2022 ASCE Minnesota Awards Banquet

Please join us for our annual Awards Banquet on April 21st at the Delta Hotel in Minneapolis! We will feature our Section and Committee activities for the year, honor students from the University of Minnesota, Minnesota State University (Mankato), and University of St. Thomas for academic achievement and service to ASCE, recognize ASCE-MN section members who have won awards, and present new ASCE Life Members with certificates of this achievement. Join us for an evening of celebration and networking as we reflect back on the past couple years of civil engineering achievements and look forward to the many new opportunities in store for our industry!

Our Keynote Speaker for this event will be MNDOT Interim Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger, PE. Nancy has worked for the Minnesota Department of Transportation for over 22 years, in engineering and management positions. Nancy was appointed Deputy Commissioner and Chief Engineer in December 2019. Prior to her current role, she served as the Assistant Commissioner for Engineering Services, and the State Bridge Engineer.

5:00pm - 6:00pm, Social Hour (hosted appetizers and drink ticket, cash bar)

6:00pm - 7:00pm, Dinner (3-course plated meal)

7:00pm - 8:30pm, Presentation & Awards Program

Please use the link below to register for this event. We look forward to spending an evening together celebrating our many civil engineering achievements!

Registration Fees:

ASCE Members - $30

Non-members - $40

Students - Free

Life Members and Award Recipients - Free

NOTE: Our payment system is currently down so those who register before it is restored will be charged at a later date.

Register

Innovative Applications using TDA - Additional Resources

Thank you to all who attended our March joint Section Meeting with the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME)! TDA Manufacturing and our speaker, Monte Niemi appreciated the opportunity to speak to our group about the various civil engineering applications of tire-derived aggregate, or TDA.

Below is a link to an additional video resource provided by TDA manufacturing that expands on some of the topics they covered. Feel free to check it out and contact tdamanufacturing@gmail.com with any questions you may have!

Governor Walz’s Capitol Budget Bill Prioritizes Infrastructure

St. Paul, MN—Governor Tim Walz released his $2.7 billion 2022 capitol budget bill to the public on Tuesday, January 18th. Of the numerous appropriations in the bill, over $560 million was set aside for various infrastructure projects including $90 million for local road grants, $200 million for bridges, and $200 million for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. The Governor’s bonding proposal includes a combination of General Obligation Bonds, Trunk Highway Bonds, and cash.

“The priorities in this bonding bill are an important start to make the infrastructure investments that are needed,” said Andrew Nordseth, President of the Minnesota Chapter of ASCE. “We have the opportunity to begin to close the infrastructure gaps that exist across the state. As our current infrastructure ages, costs will continue to rise. Investments are needed now and need to continue into the future.”

The Minnesota Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is in the process of developing a 2022 Report Card for Minnesota’s Infrastructure. This report card examines all sectors of infrastructure across the state and assigns grades based on several criteria. The report will update the 2018 Report Card for Minnesota’s Infrastructure, which identified significant gaps across nine key areas including roads, bridges, and wastewater. The 2018 Report Card gave Minnesota a “C” average, which means our infrastructure is in mediocre condition and needs improvement.

“Our volunteer members are working hard to complete their analysis on Minnesota’s infrastructure needs and make recommendations of how we can improve,” said Katie Zadrozny, who is leading the 2022 Report Card team. “What I can tell you now is we’re seeing a continued need for ongoing, sustainable investments across the board.”

With a $7.7 billion surplus, the Legislature is not short on decisions to make during session. Adding to the decisions is $4.8 billion in federal infrastructure money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that is coming to the state. Most of this money requires a 20% state match and will only be available for five years. While increased federal investment is a good thing, Nordseth encouraged state lawmakers to take a longer view of things.

“The state has funding gaps and needs as far as 20 years into the future,” he added. “The new federal money is only for five years. What happens after 2026? ASCE urges policymakers to continue to look to the future. Even with this federal money, ASCE’s work shows that the cost of needed upgrades will soon outpace available funding. The Governor’s bill is an encouraging start, and we look forward to our voice being a part of the process.”

For More Information Contact:

January 18, 2022 Cathy Gillen, cgillen@asce.org

ASCE Minnesota section is now accepting nominations for MFESTS awards

The Board of the ASCE Minnesota section is now accepting nominations for the following Minnesota Federation of Engineering, Science, and Technology Societies (MFESTS) awards:

• Distinguished Engineer of the Year: This award recognizes outstanding lifetime achievements in the practice of engineering, contributions to the engineering profession, and actions enhancing the image of engineering in our society.

• Young Engineer of the Year: This award recognizes outstanding achievement by an engineer less than 35 years of age. Nominees are judged on the basis of educational and collegiate achievements; professional society activities; civic and humanitarian activities; continuing competence; engineering achievements; and overall professional experience.

These are highly prestigious awards and we want to do our part towards recognizing deserving individuals. Please see mfests.org/awards for additional information. If you have a nomination(s) for the board to consider for either of these awards, please email Riley Dvorak at awards@ascemn.org no later than December 31, 2021.

2021-2022 Board Election Results

Congratulations to all of our new officers for 2021-2022 and thank you to everyone that voted!

Andrew Nordseth President

Jeremy Walgrave President Elect

Ariel Christenson Secretary

Alysa Johnson Treasurer

Tumer Akakin Director of Communications

Riley Dvorak Director of Awards

Lauren Linderman Director of Outreach

Danielle Nielsen Director of Events

President's Message

Good day everyone! I am grateful to assume the role of President of the Minnesota Section for a one-year term. As I reflect on the various ASCE positions I have held over the years, I recall how consistent the overall program has been – a professional organization you could count on. You could count on a September construction tour, followed by a mix of lunch and dinner section meetings that consisted of handshakes, a pretty good meal and a presentation from our colleagues on a relevant and timely topic. In the Spring, we would converge on the University of Minnesota to hand out student awards (books 😊) and often a scholarship from the Structural Committee to those deserving. Then, wrap it up and start planning for the following year. The Board has persevered through this disruption in our normalcy with the goal of being an organization that you can continue to count on to redeem value for your membership. Thank you very much for seeing things through!

This year you will see a blend of in-person and on-line activities. Many in-person events have already taken place, as we had a successful construction tour of the Southwest Light Rail Transit (SWLRT) project in September. Our student chapters and Younger Member Group (YMG) are also very busy with social activities. Some of our section meetings, such as the October, will be on-line, while we hope to have a few in-person a little later in the year.

A highlight for the upcoming year will be the publishing of Minnesota’s 2nd ASCE Report Card! This will happen in late February or early March as we determine when the most appropriate time is. Our last Report Card was published in 2018, if you would like to read it, we have it posted on our website. Check it out at ascemn.org. While you are there, check out the Section’s upcoming events, and if you would like to get involved in ASCE, I would like to direct you to our Committees. I started my involvement in ASCE as a member of the Structural Committee (nka the Structural Engineers Institute). One of my most gratifying experiences while serving ASCE was during this time when we were celebrating our 100th Anniversary as a Section in 2014. During the event at Saint Anthony Falls, I presented a plaque to the Minnesota Department of Transportation to signify the Stone Arch Bridge as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, a program where ASCE recognizes historically significant local, national, and international civil engineering projects, structures, and sites. We have eight committees that has something to offer any civil engineer, so please reach out to the listed point of contact and start being a part of something our members can count on.

Thanks again to our membership for persevering and I hope to see you soon at an ASCE event. Please reach out to me directly at president@ascemn.org if you have comments or questions.

Andrew Nordseth, P.E.

President, ASCE-MN

St. Thomas' ASCE MN Student Chapter Update

Our first general meeting was with Udai Singh from MWMO. He taught us about the many soft skills it takes to be an engineer. This includes networking, communication, leadership, and management skills. Our next general meeting will be on October 14th with a guest speaker from Alliant Engineering. There will be snacks and a chance to meet more ASCE members!

Our first Steel Bridge meeting was held on October 7 th. The team met for the first time and discussed leadership roles, goals for the group, and they got familiar with the project and the rules. The next steel bridge meeting will be on October 14th to discuss design ideas.

General Meetings

Alliant Engineering Meeting

Thursday, October 14th

12:00 - 1:00 PM

OSS 127

Steel Bridge Meeting #2

Thursday, October 14th

12:00 - 1:00 PM

FDC 317

ASCE MN Report Card Update

The 2022 Report Card for Minnesota's Infrastructure is getting close to its final stages before release! We are ramping up our social media presence (plug to follow us and share posts!) as we get into our editing and fact checking. Stay tuned for the Save-the-Date for our March 2022 release.

It's also that time of year: Renew your ASCE membership today! And when you do, please consider a voluntary contribution. The ASCEMN Board has elected to send all voluntary contributions to report card fundraising. These funds help pay for printing, outreach, document editing, and lobbyist efforts, to name a few. Help us build on the momentum of the 2018 Report Card that's helping us be a part of the conversation as we prepare the next draft. We look forward to sharing our updates with you!

Mentorship Opportunity

The SEI subcommittee of ASCE is looking to provide mentorship to the University of Minnesota and University of St. Thomas steel bridge teams, and the University of Minnesota’s concrete canoe teams. If others in ASCE overall are interested in providing mentorship they can contact James Winters (James.Winters@kimley-horn.com) .

2021-2022 Elections are Live

Vote for the incoming year ASCE-MN board members!

Please check your email registered with the society for a message on 10/8 with a link to vote. Missed the email? Send a message to president@ascemn.org.