Spring 24 President's Message
Happy March!
We have a lot of information to share this month so I'll get right to business. We've had a lot of great events in February including the I ❤️ Infrastructure Day at the Capitol, our new annual E-Week mixer event combined with several great organizations, and the Science Museum of MN Volunteer Day! Not to mention all the awesome events our student chapters and YMG have put on.
This month we have our monthly meeting with SAME (see below for registration details). Also, save the date for April 16th to attend the ASCE Awards Banquet where we invite back ASCE Past-President Maria Lehman! More details to follow. Thank you to those who participated in the award nominations. And as always, thank you to our wonderful sponsors! You help make all these great events possible.
Upcoming Events
March Section Meeting
You are invited to our March monthly section meeting, partnered with the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME)! This month's topic is "The History and Future of the Twin Cities Locks/Dams via the USACE Disposition Study", presented by Friends of the Mississippi River and Owamniyomni Okhodayapi.
Abstract: The St. Paul District of the US Army Corps of Engineers is currently studying the disposition of the three locks and dams located within the city of Minneapolis. The purpose of these disposition studies is to determine whether there is federal interest in continuing to own and operate the locks and dams. If there is no longer a federal interest, the Corps of Engineers is then directed to identify a viable disposal alternative, meaning the locks and dams would be transferred out of federal ownership to a local, state or federal agency. This talk will look at the history of the Mississippi River within the Twin Cities and the future planning efforts associated with the current disposition study. The presentation will include history presented by Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR) and future planning by Owámniyomni Okhódayapi (OO).
Speakers: - Colleen O’Conner Toberman (Land Use and Planning Program Director, FMR) - Barry Hand (Program Director, OO) - Kjersti Duval (Project Advisor, OO) .
This event will be held at Gabe's Bar and Kitchen on March 21st, from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. Registration will be $25 per person which includes lunch (GF on request). This presentation will count as 1.0 PDH and certificates will be emailed after the event.
Annual Awards Banquet
Come out to our biggest event of the year and say hello again to our featured Keynote speaker, ASCE Past-President Maria Lehman, PE, ENV SP! She had the opportunity to visit us last April and is excited for the chance to follow up with our section, student chapters, and Minnesota legislators to discuss important civil engineering initiatives. Join us in the evening as our section honors distinguished civil engineers and students for their outstanding contributions to the field while exhibiting the qualities of leadership, integrity, and professionalism. Our annual Awards Banquet will be hosted on Tuesday, April 16th at the Double Tree Downtown St. Paul from 5:30 - 8pm.
All are invited! This is great opportunity to network with fellow members, current and past MN Section Board members, students, and the ASCE National Past-President. Your registration includes a drink ticket to our social hour, a three-course dinner, and 1.0 PDH. Keep an eye on our website and for a future email to register. We are excited to see you there!
Younger Members Group (YMG) Tour Series
Save the date for April 27th for the next iteration of the Dinkytown Construction Tour Series in partnership with the UMN Twin Cities student chapter!
This is the latest installment of an ongoing two-year event series where YMG and student members learn about the construction of a new 17-story building on UMN's campus and tour the site as construction progresses. The talks will focus on the development phases, deep (driven pile) foundations, and geotechnical earthwork. Future details will be mailed out when made available.
- Alysa Johnson, PE