ASCE recognizes 2019 New Faces of Civil Engineering

Reston, Va. — The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) announced the 10, 2019 New Faces of Civil Engineering in the Professional category. ASCE’s New Faces of Civil Engineering program highlights civil engineering leaders under the age of 30 and celebrates their achievements, as well as their contributions to and impact on society. All New Face honorees will be recognized during ASCE’s annual Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) Gala on March 14, 2019 in Arlington, Va.

“ASCE is proud to recognize each of the 2019 New Faces of Civil Engineering, Professional Edition for their accomplishments,” said Robin A. Kemper, P.E., ASCE President. “All of the honorees are leaders and role models for future civil engineers and display a dedication to the profession through their day-to-day work, volunteer activities and mentoring opportunities.”

The 2019 New Faces of Civil Engineering in the Professional category are:

Jose Aguilar, P.E., ENV SP, worked on the Ina & I-10 Traffic Interchange project, contributed to the Grand Road project, introduced to his company an innovative method of using drones to capture images for traffic studies and spearheaded a PVC Bridge Contest for students throughout Arizona. Aguilar is a professional engineer for Psomas.

Madeley Arriola Guerrero, A.M.ASCE, represented Nicaragua in an educational program called United World College in Norway at age 15; was the design lead for the Engineers Without Borders University of Florida Peru-Bolivia team, where she designed and constructed gabions in Aripalca, Bolivia; designs stormwater management systems, potable water distribution systems and sanitary sewer collection systems for local municipalities in southern Florida and coordinates Engineering Family Fun Day — an event that engages children in STEM-related activities. Arriola Guerrero is an associate engineer for Chen Moore and Associates.

Salvador Bentolila, CAMP, ENV SP, represented AECOM and Engineers Without Borders while installing a Rainwater Harvesting System in a Kenyan school, which allows students to have access to clean water; worked as a design engineer for a water consulting firm in Tel Aviv and is a mentor with ASCE’s Mentor Match program. Bentolila is a water and wastewater engineer for AECOM.

Andrea DuMont, P.E., worked on the Arbuckle Reservoir project in South Texas and an emergency stormwater pumping project in New Orleans; holds a leadership role steering the Jacobs Solutions and Technology operating model and is the author of “The Watermark” (https://andromedadumont.com), which is a blog aimed at young women who are interested in pursuing civil engineering. DuMont is a water resources engineer for Jacobs Engineering.

Paul Lee, P.E., LEED AP BD+C, worked on the Beacon Solar facility and LA’s first large scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), which is a tool designed to create a cleaner energy grid; led part of the Los Angeles electric vehicle initiative to install low-cost pilot electric vehicle chargers and helps with student outreach for Engineers Week, the Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition and student night. Lee is a civil engineering associate for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

Monica Morales, P.E., ENV. S.P., M.A.S.C.E., is a first-generation college student; assisted with the design and constructability review of the Pure Water Facility for the City of San Diego Public Utilities; served as the Dream Big Chair for ASCE’s Los Angeles Younger Member Forum (YMF) and is Secretary and Engineers Week Chair for the Los Angeles YMF. Morales is a water engineer for Jacobs Engineering Group.

Ashley Morales-Cartagena, MSc., earned a Fulbright Scholarship to study geotechnical engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, mentors students and introduces them to career opportunities through the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute and ASCE and works with Oficina Nacional de Evaluación Sísmica y Vulnerabilidad de Infraestructura y Edificaciones (ONESVIE) to study soils for retrofit design purposes. At just 29 years old, Morales-Cartagena is department head of the school of civil engineering at Pontificia Universidad Catόlica Madre y Maestra.

Mariah Peart developed 3D models of Statesboro’s busiest intersections to help the Georgia Department of Transportation install an over-height clearance detection system that would improve traffic flow and reduce accidents, presented 3D Laser Scanning to the Structural Engineers Association of Georgia, was a construction and operation judge for the Science Olympiad Roller Coaster competition and showcased Georgia Southern University’s Built Environment and Modeling Lab for elementary and high school students. Peart is a graduate assistant at Georgia Southern University.

Garit Poire, E.I., M.S., ENV SP, was president of his ASCE Student Chapter and fundraised nearly $50,000 to support the chapter; was the K-12 outreach chair for ASCE’s Tallahassee Branch; manages the ASCE Florida Section’s marketing and communications; co-founded the INSPIRE program, which promotes K-12 STEM outreach for at-risk youth in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia and crowdfunded to raise over $12,000 in two weeks to secure Dream Big toolkits for every public school in Florida. Poire is a special project division engineering assistant for Turner Construction Company.

Siddhartha Roy, Ph.D., served as a student leader and communications director for the research team that uncovered the Flint, Michigan Water Crisis and mentors undergraduate students on multiple corrosion research projects following new Safe Drinking Water Act amendments that reduced lead content in premise plumbing. Roy is a postdoctoral research assistant on the U.S. Water Study research team at Virginia Tech.