual Report to you. TheInstitute continues to run on a sound fiscal basisand is operated in an open and collaborativemanner. We invite you to join us to be a part ofthe accomplishments, rewards, satisfaction, andfun that we all enjoy.

Best wishes for a happy and successful 2012.

Sincerely,

William G. Fry, PEChairman

Welcome 1

In summer 2012, George Mason University welcomes its sixth president, Dr. ÁngelCabrera, an academic leader, an international

management expert, and an engineer. In a universi-ty that is all about change, with the largest studentpopulation in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Department of Civil, Environmental, andInfrastructure Engineering is eager to enter thisnew stage of development under his leadership.

Since our department graduated its first fourstudents in 1992 under the banner of UrbanSystems Engineering, our trajectory has beensteadily upward. Consider, as one measure, thesize of our undergraduate graduating classesnow. With 50 B.S. graduates in the 2010-2011academic year, we are the third largest civil engineering program in the Commonwealth ofVirginia, and nearing the size of the graduationclass at the University of Virginia. Of the six universities with civil engineering programs in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, weare second in size only to the University ofMaryland. We have emerged, then, as the civilengineering program in the heart of Virginia’seconomic engine, and the Virginia choice forcivil engineering education in the nation’s capital region.

But numbers reveal only a small part of thestory. This annual report provides a snapshot of the department. It describes the outcomes of the hard work of our students and our faculty,both of which benefit from our enviable partner-ship with engineering practice, and the CivilEngineering Institute in particular. These effortshave resulted in:• Expanded curriculum offerings at the under-

graduate level, including a new CEIE HonorsProgram.

• Initiation of a Master of Engineering degreethat combines geotechnical, construction,and structural engineering in a program not offered at any other U.S. university, complementing our existing M.S., Ph.D., and accelerated B.S.-M.S. offerings.

• Introduction of actual senior design projectsinto the curriculum, developed and offeredby adjunct faculty from: Atkins PBS&J, BalfourBeatty Construction, the Washington D.C.Department of Transportation, the

Engineering Groupe, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U. S. Defense NuclearFacilities Safety Board.

• Undergraduate extra-curricular activities thatinclude, for example, a full year of self-direct-ed, intensive engineering effort by studentsto prepare to compete at the University ofWest Virginia in ASCE student competitions;or to travel to the Peruvian Andes to workalongside the villagers of San Isidro toimprove their water supply system.But as proud as we are of our accomplish-

ments, our efforts are focused on where we’reheaded. In the next five years we mean to elevateour status in civil engineering higher educationlocally in the mid-Atlantic states, as well asnationally and globally. This will require invest-ment in faculty development, student scholar-ships, and department facilities, investment thatneeds partners who recognize the huge impactof investment in higher education, and whounderstand the deep satisfaction of creating a lasting university legacy.

Our highest priority this year is to create anew civil engineering laboratory. As the CEIELaboratory Challenge section (pg 6) explains,the laboratory will be built in summer, 2012,through the far-sighted partnership and invest-ment of Civil Engineering Institute membersBalfour Beatty Construction, Lane ConstructionCorporation, and Shirley Contracting Company.But a laboratory without equipment is a job only half done. Even after an equipment grantfrom Dominion Energy Foundation, we have a $470,000 challenge, this year, to open the laboratory to students in fall, 2012.

In our global economy where routine jobsare being steadily outsourced, this department is educating engineers as nimble “knowledge-workers” prepared to evolve and to lead in a profession that in 25 years will be very differentfrom today. Partner with us in this venture.

Sincerely,

Welcome from the Department Chairman

Deborah J. Goodings, Ph.D., P.Eng, F.ASCE, D.GEDewberry Professorand Department Chairman

The Civil Engineering Institute is a nonprofitcorporation registered in the State ofVirginia since 1989, with the purpose

of assisting the Civil, Environmental andInfrastructure Engineering program of GeorgeMason University. The objectives of the CivilEngineering Institute include:

• advising on curricula changes to keep the program on the leading edge of the professional practice;

• providing liaison with the business community for teaching and advising;

• assisting in internship placement for students; • assisting in securing nationally-recognized

faculty by raising private Eminent Scholarsendowments; and

• fundraising for scholarships, student activitysupport, and academic program assistance tosupplement that provided by the university.

Membership in the Civil Engineering Instituteis open to private companies, public agencies, andindividuals, who are committed to the importanceof investing in engineering education. Membersjoin because they are committed to:

• building the CEIE Department;• developing relationships

with CEIE faculty, studentsand industry;

• expanding and sustainingstudent scholarships andeducation; and

• partnering with GMU andindustry leaders in providingemployment opportunities.

In return, Civil EngineeringInstitute members receive thefollowing benefits:

• special invitations to attendstudent and visiting lectures;

• special access to CEIE students and recruitingevents;

• recognition of members as CEIE Departmentsupporters on the CEIE website;

• invitations to social events organized annuallyby CEI Board Members and Committees; and

• oppportunity to earn a seat on the CEIBoard of Directors.

By participating in a variety of CEI andVolgenau School of Engineering activities — academic, leadership, educational and social —companies become integrated into the mostquickly advancing civil engineering program in the Washington DC metropolitan region.

Membership Category Annual DuesIndividuals: $ 150Industry:Under $5 million

in annual revenues $ 500Over $5 million

in annual revenues $1,250Public Services: Those serving population

under 25,000 $ 500Those serving population

over 25,000 $1,250

Mission/Membership2

Member Organizations RepresentativesAmmann & Whitney Mr. Bal CherwooConsulting Engineers, P.C.ATCS, P.L.C. Mr. Bill CaruthersAtkins Ms. Terry SuehrBalfour Beatty Construction Mr. David LaibBowman Consulting, Inc. Mr. Michael BruenCamp, Dresser & McKee Inc. Mr. Thomas McNultychristopher consultants, ltd. Mr. Lou CanonicoR.E. Daffan, Inc Mr. Larry DickensonDewberry Mr. Kurt ThompsonECS Mid-Atlantic, LLC Ms. Tricia SheltonThe Engineering Groupe, Inc. Mr. John S. Groupe, VFairfax Water Ms. Jaime Bain HedgesGeoConcepts Engineering, Inc. Mr. Ted LewisKiewit Building Group Mr. Herb RuessLane Construction Mr. John RoddyParsons Brinckerhoff Mr. Eric UlshPatton Harris Rust & Associates, P.C. Mr. Edward G. VendittiPhoenix Group Mr. Suresh ChukkapalliShirley Contracting Co., LLC Mr. Michael E. PostTri-Tek Engineering, Inc Mr. Kevin MurrayVanasse Hangan Brustlin, Inc. Mr. David BohnWashington Gas Mr. Hardeep S. RanaWetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. Mr. Brian ChromeyWilliam A. Hazel, Inc. Mr. David M. Speed

IndividualsMr. Richard BentonMr. Michael Bronzini, EmeritusMr. Charlie Crowder, Jr., EmeritusMr. Sidney O. Dewberry, EmeritusMr. David DonahueMr. William FryMr. John GastonMr. H.S. Humle, Jr., EmeritusMr. James KirkMr. Peter RigbyMr. Harold L. RodriguezMr. Howell B. SimmonsMr. Joseph Vilseck, IIIMr. Adam J. Volanth

Mission and Membership

The Civil Engineering Institute Board ofDirectors meets regularly to conduct its business, to interact with the Civil,

Environmental, and Infrastructure EngineeringDepartment, and to report on committee activity. Directors are elected by the CivilEngineering Institute membership, and servethree-year staggered terms. The Board elects itsofficers from among its ranks. Mr. William G. Fry,P.E. (Chairman), Mr. Hardeep S. Rana, P.E. (Vice-Chairman), and Dr. Deborah J. Goodings, P.Eng.(Executive Director), were elected in 2011; Mr. Brian Chromey serves as the appointed CEI Treasurer. In January, 2012, Mr. William Fry completes his term as CEI Chairman.

Directors serve on the CEI committees,chaired by the following members of the Board:• Annual Meeting Planning – Mr. Brian Chromey• Alumni Committee – Mr. Harold Rodriguez• Bylaws, Nominating, and Awards –

Mr. Rich Benton

• Civil Engineering Institute Membership – Mr. Kurt Thompson

• CEIE Laboratory Committee – Mr. John Roddy• Curriculum and Programs (and ABET) –

Mr. Larry Dickenson• Internships, Scholarships and Fellowships –

Ms. Jamie Bain Hedges

The Civil Engineering Institute is grateful forthe service of Mr. Adam Volanth and Dr. TerranceRyan who are departing the Board in 2012; and of Mr. Farid Hamad, whose Board positionhas been filled by Mr. John Roddy, also of LaneConstruction. Dr. Ryan’s contribution is of particular note: he left his mark not onlythrough his long time participation on the CEI Board, but also through the central role he played as program administrator of UrbanSystems Engineering in the earliest years of the department’s development.

Board of Directors 3

2011 Board of DirectorsMr. Richard Benton, P.E., FASCE

Mr. Michael Bruen, P.EBowman Consulting, Inc.

Mr. Lou Canonico, P.E.christopher consultants, ltd.

Mr. Brian Chromey, P.E.Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc.

Mr. Larry Dickenson R.E. Daffan, Inc.

Mr. William Fry, P.E.

Mr. John Gaston, P.E.

Mr. John S. Groupe, V, P.E.The Engineering Groupe, Inc.

Ms. Jaime Bain Hedges, P.E.Fairfax Water

Mr. David Laib, P.E.Balfour Beatty Construction

Mr. Kevin Murray, P.E.Tri-Tek Engineering, Inc

Mr. Michael E. PostShirley Contracting Co., LLC

Board of Directors

Mr. Hardeep S. Rana, P.E.Washington Gas

Mr. Peter Rigby, P.E.

Mr. John RoddyLane Construction

Mr. Harold L. Rodriguez, P.E.

Mr. Howell B. Simmons, P.E., L.S.

Ms. Terry Suehr, P.E.Atkins

Mr. Kurt Thompson, P.E.Dewberry

Mr. Eric UlshParsons Brinckerhoff

Mr. Edward G. Venditti, P.E.Patton Harris Rust & Associates, P.C.

Mr. Joseph Vilseck, III, P.E.

Emeritus MembersDr. Michael S. Bronzini, P.E.Mr. Charlie C. Crowder, Jr.Mr. Sidney 0. Dewberry, P.E., L.S.Mr. H. S. Hulme, Jr., P.E.

CEIE Faculty Ex OfficioDr. Tomasz ArciszewskiDr. Michael Casey, P.E.Dr. Sharon deMonsabert, P.E.Dr. Liza Wilson DurantDr. Deborah Goodings, P.Eng.Dr. Mark Houck, P.E.Dr. Laura KosogluDr. Burak TanyuDr. Girum Urgessa, P.E.Dr. Mohan Venigalla, P.E.

Annual Meeting4

CEI Awards Lunchand Annual Meeting

Over 200 people attended the CivilEngineering Institute Awards Luncheonand Annual Meeting on January, 25,

2011, with nineteen firms and individuals spon-soring tables. Guests were welcomed by Mr. BillFry, the Civil Engineering Institute Chairman, andDr. Lloyd Griffiths, Dean of the Volgenau Schoolof Engineering. New Civil Engineering InstituteBoard members were elected; and outgoing and continuing Board members were recognizedfor their service. CEIE Department Chairman, Dr. Deborah Goodings, provided an overview ofthe department’s current status and describedthe department’s ambitions for the next year.

Mr. Bill Fry introduced the distinguished2011 Engineering Excellence and LeadershipAwardee, Dr. Joseph Hartmann, who is responsiblefor the Federal Highway Administration’s bridgeand tunnel research and strategic planning. Hisyears of structural engineering research at theFHWA Turner Fairbank Highway Research Centerhave made him the lead forensic investigatorwhen major bridges in the U.S. experience structural failure, and he has been recognized for that work with the highest level agency-wide awards. In addition to these demands, Dr.Hartmann is a gifted adjunct faculty memberteaching structural analysis to Civil, Environmental,and Infrastructure Engineering students.

GMU Civil EngineeringInstitute 2011 Awards Luncheonand Annual MeetingSpecial Sponsors

Platinum Table SponsorsAccentureDewberryShirley Contracting Co., LLCThe Lane Construction CorporationWilliam A. Hazel, Inc.

Gold Table SponsorsBalfour Beatty ConstructionBohler EngineeringBowman Consulting GroupBurgess & Niple, Inc.christopher consultants, ltdDewberryFairfax Water (2 Tables)Howell B. SimmonsJacobsPB AmericasPBS&J, an Atkins CompanyPHR&AThe Engineering Groupe, Inc.Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc.

CEI Board members gather at the 2011 CEI Awards Lunch.

Enjoying the CEI 2011 Awards Lunch (l to r): Professor Michael Casey, Mr Michael Post, Dr. Joseph Hartmann(honoree), and Mr. Hardeep Rana.

Program Overview 5

The Department of Civil, Environmentaland Infrastructure Engineering (CEIE)enrolled 300 undergraduates in fall, 2011.

With a quarter of all George Mason undergraduatesnow living on campus, the percentage of full-time, residential civil engineering students isgrowing; their median age is falling; and the representation of out-of-state students is increasing.While the Volgenau School of Engineering worksto meet the needs of part-time, working, andmature students, George Mason University is nolonger characterized as a commuter school for

older students. The department has responded tothis growth and this change in student profile by: • launching the CEIE Honors Program in 2011

with its first class of outstanding scholars; • offering a broader spectrum of senior

electives within the framework of a modifiedCEIE curriculum that allows undergraduatesto choose between specializing or remaininggeneral;

• providing greater variety in the culminatingsenior design projects;

• supporting more choices of extra-curricularactivities that build professional development,as well as student camaraderie within thedepartment; and

• raising academic standards for student retention.

These initiatives not only impact CEIE’s ability to recruit and retain talented undergraduates,but they also raise the competitiveness of graduates for the long term benefit of both their careers and their employers.

The Civil, Environmental and InfrastructureEngineering graduate program includes 100 students. George Mason’s prime location inNorthern Virginia is a key advantage, one thedepartment leverages in two respects. First, thedepartment continues to tap into the exceptionalengineering talent in Northern Virginia by inviting

leading engineers in practice, andresearch engineers and scientists at the world-class, yet local, federalresearch laboratories, to join the pro-gram as guest lecturers and adjunct faculty. And second, the departmentattracts both full-time students aswell as practicing engineers eager toupgrade their engineering educationthrough either full-time or part-timestudy.

In 2011, the department’sMaster of Engineering degree wasapproved, complementing the existing

M.S., Ph.D., and accelerated B.S.-M.S. offerings.The M.Eng. GeoConstruct degree integrates thestudy of geotechnical, construction, and structuralengineering into one body of practice-orientedstudy, and is the first of its kind in the UnitedStates. In 2012, the department is turning itsattention to re-envisioning the environmentaland water resources graduate program in coordination with anticipated new faculty hires.Innovation at the graduate level also benefitsundergraduates, making it an excellent time tobe joining the department at all levels of study.

CEIE Academic Program Overview

CEIE undergraduate learning in progress.

In 2011-2012, the department faces a majorchallenge to raise funds to construct andequip a new Civil Engineering Laboratory.

This laboratory is essential for the department toforge ahead, and to take its place in transformingengineering science. With this laboratory, we canexplore how micro-organisms can be injectedinto soil to consume contaminants, or to altersoil properties reducing risk of earthquake-induced liquefaction. We can re-imagine use ofexisting materials for radically new applications,and create new materials which are self-healing,for use in building construction or in prosthetics.We can develop students’ critical thinking, andtheir understanding of scientific inquiry. We canunleash independent study, underpin studentdesign projects, and provide the essential foundation to both applied and fundamentalresearch.

The transition from vision to reality is alreadyunderway. A 1,250 square-foot laboratory in theheart of the CEIE Department will cost $450,000to renovate, and $550,000 to equip. Through thefar-sighted partnership and investment of Civil

Engineering Institute members Balfour BeattyConstruction, Lane Construction Corporation,and Shirley Contracting Company, the laboratoryconstruction will be completed in summer, 2012.But a laboratory without equipment is a job onlyhalf done. Even with an equipment gift fromDominion Energy Foundation, $470,000 remainsto be raised this year, to open the laboratory to students in fall, 2012.

To explore opportunities for a partnershipthat will complete our laboratory, a laboratorythat will impact hundreds of civil engineeringstudents at George Mason University, and anopportunity to leave a lasting legacy in theDepartment of Civil, Environmental, andInfrastructure Engineering, contact the CEIEDepartment Chairman, Dr. Deborah Goodings, at goodings@gmu.edu.

CEIE Laboratory Challenge6

CEIE Laboratory Challenge

CEIE students testing water quality at the Mason Pond.

In 2011, the Civil, Environmental, andInfrastructure Engineering Departmentimplemented the CEIE Honors Program

to create a community of high-achieving civilengineering undergraduates in the mostdemanding honors program at George MasonUniversity. CEIE Honors students are required to complete the same number of credits as othercivil engineering B.S. graduates, but they mustalso: retain a high GPA; complete 18 credit hours of honors courses; and select between anadvanced business communications course anda risk communication course in their senior year.Honors programs are proven to be effective inboth recruiting outstanding students, and moti-vating them to continue to strive for excellence.

The Civil Engineering Institute is the depart-ment’s partner in recognizing outstanding CEIEstudents by awarding scholarships. In 2010-2011,they awarded $9,700, and in 2011-2012, theyawarded $18,500 in scholarships to the following students who distinguished themselves academically.

Undergraduates:Seniors (2010-2011):• Trevor Hughes, CEI Scholar• Matin Kheyrani, CEI Scholar• James Milliken, CEI Scholar

Juniors (2011-2012):• Zachary Malone, CEI Scholar• Anh Nguyen, CEI Scholar• Quan Ton, CEI Scholar

Sophomores (2011-2012):• Trevor McGahey, PHRA-Bronzini Scholar• Kelsey Ryan, CEI Scholar• Robert Williams, CEI Scholar

Graduate students (2011-2012):• Chris Dean, CEI Scholar• Tracy Xi Zhou, CEI Scholar• Moustafa Ibrahim Awad, CEI Scholar

In addition to these Civil EngineeringInstitute Scholars, the Volgenau School ofEngineering recognized the following CEIE students with named scholarships in 2011-2012:

• Perry Buckley, Armed ForcesCommunications and ElectronicsAssociation

• Christopher Evans, Knowledge ConsultingGroup

• Carlos Flores-Garay, McKimmens Scholarship• Gina Goettler, Engineering Dean’s

Scholarship• Zachary High, A. James Clark Scholarship

Scholarships 7

Recognizing Scholarship

Senior Design Project presenter,Moustafa Ibrahim Awad.

Research8

The department’s requirement that M.S. students complete independent projectsor theses at the completion of their

studies is consistent with the university’s emphasison developing independent research skills andcritical thinking. Increasingly undergraduates arealso asking to engage in research, and with theprospect of a new CEIE laboratory, more oppor-tunities will become available. The followingwork was presented by M.S. students in 2011,projects that provide insight into the interests of our students, and of the faculty.

• Ezgi Acur, Do Existing MSE Wall DesignProcedures Capture Creep Effectively?

• Mohammad Bilal Alsarayreh, FloodplainMapping for Cameron Run

• Lenin Andrade, BIM Based Cost Estimating• Phillipe Douthard, Stability of Rebar Cages

during Construction• Andrew Fix, BIM/GIS: Information exchange• Gary Gardner, Virginia Dam Safety Optimal

Spillway Design• Lindsay Gardner, Methodology for Analyzing

Traffic Impact Analysis• Mona Kaim, Stream Restoration Effects

on Nitrogen Reduction• Chris Lett, Carbon Abatement Strategies

for Time Warner• Colin Maloney, Analysis of Blast Parameters

on Biomechanical Systems

• René Mariscal Valenzuela, Expansive Soils and Lime Stabilization in Northern Virginia

• Benyamin Marks, Cub Run Recenter: Water Balance Analysis

• Michael McCarn, The Impacts on thePiscataway Wastewater Treatment Plant Due to Increasing Precipitation and Its Effect on Inflow and Infiltration

• Scott Remer, Piedmont – Tidewater RainGarden Project

• Prutha Rueangvivatanakij, Assessment of Carbon Impact from Public Transit

• Hoa Vinh Quach, SustainabilityImplementation and Achievements inArlington County

• Dan Wolfe, Implementing a Microbial Cell at a Waste Water Treatment Plant

Research Highlights

CEIE student teamwork

CEIE students at work in theSenior Design Studio.

International Initiatives 9

International Initiatives

GPS Location: latitude:-3.2435; longitude:-72.92953. That is the email messagereceived for each of the six days in

January, 2012, when the GMU Engineers forInternational Development team was working in the Amazon region of north eastern Peru. Itconfirmed both their location and their wellbeing.

Dr. Barry Liner, the GMU Director ofInternational Engineering Programs, co-led asmall team with Dr. Michael Gilmore, a GMUethno-biologist, that included two students: CEIE undergraduate, Gabriel Stonebraker, andSociology major, Leslie Temple. They are theassessment team to evaluate the water and sanitation needs of the remote, indigenousMaijuna people of Peru, and to determine thefeasibility for implementing appropriate engi-neering infrastructure to address those simpleneeds. If they develop a plan that meets theneeds and wishes of the Maijuna villagers; that is feasible and sustainable from an engineeringpoint of view; and at the same time, that is suitable for a team of students to design and build, living and working side by side with the villagers, this project will become anotherGMU Engineers for International Developmentproject. The Maijuna project builds on the great success of the first GMU Engineers forInternational Development project, completedonly last summer, 2011. That project is describedin the Student Group Activities section (pg 10)of this CEI report, led, again, by Dr. Liner.

While few people would dispute the importance of re-affirming to college studentsthe value of community service, these GMUEngineers for International Development projectshave a profound effect on students, from thepoints of view of developing their engineeringskills; of developing deep pride in being engineers;and of developing confidence in their ability to be global citizens, global engineers, and globalAmericans.

At the faculty level, global interests are alsoapparent, and encouraged by the Provost’s support for international initiatives. In 2010 and 2011, Dr. Thomas Arciszewski carried theCEIE flag abroad as he lectured on InventiveEngineering in Italy, Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland,Singapore, Taiwan, and Britain, as well as oversee-ing publication of his book, Successful Education:How to Educate Creative Engineers, in Chinaand Poland. The ongoing expansion of CEIE program offerings will dovetail well with recentlysigned memoranda of understanding with foreign universities — more than one throughthe efforts of Dr. Arciszewski — to increaseexchange of scholars.

The Volgenau School of Engineering has also begun to receive undergraduates from theChinese University of Southwest Jiaotong inChengdu, and that university has requestedopportunity for their students to study civil engineering in the CEIE Department. Chinesestudents in this program complete their first andfinal undergraduate years at the University ofSouthwest Jiaotong, but spend their middle yearsat GMU, to receive two degrees: one from Chinaand one from George Mason University. Thisprogram is the result of a sustained effort fromthe university’s Office of Global Strategies.

Dr. Barry Liner explaining water quality issues with

Maijuna tribes people, Peru.

Student Group Activities10

Student Group Activities

CEIE students distinguished themselvesagain this past year with the energy theyinvest in professional development out-

side the classroom, taking ownership of activityin a range of student chapters. Many of theseactivities are underwritten with funding fromthe Civil Engineering Institute.

The GMU chapter of Chi Epsilon, the nationalcivil engineering honor society, headed byMariana Cruz in 2010-2011, and DanielLavarnway, in 2011-2012, inducted 16 new students into its ranks in 2011, bringing the total number of GMU members to 57 since itscreation in May, 2010. Chi Epsilon’s travel to LosAngeles in spring, 2012, to attend the biennialconclave meeting, and to purchase the distinctivewhite stoles that Chi Epsilon students wear atgraduation in May, were both supported by theCivil Engineering Institute.

In November, 2011, nine GMU CEIE seniors andM.S. students were joined by two graduates ofVirginia Tech to take the oath of the Order ofthe Engineer, led by Harold Rodriguez, CEIEalumnus, Civil Engineering Institute member, andCEIE adjunct faculty member. The oath sets forthan ethical code of professional integrityfor engineers, requiring members toshoulder their responsibility to serveand to protect the public in their engineering practice. This was the second year for this now annual ceremony at GMU.

The GMU chapter of Design-BuildInstitute of America (DBIA) was ledby student president Kristen Stevens, in 2010-2011, and by Matin Kheyrani, in 2011-12. Student membership hasgrown, and the chapter has been proactive in sponsoring leading design-build professionals as guest speakers,frequently working in concert with the DBIA parent chapter. The CivilEngineering Institute also supported thechapter, subsidizing student travel for

two field trips. In May, 2011, twelve DBIA members and their faculty advisor, Dr. MikeCasey, traveled to New York City for a tour of,and lecture about, the World Trade Center re-development and the Transit Hub hosted bySkanska Civil USA. And in October, 2011, sevenmembers of the chapter traveled to Orlando, FLfor the National DBIA Conference andExhibition.

The Society of American Military Engineers(SAME) student chapter, this year headed by student president Carlos Flores-Garay, benefitsfrom its close relationship with its SAME parentchapter at Fort Belvoir, and its very active GMU student membership. The student chapter supported the April, 2011, lunch at Mason Inn,co-sponsored by the SAME parent chapter andthe Civil Engineering Institute, with GMU VicePresident for Facilities, Mr. Tom Calhoun, asspeaker, preceded by a review of studentrésumés by SAME members; and they hosted alunch in October, 2011, featuring guest speaker,Mr. Eric LaRocque from Dewberry, who spokeabout water reuse in Fairfax County. InNovember, 2011, they joined with the ASCE

DBIA students on their field trip to New York.

Student Group Activities 11

student chapter to organize a career fai for civil engineering students, to help CEIE students connect with potential employers. They organizedtwo outreach efforts: one, visiting ThomasJefferson High School for Science and Technologyin Alexandria in February for Engineering Day to communicate their excitement about civilengineering; and the other in support of theRelay for Life, in which they raised $500 for the American Cancer Society.

In summer, 2011, GMU’s Engineers forInternational Development (formerly theInternational Engineering Group) undertooktheir first implementation project installing two10,000 litre water storage tanks in San Isidro, a village in the Peruvian Andes, not far fromMachu Picchu, but 3000 feet higher in elevation.The team worked with the villagers to hoist the two 500-pound tanks to the installation site,where they were connected to the existingwater system fed by a natural spring. The studentteam leader was CEIE senior student SeanO’Bannon, who worked through the precedingacademic year on design, logistics, and fund raising with CEIE undergraduates and fellowtravellers, Jim Milliken, Trevor Hughes and JohnGuenther; guided and accompanied by Dr. BarryLiner, ECS Mid-Atlantic engineer, Joanna Vivanco,and Prince William County Service Authorityengineer, Katty Overcash. The team also benefittedover the year from the frequent design assistanceof several local, practising engineers.

The comments of John Guenther capturetheir experience: “Nothing on the project wentaccording to plan, but everything went right. Welistened to the advice and input of the villagersand strove to fulfill their expectations, evenwhen that meant throwing out some of our preconceived notions about how the projectwould progress. Creativity in the face of limitedresources and flexibility in a challenging workenvironment were the keys to success. Amongthe most gratifying moments of the trip wasarriving at the work site to find thirty communitymembers—out of a total population of only onehundred—already working at digging out a placefor a slab and clearing rubble. They took owner-

ship of their project and in their characteristicallygracious manner accomplished what needed tobe done. It was very humbling. The trip was a great experience. I learned a lot about dealingwith people, about effective leadership, andabout the world outside America.”

The San Isidro project was supported fromseveral sources, including the GMU Provost’sOffice; the Civil Engineering Institute; the FairfaxCounty Department of Public Works andEnvironmental Services; and separate studentfundraising events including one assisted by the Embassy of Peru. A return to San Isidro isplanned to pursue a follow-up project, and anassessment trip for another project in north eastern Peru — described under InternationalInitiatives (pg 9) — was completed in January,2012.

2011 has been a remarkable year for the GMUstudent chapter of the American Society ofCivil Engineers with increased membershipand a new record for participation in ASCE activities. Throughout 2011, students met regularlyto plan events, tours, service projects, fundraisingand GMU’s participation in the Virginia RegionalASCE Student Conference, under the leadershipof Moustafa Ibrahim Awad, student president in2010-2011, and Jordan Dively, president in 2011-12.

San Isidro (Peru) villagers andCEIE Engineers for InternationalDevelopment lift a new water tankinto place.

CEIE Engineers for International Development are welcomed by the San Isidro (Peru) leadership.

Student Group Activities12

Student Group Activities, continued

Tours of local major civil engineering projectssuch as the Bayview Office Building, the I-495Hotlanes and the Blue Plains Water Treatmentplant were highlights for the students. Thesetours enable students to envision how their the-oretical knowledge is applied to projects of localimportance. ASCE students also participated in aboat tour and field study of the Chesapeake Bay.The field study afforded students an opportunityto conduct water quality analyses and to under-stand application of their knowledge of environ-mental engineering processes.

ASCE students participated in service projectssuch as the ASCE Family Day at the NationalBuilding Museum and the Washington, DC,Boundary Stones project. They served the CEIE Department by meeting with prospectivefreshman, serving on the CEIE UndergraduateAdvisory Board, and leading CEIE students toparticipate in activities that reinforce their academic studies.

In November, 2011, the student chapterorganized the fifth annual ASCE CivilEngineering Career Fair, in coordination with theGMU SAME student chapter, generating revenueto support forthcoming events and travel for student members. Eleven companies, includingseveral Civil Engineering Institute member companies, attended the fair and recruited CEIEstudents for summer internships and entry-levelpositions.

In April, 2011, the ASCE student chapter fieldedits third student team to attend and compete atthe Virginia Regional ASCE Student Conferenceheld at West Virginia University, accompanied bytheir faculty advisor, Dr. Liza Durant. The GMUteam was matched against engineering schoolsfrom the Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington,DC area in competitions related to AutoCAD, sur-veying, sustainable development, environmentalengineering and general engineering knowledge.The highlight of the conference was GMU’s participation in the steel bridge design and buildcompetition, an effort which takes the betterpart of an academic year to design, and to prac-tice assembling. The team logged in the fastestbuild time in the competition, although thebridge was eliminated from the finals due to asmall design shortcoming associated with thenew requirement for a cantilever in this year’scompetition. The GMU team was supported byCives Steel of Winchester, VA, who supplied andfabricated the steel for the bridge according to the student detailed design; and by Patton,Harris, Rust & Associates who provided surveyingequipment. ASCE student members are already at work on their design for the next steel bridgecompetition scheduled in March, 2012, atVirginia Tech.

The GMU Student Chapter of ASCE gratefullyacknowledges the generous support of its partic-ipation in the Virginia Regional Conference bythe Civil Engineering Institute.

CEIE students testing Chesapeake Bay water qualityon the ASCE boat trip.

Members of the ASCE Steel Bridge team.

New Faces 13

New Faces in the Department

The Department bid farewell in 2011 toDr. Aimee Flannery, associate professorof transportation engineering; she has

moved to Denver where she is engaged in consulting and continues to expand her research.Dr. Flannery joined the department in 1999 andbrought important research and teaching expert-ise in the areas of highway operations and safety,as well as performance measurement. During hertime at GMU, she developed new transportationengineering courses for the department at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Sheworked collaboratively on research with facultyin the GMU School of Public Policy and theDepartment of Psychology. As the department’sGraduate Coordinator, Dr. Flannery managed the process to create the Civil and InfrastructureEngineering Ph.D. program, distinct from theVolgenau School of Engineering-wide programunder which the department previously graduated its Ph.D.’s.

Dr. Laura Kosoglujoined the CEIEDepartment as an assis-tant professor in August,2011. Dr. Kosoglu is ageotechnical engineerwhose Ph.D. research at Virginia Tech focusedon the experimentalstudy of factors thatinfluence clay behaviorfor time-dependentprocesses such as sec-ondary compressionand shear deformation.That research, while

very fundamental, also relates to the predictionof slippage along fault lines that may lead toearthquakes. In addition, Dr. Kosoglu has con-ducted research focused on the use of geofoamto reduce lateral earth pressures on retaining

walls as well as on the integration of dispersednano-iron slurries with electrokinetics to remedi-ate soils. She brings to the classroom her geot-echnical consulting experience as well as herwork as a water resources engineer. In additionto teaching, she is advising the GMU studentchapter of the Societyof American MilitaryEngineers and is a keymember of the newCEIE laboratory plan-ning team, a facilityshe will be using inboth her teaching andher research.

Dr. Burak Tanyu alsojoined the CEIEDepartment in August,2011 as an assistantprofessor. He is a geo-logical/geotechnicalengineer whose Ph.D.research at Universityof Wisconsin-Madison focused on use of industri-al by-products and geosynthetics to constructworking platforms and sub-base for flexiblepavements. Between his Ph.D. graduation and hisreturn to academics in 2011, Dr. Tanyu was a senior engineer for eight years in the Chicagooffice of the consulting firm, Geosyntec, wherehe focussed on landslide mitigation, site charac-terization and design of residual waste landfillsfor power companies, and design of earth retaining structures. Dr. Tanyu is a core facultymember in the new Master of Engineering pro-gram, teaching in the areas of groundwater andgeo-environmental engineering; earth retainingstructures; slope stabilization; and geotechnicaldata analysis in design. He is developing researchin reinforced soil structures and in landslideanalysis, both of which will benefit greatly by the creation of the new CEIE laboratory.

Dr. Laura Kosoglu

Dr. Burak Tanyu

Faculty14

Faculty

Full-time faculty are the backbone of theCivil, Environmental, and InfrastructureEngineering Department, teaching classes;

advising students; overseeing student chapteractivity; conducting research; envisioning newcurricula; serving in leadership roles in civilengineering professional societies; and adminis-tering a program for 400 students. These out-standing faculty include:

• Tomasz Arciszewski, Professor. Ph.D., WarsawUniversity of Technology.  Expertise: structuraland inventive engineering; education; international engineering.

• Michael Casey, P.E., Assistant Professor. Ph.D.,University of Maryland. Expertise: construction and project management;building information modeling; geographic information systems.

• Sharon deMonsabert, P.E., AssociateProfessor. Ph.D., Purdue University.Expertise: environmental engineering;sustainability; energy.

• Liza Wilson Durant, Assistant Professorand Associate Department Chairman.Ph.D., The Johns Hopkins University.Expertise: environmental engineering,bioremediation, contaminantfate/transport, water treatment.

• Deborah Goodings, P.Eng., F.ASCE, D.GE.,Dewberry Professor of Civil Engineeringand Department Chairman. PhD, CambridgeUniversity. Expertise: geotechnical engineering;extreme geotechnics; international development engineering.

• Mark Houck, P.E., F.ASCE., D.WRE, Professor.Ph.D., The Johns Hopkins University.Expertise: water resources; infrastructuresecurity; water management.

• Laura Kosoglu, Assistant Professor. Ph.D.,Virginia Polytechnic Institute and StateUniversity. Expertise: geotechnical engineering;water resources; geo-environmental engineering.

• Burak Tanyu, Assistant Professor. Ph.D.,University of Wisconsin. Expertise: geotechnicalengineering; engineering geology; geo-envi-ronmental engineering.

• Girum Urgessa, P.E., Assistant Professor. Ph.D.,University of New Mexico. Expertise: structuralengineering; computational mechanics; composite materials

• Mohan Venigalla, P.E., Associate Professor.Ph.D., University of Tennessee. Expertise:transportation engineering; transportationplanning; transportation air quality.

Director of International Engineering Programs:• Barry Liner, P.E., LEED GA. Ph.D., George

Mason University. Expertise: sustainability,water resources, international development,engineering management.

Professor Mark Houck advises a CEIE student.

Faculty 15

Research Faculty:• Michael Bronzini, P.E., F.ASCE, Emeritus

Dewberry Professor. Ph.D., Pennsylvania StateUniversity. Expertise: national transportationnetworks; transportation security; remotesensing.

• K.T. Thirumalai.  Dr.Ing., Freiberg TechnicalUniversity (Freiberg Academy), Germany.Expertise: Multimodal transportation; innovation policy; infrastructure systems;engineering mechanics .

Adjunct Faculty:The prime location of George Mason Universityin the Washington, D.C. area enables the depart-ment to recruit outstanding leaders in engineer-ing practice and in research to enhance the CEIEprogram. They enrich the curriculum as guestlecturers, and by service on academic and careerpanels, and many of those volunteers are mem-bers of the Civil Engineering Institute. The mostcommitted of these join the department as part-time, adjunct faculty taking full charge of a course,beginning to end, preparing and delivering lectures, grading assignments, and engaging withstudents to bring them insights distilled fromhigh level practice. This demanding and under-paid gift to CEIE students, and ultimately to civilengineering practice, is a signature aspect of theprogram, and as such we recognize and thankthe following professionals who joined thedepartment as adjunct faculty in 2011:

• Ms. Melany Alliston-Brick, CH2M Hill• Mr. Rich Benton, SR Benton & Associates, LLC• Mr. David Binning, Applied Engineering

Management Corporation• Dr. Carlos Coronado, Bechtel • Mr. David Donahue, Arlington County

Department of Environmental Services• Mr. Matthew Doyle, Fairfax County

Department of Public Works &Environmental Services

• Mr. Alex Faghri, Virginia Department ofTransportation

• Dr. Gary Greene, Professional ServiceIndustries (for Federal HighwayAdministration)

• Dr. John Halkias, Federal HighwayAdministration

• Dr. Matthew Hardy, American Association ofState Highway and Transportation Officials

• Dr. Joseph Hartmann, Federal HighwayAdministration

• Dr. Firas Ibrahim, Federal HighwayAdministration

• Mr. Sean Kennedy, BEI Structural Engineers• Dr. Michael Krimmer, Northern Virginia

Community College• Mr. David Laib, Balfour Beatty Construction• Mr. Michael Loulakis, Esq., Capital Project

Strategies• Ms. Genelle McDonald, Balfour Beatty

Construction• Ms. Laura Miller, Global Engineering

Solutions (for US Army Corps of Engineers)• Mr. John Moore, independent consultant• Mr. Ronaldo Nicholson, D.C Department

of Transportation • Dr. Tae Oey, independent consultant• Mr. Dean Randall, HydroLogics, Inc.• Mr. Duane Reger, Trademasters Service Corp• Mr. Harold Rodriguez, Jacobs Engineering• Ms. Kathie Stein, Esq., Environmental

Protection Agency• Mr. Paul Swanson, Facility Engineering

Associates, P.C.• Mr. Harry Ward, Harken-Reidar, Inc.• Ms. Anna Wolgast, Esq., Environmental

Protection Agency

CEIE students see how steel is fabricated at theArlington Iron Works (photo: Sean Kennedy).

Financial Report16

Financial Report

The consolidated Treasurer’s Report forFY2011 appears opposite, covering theuniversity’s fiscal year from July 1, 2010

to June 30, 2011.The upper portion of the report shows the

Civil Engineering Institute operating account.Institute income is derived principally from CivilEngineering Institute membership dues, and theAnnual Meeting Luncheon. Foundation expensesare shown below that. The CEI allocated $19,400for student group activities, senior design dinners,and graduation gifts; $13,450 on scholarships,including $3,750 transferred into the BronziniScholarship endowment account; $1,974 onbrochure development and printing; and $706on meeting and miscellaneous expenses.

The lower section of the report shows thestatus of the three Civil Engineering Institutescholarship endowment funds. Endowed schol-arship funds are invested by the George MasonUniversity Foundation, and distributions are permitted only when the account value exceedsthe original gift value. The CEI Scholarship

account value was slightly above gift value onJune 30, 2010, and the PHRA (Patton, Harris, Rust& Associates) Scholarship fund remained belowthe original gift; distributions were not drawnfrom either account in FY2011. The CivilEngineering Institute Bronzini Scholarship Fund,which requires a minimum balance of $25,000before distributions can be made, exceeded thatthreshold with the transfer of $3,750 of CEIscholarship funds into that account. The marketvalues of two of the three accounts were abovetheir gift values as of June 30, 2011, making distributions available in FY2012.

Once again the Civil Engineering Institutehas handled its funds conservatively, positioningit to address three priorities in FY2012. Theseinclude scholarship awards; continuing supportfor student group activities; and outfitting of an essential materials testing undergraduate laboratory. The department is grateful for theimportant ongoing support of the CivilEngineering Institute.

View of Word Trade Center siteand new 9/11 memorial

under construction.

Financial Report 17

George Mason University Civil Engineering InstituteConsolidated Treasurer's Report FY 2011

CEI Account

Opening Balance $ 50,016.11Income Member Dues $27,075.00

Contributions $ 510.00CEI Annual Meeting $17,900.00Total $45,485.00

Total Funds Available $ 95,501.11

Expenditures GMUF Administrative Fees (6% of income) $ 2,718.30 Meeting Expense $ 486.93 Graduation Luncheon $ 875.00CEI Annual Meeting $10,524.45 Student Travel $18,525.26Brochures, Posters, Reports $ 1,973.61Scholarships $13,450.00Other $ 218.65Total $48,772.20

$ 46,728.91

Endowment Funds

CEI PHRA BronziniScholarship Scholarship Scholarship

Gift Value $ 87,041 $ 37,727 $ 23,950Contributions during FY 11 - - $ 4,100Market Value June 30, 2010 $ 87,525 $ 32,795 $ 19,850 Net Earnings, FY 11 $ 2,673 $ 3,165 $ 2,684

Distribution for current use* - - -

Market Value June 30, 2011 $ 90,198 $ 35,960 $ 26,634

Civil EngineeringInstitute (CEI)

Department of Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure EngineeringThe Volgenau School of EngineeringGeorge Mason UniversityMSN 6C1Fairfax, Virginia 22030

703-993-1675 phone703-993-9790 faxwww.civil.gmu.edu

On the cover:CEIE Engineers for InternationalDevelopment students celebrate project completion in San Isidro, Peru.