Engineering Influence from ACEC

Celebrating Jack Hand and the ACEC Water Energy and Environment Committee

Allison Schneider spoke with Clint Robinson and Lauren Evans from the Water, Energy, and Environment Committee to reflect on Jack Hand being recognized with the Chair Emeritus Award and discuss the issues facing the WEE Committee.

A Conversation with Anna LeClaire - 2022 Lee Rice Water Scholar

During the Fall Conference, we spoke with Anna LeClaire, the 2022 ACEC Lee Rice Water Scholarship winner about her educational and professional journey in environmental engineering. 

Leadership and the Future of Medicine with Sue Desmond Hellman

Engineering Influence was honored to welcome on the program ACEC Fall Conference keynote speaker Dr. Sue Desmond Hellman, noted oncologist, leader and former president of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. During our conversation, we covered a range of topics, from the importance of socialization in aging, to the evolution of precision medicine and the development of COVID therapeutics.  

Our Conversation with Futurist, Amy Webb

 
We sat down with general session keynote speaker Amy Webb, a Quantitative Futurist and the founder of The Future Today Institute to discuss the engineering value chain, emerging opportunities in digital twining, extended reality and biological engineering, and more.  

The 50th Anniversary of the Brooks Act

Jeb Brooks, the son of Congressman Jack Brooks who authored the federal law on Qualifications-Based Selection joined the podcast live from our 2022 Fall Conference.  During the conversation, we covered the history of the Books Act, its importance for public safety and the work of the Jack Brooks Foundation, which is working to keep the legacy of Congressman Books alive.

The 2022 QBS Award with IDOT’s Secretary Osman

 
The Illinois Department of Transportation won the 2022 Qualifications-Based Selection Award at the 2022 Annual ACEC Fall Conference this year. Secretary Omer Osman was on hand to personally accept the award on behalf of the Department and he stopped by the podcast to discuss why QBS is important and how it guides the decisions of the engineers under his command.  
Watch the video of Secretary Osman accepting the award, presented by Jeb Brooks, son of late Congressman Jack Brooks, here.  

A Conversation with Carrie Fischer, 2022 ACEC Young Professional of the Year

Carrie Fischer, P.E., engineer with NTM Engineering, Inc. in Dillsburg, Penn., has been named one of five 2022 Young Professionals of the Year by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC).
ACEC’s annual Young Professional of the Year Award recognizes the accomplishments of engineers early in their career who have contributed to the industry and made an impact on society.
The honor was presented at an awards luncheon during ACEC’s Fall Conference in Colorado Springs, Colo., on October 18.
Fischer was chosen for her work on complicated technical projects dealing with water resources and her leadership, management, and commitment to expanding opportunities for women in the transportation industry.
Fischer helped to introduce the transportation industry to young girls with the WTS TransportationYOU program by partnering with the Girl Scouts and has organized a “Women in Engineering” Event for Twin Valley Middle School every year since 2016.
Fischer earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Master of Engineering in Environmental Engineering from Penn State and Penn State Harrisburg, respectively.
To qualify for the award, nominees must have been 35 years of age or younger on December 31, 2021, and be a Registered Professional Engineer. Nominations for the award are made through ACEC’s 52 state and regional Member Organizations.
Nominees are evaluated and the honorees selected by the Awards Subcommittee of ACEC’s Committee of Fellows.

A Conversation with the Life Health Trust from the 2022 Fall Conference

Mark Van Elden, the head of the ACEC Life Health Trust joined the podcast at the Fall Conference to talk about how the trust is uniquely position to help engineering firms succeed in their employees' health and long-term success.