Summer 2012 - ASCE OC YMF

Summer
2012
Editor:
Omar A. Sanchez
YMF Newsletter
Los Angeles • San Bernardino/Riverside •
Orange County • Santa Barbara/Ventura • Southern San Joaquin
Published Quarterly by the ASCE Los Angeles Section Younger Member Forums
From LA to the Bay: San-Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
Tour Weekend
In This Issue:
By: Paul Choy, PE— Los Angeles YMF
Presidents’ Message P.2 - P.5
Membership has its Privileges P.6
YMF Engineering History & Arts
P.7 - P.8
YMF Social Events P.9 -12
YMF Connections Above &
Beyond P.13-14
Technical Tour Update & Your Ad.
Here/Email Lists P.15 & 16
Upcoming YMF Events P.17-22
Upcoming YMF EventsAt A Glance, P.23-24
Editor’s Note P.25
Monthly YMF Board
Meetings
In this corner, weighing in at $1.8 billion with a span
of 625 meters long, managed by the American
Bridge/Fluor Joint Venture (ABFJV) and Caltrans, is
the East Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay
Bridge! And in this corner, rolling in at over 20
members deep, at a combined height of over 100
feet, weighing in at a respectable healthy but nondisclosed weight, are the combined members of the
Los Angeles and San Bernardino/Riverside Younger
Member Forums!
Thanks to the coordination efforts of SB/R YMF’s
Julianna Gonzalez, the LA YMF joined the SB/R
YMF as they ventured up north to meet Fresno’s YMF Members toured the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
YMF and tour the construction of the replacement
span of the San-Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on
September 7th, 2012. By speedboat, these
engineers got to witness first-hand this massive
project that has been featured on ―6
0 Minutes‖ and
the Science Channel’s ―BuildIt Bigger‖ as they wove
through the legs of this single-tower, self-anchored
suspension (SAS) bridge, which is considered the
largest public infrastructure project in California’s
history. These visitors were afforded a rare up-close
glimpse of the bridge’s cable saddle (considered to
be the world’s largest), its nearly 500 feet tall steel
support tower, and its intricate but majestic cable
support system.
CON’T. on Page 6
SB/R
YMF groups spent an evening of excitement watching the
L.A. Dodgers at San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park.
Every first Thursday
SB/V
Every second Tuesday
LA
Every second Tuesday
OC
Every third Wednesday
SSJ
Every other third Tuesday
For locations, please contact any
board member.
Fisherman’s Wharf has stunning attractions and is a
well-known District in San Francisco, CA.
LA YMF member, Laura Rockett, poses for a picture in
front of California’s largest public works project.
San Bernardino and Riverside County YMF
President’s Message
Hello Younger Members!
Board Members
Julianna Gonzalez
President
RCFC & WCD
Helio Takano, PE
Past President
RCFC & WCD
Melissa Barbosa, PE
President Elect
Azusa Light & Water
Mark Swanson, PE
Vice President
AEI-CASC
Michael Andersen, PE
Treasurer
Nikki Duran-Aubrecht
Secretary
J.F. Shea Construction, Inc.
Andrea Martinez, PE
Historian
VA Loma Linda
David Cortese
Activities Chair
RCFC & WCD
Anthony Donohoo
Recruiting Officer
RCFC & WCD
Sarah Watrous, PE
Practitioner Advisor Cal Poly
Pomona
Riverside County Waste Management Department
Rafael Contreras, PE
Practitioner Advisor Cal Baptist
City of Vernon
Mai Son, PE
Community
Service Coordinator
RCFC & WCD
Anthony Mistretta
K-12 Student Outreach
Coordinator
AEI-CASC
My name is Julianna Gonzalez and I am a Design Engineer at Riverside County
Flood Control and Water Conservation District, and your incoming San BernardinoRiverside Younger Member Forum (SB/R YMF) President.
I am excited and honored to be serving as your President and to be working with a
motivated group of leaders. This upcoming year, the American Society of Civil
Engineers, Los Angeles Section, will be celebrating its 100th Anniversary so in
celebration of this momentous occasion, the younger member groups are planning
to make this year extraordinary! Some of my personal goals for SB/R YMF this
upcoming year are:
To have a successful Centennial celebration by having a variety of events
such as K-12 outreach, community service, general meetings, technical
tours, and help plan the end of the year Centennial celebration.
Increase our membership by inviting professional engineers from the local
community to our activities which not only benefits our new members, but
allows for great networking opportunities.
Increase our Community Service program by supporting the upgrades to the
historic Riverside Art Museum, both financially and through hands-on
opportunities. The building serves as a cultural, collaborative and education
focal point for the community. This is a great example of Civil Engineering
since it was designed by Julia Morgan, California’s first female architect and
engineer.
Increase Civil Engineering public awareness by increasing the number of
engineering presentations. SB/R YMF plans to present to many local high
school students which would bring more teams to this year’s Popsicle Stick
Bridge Competition.
I encourage you to join us in our many exciting events lined up for the 2012-2013
year. For more information, please check out our calendar of events on our website
at www.asce-sbriv.org/Younger_Member_Forum/ymf.html and sign up for our
Project Partners’ mailing list for event updates. Also ―Like
‖ ASCE SB/R YMF on
Facebook for job announcements and upcoming events.
While this year will be hard work, it will be a lot of fun and I just cannot wait to get
started.
Julianna Gonzalez
2012-2013 ASCE SB/R YMF President
juliannagonzalez@rcflood.org
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Page 2
Orange County YMF
President’s Message
Board Members
Ravi Shah, PE
President
HDR
Tricia Maruki Espinoza, PE
Past President
AECOM
Gidti Ludesirishoti
Vice President
HDR
Daniel Kim
Treasurer
LACSD
Mark Beltran
Secretary
KOA Corporation
Remi Candaele, PE
Programs
Baker | RBF
Andy Verdin
Community Outreach Co-Chair
Shimmick Construction
Andrew Easterling
Community Outreach Co-Chair
URS
Deborah Alvarado
Internal Activities
TRC
Lucas Glauser
External Activities
Hall and Foreman
Brianna Arth
PSBC Chair
Stantec
Josue Vaglienty, PE
Fundraising/
Centennial Liaison
Baker | RBF
Lucas Glauser
Centennial Liaison
Hall and Foreman
It is with great pleasure that I write my first official message as the 2012-2013 OC-YMF
President. As President, I am honored and excited to lead such a talented group of young
individuals and the future leaders and rising stars of our civil engineering profession. I would
also like to take this opportunity to thank my predecessor, Tricia Maruki Espinoza for the
wonderful job she did leading the group over the last year. The OC-YMF group has grown
significantly in the last year and while confronted with the challenge of losing several seasoned
officers, our newest members have risen up to the occasion and showed their commitment to
our Younger Member Group. They have brought with them a renewed passion and momentum
that will carry us well beyond my year as President.
This next year will prove to have its own set of challenges just as past years have had. Amongst
these challenges, are many common goals that are shared with both LA Section and OC Branch
for the year ahead, and our group is dedicated to ensuring that these goals are met. OC-YMF is
looking forward to assisting in the planning and success of two large celebrations: the LA
Section Centennial Celebration and the OC Branch 60th Anniversary Celebration. Our goals for
next year include raising public awareness of our profession through various public outreach
events, increasing membership and member participation through increased collaboration with
local universities, and the continuation of existing programs which help promote and encourage
networking opportunities for our young professionals.
Our K-12 Programs and Technical Programs will be put in overdrive this year as we prepare for
the largest Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition (PSBC) since the inception of the event and
provide new learning programs geared towards both the Technical and Professional sides of our
business. Our committee officers are already hard at work planning many of the events that
cater to the different needs of our members. This next year promises to bring you more events
that will benefit our members and develop our future leaders. Additionally, we will be working
heavily with the other LA Section YMFs for the planning of several milestone LA Section
Centennial Events (PSBC, Centennial Celebration, etc.) and are looking forward to working with
our partners for the continued success of LA Section and our fellow Younger Member Groups.
Finally, we have made several changes to our website and the way we deliver new content to
our members. Please be sure to check our website (www.ymf-oc.org) and subscribe to our
events newsletter. On our website, you will also find useful links to add us on Facebook,
LinkedIn, and Twitter! We are always looking for new board members, new ideas, and
suggestions which will continually move our group forward and adapt to the continually changing
professional environment. If you are interested in becoming involved, sharing your ideas and
suggestions, please feel free to contact me to learn how you can find value in your participation
with our OC-YMF group.
Sincerely,
Ravi Shah, P.E.
2012- 2013 ASCE OC YMF President
Ravi.shah@hdrinc.com
Philip Wang
Communications
City of Bellflower
ASCE LOS ANGELES SECTION YMFs NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2012
Jerome Terrell
CSUF Student Chapter Liaison
Daniela Nieto
CSULB Student Chapter Liaison
Page 3
Los Angeles YMF
President’s Message
`
Francisco Aragon, PE
President Elect
HNTB/LAUSD
Jinny Huang, PE
Past President
MWH
Chen-Minh (George) Huang, PE
President Elect
City of L.A. Bureau of Engineering
Laura Rockett
Vice President
County of L.A. DPW
Amy So, PE
Treasurer
City of L.A. Bureau of Engineering
Kayvan Mahramzadeh, PE
Secretary
HNTB
Michael J. Howie, EIT
K-12 Outreach Co-Chair
IDG Structural Engineering
Julian Garcia, PE
K-12 Outreach Co-Chair
County of L.A. DPW
Kaitlin Hannon, EIT University Outreach
Kennedy/Jenks Consultants
Katie Hickey, EIT
PSBC Coordinator
AECOM
Cindy Huang
Community Service Co-Chair
ARUP
Dana Wall
Community Service Co-Chair
Southern California Edison
Darwin Vargas
Student Night & Job Fair CoChair
Caltrans
Per Bernhard Tvedt
Student Night & Job Fair CoChair
Jane Tran, EIT
PERC Co-Chair
Hatch Mott MacDonald
One of the great privileges of serving as President of ASCE LA YMF is the opportunity to focus our
group’s efforts into meeting the needs of our local members and communities. The goals our new
Board have set up for the year intend to do just that; so I ask that you support us, that you take pride in
our group, and that you help us grow even stronger as we celebrate our LA Section Centennial this
year.
LA YMF has a long history of giving back to our communities through our student outreach efforts and
our volunteering programs; our goal this year is to continue building on that. Year after year, we have
inspired young kids to learn about science and math, to understand what engineers do, and we’ve
served as role models for our inner-city kids by visiting schools and participating in local outreach
events.
We have also volunteered at shelters, at community kitchens, beach cleanups and help build homes
for low income families. This year with your support, we have a chance to continue that tradition; but
we need your participation. I ask that you join our volunteering efforts, no experience is ever required,
and with just a couple of hours a month, you make an amazing difference.
This year we have also set out with additional goals for the year. We want to make ASCE more visible
in our communities and increase our professional development. We will be hosting our general
meetings and networking nights with topics that can interest people outside of our field and can help us
become better acquainted with other professionals in our area.
By the same token, we hope that this will help our communities become better acquainted with ASCE
and the great things we are working on. We will also continue to host our biannual PE review course to
help our members obtain their professional licensure, and we will continue our regular social
networking events.
The examples above are but a sampling of things to come this year. LA YMF is gaining a solid
reputation and being recognized for great events, and this Centennial year, I strongly encourage you to
take pride in all the things we are doing. As part of ASCE LA YMF, you are helping us achieve great
things!
If you are new or haven’t been very active, you are in luck. With our Centennial Celebration, we will
have even more opportunities to celebrate our profession and participate in great events, I strongly
encourage you to attend as many as you can.
I also encourage you to use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to communicate with your
board, gain ideas from other members, share any of your experiences at our events, and let’s start
letting the public know of the great group we have. And as always, let’s think of other ways to help LA
YMF grow even stronger in this festive year; we’re always eager to hear from you, so join our events,
visit us on www.mlab-ymf.org and join our newsletter.
Sincerely,
Francisco Aragon, P.E.
2012-2013 ASCE LA YMF President
francisco.aragon@lausd.net
Rocio Duran, EIT
PERC Co-Chair
Jose Cruz, EIT
Sports Co-Chair
Hall & Foremen, Inc.
Phil Davies
Membership Chair/
Government Affairs
Hatch Mott MacDonald
Zsolt Horvath
PERC Co-Chair
Hatch Mott MacDonald
Emi Fujii, EIT
Social Chair
MWH
Omar A. Sanchez
Scholarship Chair/NL Editor
Onward Engineering
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Page 4
Southern San Joaquin YMF
President’s Message
Board Members
Alkan Bektur, PE
Past President
Kern County Waste
Management
Brian Nelson, PE
Past President
AECOM
Pelin Bektur, PE
Vice President
Kern County Roads
Department
Michael Collins, EIT
Treasurer
BSK Associates
Engineers & Laboratories
Pelin Bektur, PE
Secretary
Kern County Roads
Department
Welcome to the American Society of Civil Engineers Southern San Joaquin Section Younger Member
Forum. Our mission as ASCE members is to serve as a resource for young engineers and engineering
students. We started the year with great ideas for activities to interest all. Our members have been doing
an excellent job contacting the local students. Just a few days ago, we had a great start to the year with a
social event and a geotechnical laboratory tour where our members demonstrated various geotechnical
laboratory tests to the local engineering students. We are planning to put on a host of interesting and
rewarding activities to foster positive student engagement as well as promote fellowship amongst the local
young civil engineers. I encourage you to attend one of our social events, get involved in the scholarship
committee, volunteer for Engineering Day at CSUB, or attend one of our technical tours. There truly is
something for everyone! I am excited to be serving as your YMF President this year, thank you for your
involvement.
Alkan Bektur, PE
2012-2013 ASCE Southern San Joaquin YMF President
bektura@co.kern.ca.us
Santa Barbara and Ventura County
President’s Message
Board Members
Peter Silvia, PE
First Officer
Penfield & Smith
Ryan Gallagher, PE
Past President
AECOM
Ben Fischetti
Vice President
Brad Rahrer
Treasurer
OPEN
Secretary
Greetings Younger Members,
My name is Pete Silvia and I am a Project Engineer at Penfield & Smith in Santa Barbara. I
am looking forward to being the Santa Barbara-Ventura Younger Member Forum (SB/VEN
YMF) President for this coming year.
This upcoming year, the American Society of Civil Engineers, Los Angeles Section, will be celebrating its 100th Anniversary. With that in mind our, branch will be trying to achieve the goals
set forth by the Section to increase our total membership count, community service outreach,
and quality events held.
I encourage everyone to get more involved and attend the many social events, technical tours,
and professional development activities that we will schedule this coming year. I look forward
to meeting new and old members at our events and having an excellent year.
Pete Silvia, P.E.
2012-13 ASCE Santa Barbara/Ventura YMF President
pas@penfieldsmith.com
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From LA to the Bay: San-Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Tour
Con’t. from Front Page
After the bridge tour, the YMFs enjoyed an evening at AT&T Park as they watched then newly acquired
Josh Beckett and Adrian Gonzalez of the Dodgers take on their heated rivals, the Giants. Although it
can definitely be debated as to whether the ―be
tter‖ team won, it can not be argued that everyone had a
good time, even the fans of the better team that may have come up a little short that night. For the LA
YMF, the rest of the weekend was filled with samplings of food, shopping, and sightseeing offerings of
the Bay Area, all done with enough style to make a K-Pop star proud.
When all was said and done, and the score card was tallied, the members of the LA YMF definitely felt
like they were lucky winners to be invited on this amazing experience. This weekend easily surpassed
Rice-A-Roni as the real San Francisco treat.
Membership has its Privileges

Complimentary subscription to Civil
Engineering magazine and ASCE News

Access to ASCE’s
Online Research Library

Access to The Civil Engineering Database

Professional Books
available at a significant
member discount
ASCE Membership Information; Join Today!
National Membership Rates (Please verify rates and grades at www.asce.org/membership).
Student: Free
Associate Member: $50 year of baccalaureate
degree and first year after, then incremental
increase to $210 over five years
Member: $210 annually
Affiliate Member: $210 annually
Fellow: $245 annually
Section (Branch) Dues: $45/year

National ASCE Student Membership is FREE! Contact your Student Chapter leaders or Faculty
Advisor for additional information.

For membership information, go to www.ascemlab.org/membership/.
ASCE LOS ANGELES SECTION YMFs NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2012
Page 6
YMF Engineering—History & Arts
LA YMF’s Vintage Railcar Excursion
San Diego, CA
By: Kaitlin Hannon
All aboard! On Saturday, September 22, LA YMF took a
ride down to San Diego via the Railcar Montana. The
Railcar Montana is a private railcar from the 1940s. The
Montana was originally designed for passengers to
enjoy light dining and bar-service when traveling
between Chicago and Seattle. In the mid-1950s, this car
was converted to a business car with spacious lounge
and overnight accommodations. In the early 1960s, the
open back platform was added.
Today, the Montana is owned by a rail-enthusiast family
who was brought up on the Milwaukee Road, and now
provides private charters along the west coast. LA YMF
enjoyed taking a step back in time as they travelled in
style from Los Angeles’ Union Station to Downtown San
Diego and back. While aboard, they toured the vintage
car, hung out on the open back platform, ate a
wonderful breakfast served by the Montana’s private
chef, and more.
Once in San Diego, LA YMF checked out a few of the
local restaurants and breweries. After a fun day of
touring San Diego, the group hopped back on the railcar
and headed back up the coast to Los Angeles. They all
agreed that it was a once in a lifetime experience and a
successful daytrip.
To learn more about the Railcar Montana, check out the
website: http://railcarmontana.com.
ASCE LOS ANGELES SECTION YMFs NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2012
Page 7
YMF Engineering—History & Arts
―Julia Morgan: Foundation
and Transition‖ Exhibit
Installation at Riverside Art
Museum
Riverside, CA
By: Mai Son, PE
Although the arts and engineering may appear
to be on opposite ends of the spectrum, both
have one thing in common—both require a
sense of creativity, ―ou
tside the box‖ thinking
and intuition, to create artistic and engineering
masterpieces. To bridge the gap between the
arts and engineering, I coordinated the Julia
Morgan Exhibit Installation community service
event with the Riverside Art Museum to
encourage the collaboration of artists and
engineers.
The ―Jul
ia Morgan: Foundation and Transition‖
exhibit commemorates Julia Morgan, the first
licensed female architect, and her architectural
legacy, as part of Riverside’s Long Night of Arts
and Innovation event. Riverside’s Long Night of
Arts and Innovation event celebrates Riverside’s
recognition as the ―MostIntelligent Community‖
by showcasing innovation, technologies,
performing and visual arts, individual exhibits
and presentations, demonstrations and artistic
performances in numerous downtown venues.
The concept of the exhibit was designed by
DLR Group and the installation was completed
with the help of generous volunteers from
Engineers without Borders, UCR Student
Chapter, members of ASCE San Bernardino/
Riverside YMF and local engineers.
The
th
installation took place on September 29 and
30th and involved the fabrication of the
prototypical wooden panel, staining, and
wall installation.
Together with the architect’s conceptual
vision of innovative exhibition space and
the engineer’s thoughtful and creative
installation methods, the exhibit was
successfully installed and serves as an
outstanding
example
of
creative
collaboration of artists and engineering
minds.
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YMF Social Events
LA YMF Takes on the Summer of Mud –
Irvine Lake Mud Run
Irvine, CA
By:
Kaitlin Hannon
On June 23, 2012, a group of eight LA YMF members got down and dirty at
the Summer of Mud – Irvine Lake Mud Run. The LA YMF team, named the
ASCE Mud πs, dressed in full nerd-tastic outfits and had a fun time during
the run. The race was approximately four miles and was full of obstacles
including ponds full of muddy water, slides leading to muddy lakes, mud so
thick it could suck off shoes, walls to climb over, hills, and more! The ASCE
Mud πs took on these obstacles like champs, and were covered in mud at
the end of the race to prove it. Check out the before and after photos
(courtesy of Paul Choy). After the mud run, the team hung out and enjoyed
the live music and food vendors before heading back to Los Angeles. They
can’t wait to do it all over again next year. Hope to see you there!
ASCE LOS ANGELES SECTION YMFs NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2012
Page 9
YMF Social Events
Brew Haha Event
Oak Canyon Park—Silverado, CA
By: Lucas Glauser
ASCE YMF OC Branch was at Oak Canyon Park on
September 8th for the 3rd Annual OC Brew HaHa
benefiting the Fallen Firefighters Fund. More than 60
breweries were represented and over 150 beers were
on tap. It was an excellent opportunity to find a favorite
brew. With live entertainment, good food, and friendly
people, there was something for everyone. We hope to
make this an annual event. See you next year!
General Meeting Happy Hour
Costa Mesa, CA
By: Brianna Arth
On Tuesday, August 7, OC YMF held the August
General Meeting Happy Hour at Karl Strauss in Costa
Mesa. Approximately 10 younger members attended
this month’s Happy Hour, two of which were ―firs
ttimers‖ to an OC YMF event. Members enjoyed
appetizers and the variety of beers available on tap.
Some of the topics of the evening included spicy food,
new phone apps, and the Olympics.
OC YMF September General
Meeting
Irvine, CA
By: Deborah Alvarado
On September 18, 2012, a group of 10 Orange County
YMF members met at Dave and Busters in Irvine. We
shared appetizers, drinks and great conversations. At the
end of the event, two Dave and Busters game cards
were raffled off to the members that attended the
meeting. Before we could end our night, the game cards
were put to use on a few games of 4-person air hockey
and basketball shootouts. The 4-person air hockey was
pure madness but was a great way to end a fun night at
Dave and Busters. In the future, be sure to come out and
join in the fun and great company.
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Page 10
YMF Social Events
Stone Brewery Tour
Escondido, CA
By: Gidti Ludesirishoti
On August 24th, Orange County (OC) and San Diego
(SD) YMF organized a joint tour of the Stone
Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido, CA.
The event brought out 26 members of OC and SD to
tour the brewing process and waste treatment
system of the facility. After the event, there was a
tasting of their popular brews and additional mingling
at the World Bistro and Gardens just outside the
brewing facility. It was an informative and fascinating
tour into the world of brewing that stimulated our
minds and palette. Many thanks go to our Stone tour
guide Phil who studied up on the waste treatment
process just for our group. OC-YMF is looking
forward to this becoming one of our annual events
with our friends in the San Diego YMF.
A Tour through Santa Ynez Wine
Country with LA YMF
Santa Ynez, CA
By: Dana Wall
Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, was smiling on the
morning of August 18th, 2012 as more than thirty LA YMF
members, friends and family traveled north to tour Santa
Ynez wine country. Our private bus first whisked us off to
Solvang where we picked up tri-tip sandwiches for what
would soon be a feast. Rocio Duran, our hostess,
prepared a banquet of salad, cheeses, sandwiches and
sweets which we enjoyed at the first winery, ―ZacaMesa
Winery.‖
After we got our fill of food, the wine tasting commenced.
We began the tastings with two white wines; the 2011
Estate Z Gris followed by the 2009 Viognier. After seven
unique samples at Zaca Mesa, we were well versed in
the floral bouquets and aromas of the winery.
The next stop on our tour was Cambria Estate Winery
which is known for their Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.
We sampled an assortment of wines and enjoyed the
warm afternoon sun with good company.
Next, we took a short trip down the Foxen Canyon Wine
Trail to Koehler Winery where we partook in assorted
cheeses, dried meats, fruits, and of course wine. A
representative from Koehler educated us on the different
subtleties of their libations as we sampled the variety. We
ended the wine tasting with a great 2010 Riesling and a
wine glass as a keepsake. As the sun set on our
adventure, we made our way back to Los Angeles, merry
and full of excitement.
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YMF Social Events
Joint YMF Angels vs.
Dodgers Baseball Event
Anaheim, CA
By: Brianna Arth
On June 22, OC YMF hosted a joint event
with LA YMF and SB/R YMF at the Angels
vs. Dodgers game at Angel Stadium. The
event started with tailgating under the ―B
ig
A‖, which allowed for members to gather
before the game for some chips and tacos.
After eating and mingling with the
combined YMFs, all 50 members in
attendance (approximately 20 members
from OC, 20 from LA and 10 from SB/R)
headed to their seats in the upper deck
between home plate and first base.
Everyone represented their teams well with
red and blue! The game was a lot of fun
and ended with a lit up halo for the Angel’s
victory over the Dodgers, 8 to 5. As a
bonus, since the event was on a Friday,
Angel stadium finished the evening after
the game with a firework display to some
classic tunes.
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Page 12
YMF Connections Above & Beyond
Building
Connections and a
Castle at OC-YMF
Annual Beach Day
Corona del Mar, CA
By: Eric Walker
The OC-YMF Annual Beach Day
was held on Saturday July 28th at
Corona Del Mar State Beach. This
seemed to be the day everyone else
in Orange County wanted to hit the
beach as well because the place
was completely packed. We did
manage to carve out a spot for our
canopy and food on a spot by the water to hang out, though. We had a great turn out of people that came out at
various times while we were there. We worked on a sandcastle and hung out by the water for a few hours. Overall,
everyone who came out had a good time hanging out and working on the sandcastle. If you’d like to participate in
our future events, such as these and many others, please join our mailing list at www.ymf-oc.org.
Cal State Long Beach –
Student Chapter
Presentation
Long Beach, CA
By: Ravi Shah, PE
On September 26th, 2012, OC-YMF was invited
to present at the first speaker meeting for the
ASCE Long Beach State Student Chapter. The
room was filled with room just left to stand as
Ravi Shah, OC-YMF President, took this
opportunity to speak to the student chapter about
a few topics which affect their lives as students.
The presentation focused on the ASCE
governing
structure,
involvement
after
graduation, and finally the transition from student
life to young professional life. At the end of the
presentation, the students while shy at first,
quickly started asking questions ranging from
seeking internships to soliciting job offers. OCYMF was happy to speak to such a young
energetic group of future engineers. If your ASCE
Orange County student chapter is interested in
getting presenters, please feel free to contact our
Student Activities Chair, Eric Walker at
Eric.Walker@stantec.com.
ASCE LOS ANGELES SECTION YMFs NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2012
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YMF Connections Above & Beyond
Keeping Up with the California Professional Licensure Process
Los Angeles, CA
By: Laura Rockett
The first LA YMF General Meeting of the 2012-2013
year featured a presentation on ―Keepi
ng up with the
California Licensure Process.‖ Four representatives
from the Board for Professional Engineers, Land
Surveyors, and Geologists (BPELSG) joined us to
present on this hot topic during the meeting. BPELSG
Executive Officer, Ric Moore, gave the presentation
opening with the history and importance of professional
licensure and moving into the difference between the
national and state organizations. The National Council
of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES)
being the national organization and BPELSG being the
state organization in California. Along with Ric was
Nany Eissler, Enforcement Officer; Carl Josephson,
Structural Engineer Member; and Kathy Jones-Irish,
Public Board Member. Ric explained how NCEES is not
the governing body but rather the administrator of
national exams.
Attendees of the meeting included both ASCE and nonASCE members with a variety of background and
experience. Students, licensed and unlicensed
engineers, and even some professor with backgrounds
in civil engineering, land surveying, and geology
gathered to hear what BPELSG had to tell us about the
exam and to have some of their questions answered.
Although the presentation covered the differences in
licensure for three different fields, ASCE members
focused most on the civil engineering and structural
engineering changes. Some of the biggest changes
have to do with the exams. Examinees no longer pay
BPELSG directly for all of the exams but rather pay the
BPELSG an application and exam fee, NCEES the
national exam fees (both FE and PE), and Prometric for
the state specific exams. Additionally, the state specific
PE exams are administered through computer-basedtesting (CBT) centers. By 2014, the FE exam will also
be administered at CBT centers. Costs have risen
greatly, too. It is now just over $800 for the PE exam.
BPELSG explained that they had been losing money
every year due to exam fees. This new fee structure
remedies that.
There was a lot of information and a lot of great
questions throughout the night. To find out about all the
changes, check out the presentation from the meeting on the LA YMF website: www.mlab-ymf.org. You will
also find a summary of the Q&A from the meeting. Visit the BPELSG website to get even more information and
find contact information to ask questions related to the licensure process: http://www.bpelsg.ca.gov/.
ASCE LOS ANGELES SECTION YMFs NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2012
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Technical Tour Update
An excellent geotechnical engineering tour coordinated by
Southern San Joaquin Branch YMF Group had many attendees.
Southern San Joaquin YMF members observe the engineer as
he discusses one of many types of soil strata testing.
Observing a Century of Leadership...
Be a part of the celebration as ASCE Los
Angeles Section completes 100 years of
Civil Engineering Excellence!
Contact your local YMF President for details
as this will be a big year filled with many
events.
ASCE LOS ANGELES SECTION YMFs NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2012
Page 15
Attention: Your Advertisement Here!
Business Cards:
Job Listings:
$20 per Individual Issue
$60 for Annual Subscription
(Quarterly Publication - 4 Issues/Year)
Contact your local YMF for rates & promotions.
Advertisements:
1/4 Page:
1/2 Page:
Full Page:
$150/Issue
$175/Issue
$200/Issue
-Sponsorship forms are available upon request. Please contact the Newsletter Editor at: sanchezoa307@gmail.com
-Scanned business cards may be e-mailed to the Newsletter Editor at: sanchezoa307@gmail.com
Los Angeles Section YMF Newsletter is a quarterly e-publication circulated to over 3,000 professionals.
Advertise with us! Your support helps fund the many activities and outreach events highlighted
in this publication. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Join Our Email Lists!
Keep up to date with all the latest YMF events and important announcements.
To join our e-mail lists please contact:
Ravi Shah for OC at Ravi.Shah@hdrinc.com,
Francisco Aragon for LA at faragon@hntb.com,
Julianna Gonzalez for SB/R at juliannagonzalez@rcflood.org,
Alkan Bektur for SSJ at bektura@co.kern.ca.us,
AND Ryan Gallagher for SB/V at ryan.gallagher@aecom.com
For more information about YMF, check out our Websites:
www.mlab-ymf.org
www.ymf-oc.org
www.asce-sbriv.org/Younger_Member_Forum/ymf.html
www.sbvasce-ymf.org
www.asce-ssjb-ymf.com
For extended calendar of events, please visit the ASCE Los Angeles Section website at:
www.ascelasection.org.
ASCE LOS ANGELES SECTION YMFs NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2012
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Upcoming YMF Events
ASCE LOS ANGELES SECTION YMFs NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2012
Page 17
Upcoming YMF Events
ASCE LOS ANGELES SECTION YMFs NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2012
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Upcoming YMF Events
ASCE LOS ANGELES SECTION YMFs NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2012
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Upcoming YMF Events: Saturday, 11-17-2012
(Contact: Deborah Alvarado at Alvarado.Deb@gmail.com)
ASCE LOS ANGELES SECTION YMFs NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2012
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Upcoming YMF Events: Friday, 10-26-2012
(Contact Melissa Barbosa at mbarbosa@ci.azusa.ca.us or Leaders shown Below)
ASCE LOS ANGELES SECTION YMFs NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2012
Page 21
Click Here for Details: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4420854896/rest
Upcoming YMF Events: Saturday, 11-3-2012
ASCE LOS ANGELES SECTION YMFs NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2012
Page 22
Upcoming YMF Events - At a Glance (Page 1 of 2)
Date
Event
October YMF Happy hour & Mini Golf
10/25/2012 Mulligan Family Fun Center
Contact: Katie Hickey at katie.hickey@aecom.com
Time
Location
6:00 PM
Torrance, CA
10/26/2012
PE Booth and Happy Hour
Contact: Melissa Barbosa at mbarbosa@ci.azusa.ca.us
12PM &
6PM+
Pomona, CA
11/1/2012
November General Meeting/Happy Hour
Contact: Deborah Alvarado at alvarado.deb@gmail.com
5:30 PM
TBD
11/3/2012
Joint YMF Soccer Tournament
Contact Your Nearest YMF Officer
9:00 AM
Yorba Linda, CA
11/13/2012
OC YMF Board Meeting
Contact: Ravi Shah at ravi.shah@hdrinc.com
6:00 PM
HDR Inc.
Irvine, CA
11/9/2012
SB/R YMF Technical Tour
Contact: Mark Swanson at mswanson@aei-casc.com
TBD
TBD
6:30 PM
TBD
TBD
TBD
All Day
Temecula, CA
TBD
Los Angeles, CA
PSBC Planning Committee Meeting
11/14/2012 Contact: Brianna Arth at Brianna.Arth@stantec.com or Katie
Hickey at katie.hickey@aecom.com
11/15/2012
LA YMF November Happy Hour
Contact: Katie Hickey at katie.hickey@aecom.com
11/17/2012
OC YMF Temecula Wine Tasting Tour
Contact: Deborah Alvarado at alvarado.deb@gmail.com
Volunteer at West Adams High School Engineering After
School Program
11/28/2012
Contact: Michael Howie at michael@idgeng.com or
Julian Garcia at jugarcia@ladpw.org
11/29/2012
SB/R YMF Happy Hour
Contact: David Cortese at djcortese@rcflood.org
6:00 PM
Claremont, CA
11/30/2012
AVID Presentation
Contact: David Cortese at djcortese@rcflood.org
TBD
TBD
12/4/2012
Bay Bridge Presentation
Contact: Laura Rockett at laura.a.rockett@gmail.com
TBD
Los Angeles, CA
ASCE LOS ANGELES SECTION YMFs NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2012
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Upcoming YMF Events - At a Glance (Page 2 of 2)
Date
Event
Time
Location
Cover Elementary School Visit - "Building Cities: Los Angeles
Then and Now
12/7/2012
Contact: Michael Howie at michael@idgeng.com or
Julian Garcia at jugarcia@ladpw.org
TBD
Pasadena, CA
Isaiah House
12/8/2012 Contact: Andrew Easterling at Andrew.Easterling@urs.com
or Andy Verdin at averdin@shimmick.com
9:30 AM
Santa Ana, CA
12/8/2012
Rock Climbing Event
Contact: David Cortese at djcortese@rcflood.org
All Day
TBD
12/12/2012
PSBC Planning Committee Meeting
Contact: Brianna Arth at Brianna.Arth@stantec.com
6:30 PM
HDR Inc.
Irvine, CA
12/13/2012
Joint Bowling Event with SB/R Branch
Contact: David Cortese at djcortese@rcflood.org
6:00 PM
TBD
Community Service Event
Contact: Mai Son at mtson@rcflood.org
8:00 AM
TBD
10:00 AM
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
All Day
Sacramento, CA
7:00 AM
Redlands, CA
1/5/2013
YMF - Cal Poly Pomona/Cal Baptist University Softball
1/19/2013 Contact: Rafael Contreras at rcontreras@ci.vernon.ca.us or
Sarah Watrous at snwatrous@gmail.com
1/241/27/13
1/30/2012
2013 WRYMC
Contact Your YMF Group for Details on this Excellent
Conference
Redlands High School K-12 Outreach Contact: Anthony
Mistretta at amistretta@aei-casc.com
ASCE LOS ANGELES SECTION YMFs NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2012
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Editor’s Note
Howdy,
It has been great pleasure working and serving as a Newsletter Editor this past ASCE
year and still putting into practice the feedback collected from young engineers like you.
On top of it all, it was the training collected from our previous Newsletter Editor with the
best advice on editing: ―It’
s your canvas to fill. Do whatever you want.‖ Yes, this is very
accurate. In reflection of my ~2.6 years of ASCE YMF involvement, I assure you that
every position carries an opportunity to try new ideas within any role.
A desire of mine during the winter 2011 was to try having an indoor basketball tournament followed by a
feast. With a budget and the collaboration with Cal State LA (Jose Sanchez), we were able to witness some of
many joys with ASCE: sports, networking with friendly-yet-competitive-but-fun engineers, and food. It was
great! Have you ever tried taking on a role? Do it. Whether it is leading or following, you chisel your skill set as
well as connect with other engineers all in an arena where everyone practices excellence.
ASCE LA Section groups have had a long history of roles, outreach events, programs, conferences, and have
impacted society in California. It’s a movement. A movement of coming 100 years! As ASCE Los Angeles
Section’s 2013 Centennial Year approaches, be sure to not only get involved with your local YMF group, but mark
your calendars down for the following events:

ASCE Region 9 Infrastructure Symposium and Awards Ceremony; March 6, 2013, at the Union Station
of Los Angeles, CA. There will be lots of great presenters and recognition of some of the finest projects built.
Listen in on the challenges that were tackled as this information can take you to the next level.

2013 Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition. The details are in the works, however, be in touch with Brianna
Arth and Katie Hickey to be part of this high school outreach event. High school students mainly from the LA &
Orange County areas work hard on their presentations and bridges. You do not want to miss out on giving
back to our next generation. Everyone is welcome to participate.
These are just some of the many events. Join in on any of the forthcoming events throughout the YMF groups. Be
sure to browse www.ascelasection.org for further information on ASCE LA Section Centennial Celebration and see
the Centennial video online www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_-x4jm2dWA.
It’s our Centennial Year. Let’s fill the year up with excellent events (and articles).
-Omar A. Sanchez
Summer
2012
Editor:
Omar A. Sanchez
YMF Newsletter
Los Angeles • San Bernardino/Riverside •
Orange County • Santa Barbara/Ventura • Southern San Joaquin
ASCE LOS ANGELES SECTION YMFs NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2012
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