ASCE has honored Melissa Hilsabeck, EIT, A.M.ASCE, and Brandon A.K. Uejo, P.E., M.ASCE, with the 2024 Edmund Friedman Young Engineer Award for Professional Achievement for professional achievement in service to the advancement of the profession, evidence of technical competence, high character and integrity, and contributions to public service outside their career.
Hilsabeck has and continues to demonstrate her commitment to ASCE and related organizations. Her resume highlights her involvement in ASCE from her roles within her student chapter at Cal Poly Pomona, ASCE OC YMF President, ASCE OC Branch Professional Development Committee, ASCE LA Section YMF Representative, and her involvement in the Society’s Board Strategic Advisory Committee. In addition, she advocates for growth in female representation in civil engineering and construction management roles through partnerships between the ASCE Construction Institute and the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA).
With work experience in both public and private sectors, Hilsabeck has been involved with a wide spectrum of projects. Early in her career, she focused on site development and maritime coastal engineering projects with design consultant firms. That experience led her to her
current position at the Port of Long Beach, which has provided her with exposure to engineering, construction management, contract administration, project delivery, and stakeholder engagement. Her involvement in these projects is directly supporting the Port’s goal to increase capacity and efficiency. Her professional growth within the agency will no doubt continue to expand. She understands the power of engaging students of all ages and educating them on what a civil engineering career can be like. She has helped students from her alma mater and other Southern California universities navigate through the ASCE “bridge” between their student and professional careers. Through various presentations, webinars, and activities, Hilsabeck allows students to imagine their potential future in civil engineering or closely related field. Her passion for student outreach extends to younger audiences as well. She has been involved in multiple classroom visits to local middle and high schools, including the annual Women’s Transportation Seminar Orange County (WTS-OC) Girls Engineering Day.
Uejo has always been actively involved in ASCE, beginning from his time at the University of Hawaii at Manoa as an engineering student member of the ASCE UH-Manoa student chapter. During his time in the student chapter and the early portion of his career following graduation, he quickly realized that ASCE was an integral part in the development of outstanding professionals in the civil engineering industry who endlessly sacrifice their own time and efforts for the greater good of the community through countless volunteer efforts in community service to K-12 STEM outreach in schools. Furthermore, Uejo greatly benefited both personally and professionally, from the amount of support he received from ASCE through student/younger member activities, professional mentorship, and leadership workshops/seminars, which allowed him to develop into the professional engineer and leader he is today. Having benefited from these experiences, Uejo made a commitment to essentially give back to ASCE and help be a part of the development of outstanding young professionals by first stepping into the role of the first Job Shadow committee chair for ASCE Hawaii Section YMF.
Uejo worked extensively to develop the job shadow program to provide university students an opportunity to explore the civil engineering profession as well as provide an avenue for students to develop mentorship opportunities from seasoned working professionals. At the same time, he worked into the program ample opportunities for YMF members to serve as mentors to university students. By doing so, YMF members can also develop their own leadership skills while having a role in developing the next generation and their upcoming peers in the industry. The outpouring of positive feedback received from both students and younger member serving as mentors in the program had a profound impact on Uejo. After successfully developing the job shadow program and incorporating it into ASCE Hawaii Section YMF, he wanted to continue prioritizing younger member’s development in the industry by serving on the executive committee for the Hawaii Section YMF, and this eventually led into his current role as ASCE Hawaii Section YMF Past-President. Throughout his time on the executive board to ASCE Hawaii Section YMF Past-President, Uejo worked endlessly with the other officers on the executive board and committee chars to ensure YMF is positioned to continue its goals of providing younger members opportunities to develop into the upcoming leaders of the engineering community. This includes evolution of the job shadow program to incorporate cross-collaboration with other YMF committees to develop leadership and mentorship skills, assisting with the implementation of the ongoing “Building Bridges” series for students and industry professionals networking, and encouragement and endless support of younger members stepping into leadership roles (such as committee chair positions) to begin their leadership development early in their engineering careers.
In addition, Uejo has assisted with strengthening the bridge between the student chapter at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and YMF, which has resulted in the largest increase in student participation at YMF planned events to date and a higher increase in students transitioning into YMF shortly after graduation, increasing YMF’s general membership.
The Edmund Friedman Young Engineer Award for Professional Achievement is made to younger members of ASCE (35 years of age or younger) who are judged to have attained significant professional achievements by the degree to which they have served to advance the profession; exhibited technical competence, high character, and integrity; developed improved member attitudes toward the profession; and contributed to public service outside their professional careers.
