Region 8 Governor Official Nominee
Vision statement
I have always felt it was important to give back to organizations that give you opportunities, and ASCE has done so in droves. As a full-time working mother who has been involved in ASCE in Arizona since I moved here, I have a passion to help others grow their professional network through volunteering and try to bring light and laughter to the everyday doldrums. Personally, I want to focus on the YMF members that are aging out and get them vitally involved in their local Branch, Section, or Institute.
I want to promote the knowledge that volunteering for an ASCE board does not have to be a large time commitment and can bring great opportunities for growing your network, learning about local projects and best practices, and hopefully bring a laugh or two while serving your local Civil Engineering community. This starts with getting students and younger members involved during their time with YMF to grow their civil engineering network, both within and outside of their specialty. The key to getting volunteers is to build a community that is fun and engaging. Providing the opportunity for engagement will create positive impacts in your group member’s personal and professional life.
Biographical statement
Education
- BSCE with Honors, Carnegie Mellon University, 2003
- MSCE in Geotechnical Engineering, Georgia Tech, 2005
- Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering, Georgia Tech, 2010
Certification and licenses
- PE: AZ, NM, OK, GA, NC
Work experience
- Solmax, Technical Manager, 2018 – present
- Terracon, GeoDesign Group Manager, 2014 – 2018
- GTI, Geotechnical Engineer, 2013 – 2014
- EGSci, Project Manager, 2004 – 2012
ASCE involvement
Society level
- GeoInstitute Earth Retaining Structures Technical Committee Secretary (’23-’25)
- Planning Committee member for 2024 Earth Structures
Local level
- AZ Section: Past President (’24), President (’23), VP (’22), Interim Treasurer (’24)
- Phoenix Branch: Past President (’20), President (’19), VP (’18), Treasurer (’17), Interim Treasurer (’20)
- ASCE/ASHE Annual AZ State Conference Planning Committee: Chair (’22), Co-Chair (’21), Registration Chair (’18 – present)
Other volunteer activities
- NCEES Civil PE Exam Development Committee (’15 – present)
- TRB Geosynthetics Committee member, Transportation Earthworks Committee member
- Boy Scout Troop 379 volunteer
Awards
- Region 8 Dale Nelson Engineer of the Year Award (’23)
Publications
- Importance of Product Specific Testing in Determining Durability Reduction Factor for Polyester Geogrid in High pH Conditions, GeoCongress, Vancouver 2024
- Resiliency of PVC coated polyester geogrid in high pH conditions, ICG, Rome 2023
- Durability Testing of Geogrid in High pH Conditions for Sustainable Alternative MSE Backfill, GeoCongress, LA 2023
