Interview with EWRI Past-President Rollin Hotchkiss

Professor Rollin H. Hotchkiss, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, F.ASCE is the Immediate Past-President of the Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI), Professor and Associate Department Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Brigham Young University (BYU). Dr. Hotchkiss is a widely known and recognized leader in expert witnessing on flooding issues since 1995, development of culvert design procedures and stream restoration. Rollin has been an active member of EWRI and its committees since creation of EWRI, serving as Treasurer and Vice-President prior to serving as President from 2010-11. Rollin is an Inaugural Founding Diplomate of AAWRE and in this feature, Rollin shares his thoughts with AAWRE on his past year as EWRI President, his love of teaching, advice for future leaders, and love of root beer.

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Get the New Diplomate Advantage Brochure!

AAWRE’s overseeing body, the Civil Engineering Certification, Inc. (CEC) recently developed the new Diplomate Advantage brochure, in which the brochure highlights the benefits and advantages in hiring Diplomate Engineers for civil engineering projects. The intent of the brochures are for our Diplomates to utilize to potential clients and employers. Professional specialty certification development was led by ASCE with the participation of ASCE Institutes and oversight by the CEC. You may request for copy of the brochure by sending email to fkim@aawre.org with subject heading: Advantage brochure.

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ASCE Releases New Report on Water Infrastructure

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) releases new Failure to Act: Economic Impact Study on Current Investment Trends in Water Infrastructure, which is the second report in a new series of reports that take a closer look at the economic impacts of our failing infrastructure in America. These economic studies look forward to 2020 and 2040 to determine potential impacts on GDP, personal income, and jobs if current infrastructure investment trends continue. The first report Failure to Act: The Economic Impact of Current Investment Trends in Surface Transportation Infrastructure was released in July and focused on surface transportation. The report cited that within 10 years, household incomes could fall by more than $7,000 a year, U.S. businesses would pay an added $430 billion in transportation costs, and U.S. exports would decline by $28 billion.

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Message from AAWRE President Bill Espey

Dr. William Espey, Jr., P.E., D.WRE, began his year as President of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers (AAWRE) for 2011-2012 during the fall AAWRE board meeting on October 1 in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Espey, a founding AAWRE board member served on the original AAWRE Task Committee and served as the Treasurer since AAWRE's inception in 2004 thru 2010. Joining Dr. Espey on the 2011-12 Board of Trustees are Michael R. Markus, P.E., D.WRE, F.ASCE and Pascale Champagne, Ph.D., P.Eng., D.WRE as trustees at large, and Daniel L. Thomas, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, F.ASCE, as EWRI's 2011-12 President.

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AAWRE Diplomates Receive Major 2011 ASCE Awards

AAWRE Honorary Diplomate Gerald Galloway, Ph.D., P.E., Hon.D.WRE, Dist.M.ASCE, AAWRE founding member Jerry Rogers, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, Dist.M.ASCE, and Diplomates Morris Maslia, P.E., D.WRE, M.ASCE, Garland Rose, P.E., D.WRE, F.ASCE and Darrel Temple, P.E., D.WRE garnered several of the major ASCE awards for 2011. All with the exception of Darrel Temple were recognized and honored during the ASCE Awards Ceremony during the 141st ASCE Annual Conference in Memphis, Tennessee on October 21. Darrel Temple was recognized at the EWRI Congress this past May during the Hunter Rouse Lecture Awards ceremony.

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Bert Clemmens Retires from USDA ARS

AAWRE founding member Dr. Albert J. Clemmens, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, M.ASCE retired from the USDA Agricultural Research Service after a 35 year career. Dr. Clemmens served as the Center Director for the U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Service in Arizona. Prior to that, he served as Director of the U.S. Water Conservation Laboratory. Dr. Clemmens is an international expert in open channel flow measurement and has written several books on the subject. Bert served on the founding American Academy of Water Resources Engineers Board of Trustees from 2004-2007 and served as the first Chair of the AAWRE Admissions Committee. Bert has joined WEST Consultants, Inc., in the Tempe, AZ office as a senior engineer.

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First National Standard for Water Reuse Systems Published

NSF International, a global public health and environmental organization, has published the first American national standard for commercial and residential onsite water reuse treatment systems, NSF/ANSI 350: Onsite Residential and Commercial Reuse Treatment Systems. The new standard complements NSF's expanding scope of environmental standards and sustainable product standards, which help establish criteria for and clear methods of evaluating environmental and sustainable product claims.

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AWWA and WEF Launch Work for Water

Work for Water is a joint project of the American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Federation, training and educational organizations that represent thousands of water professionals from all over the world. Working collaboratively with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, they have produced this website and related materials to inform and to encourage careers in the water sector. The Work for Water website is a place where high school and college students, military veterans and job seekers can explore green careers, and utilities will find a clearinghouse of resources for recruiting in the wonderful world of water.

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Diplomates Needed to Help with O*NET Program for Department of Labor

AAWRE has been contacted by the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, for help and input for the O*NET program, by collecting current and essential information about Water Resources Engineers and Specialists. The O*NET program is gathering occupational information for a national database that is being used by millions of employers, workers, educators, and students across the country. This database provides information about the skills, abilities, activities, and work context for about 900 + occupations nationwide. AAWRE is requesting for your participation as an occupation expert concerning Water Resource Specialists. By willing to participate in this effort, AAWRE Diplomates will contribute to a key resource providing our nation's citizens with continuously updated occupational information. Responses from all experts will be combined to define the skills, knowledge, and other aspects of work in your field. All Diplomates that wish to participate in this effort, please email AAWRE at certification@aawre.org with subject heading: ONET Program.

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Conference Spotlights

6th World Water Forum

Every three years since 1997, the World Water Forum mobilises creativity, innovation, competence and know-how in favour of water. The goal of the 6th World Water Forum is to tackle the challenges our world is facing and to bring water high on all political agendas. The 6th WWF will highlight 140 ministerial delegations, more than 180 countries represented, over 800 speakers and 25,000 participants expected, over 400 hours of discussions and debates and over 250 sessions and panels and about 100 Grassroots & Citizenship events. Attend the 6th World Water Forum on March 12-17 in beautiful Marseille, France.

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AWRA Spring GIS and Water Resources Conference

Plan on attending the AWRA Spring Specialty Conference on GIS and Water Resources VII in New Orleans from March 26-28. Every type of work in Water Resources is impacted by new technological developments as new sources of data and new tools come online; but, standards for data quality, statistical reliability, and metadata standards are still trying to catch up. Meet and collaborate with others who deal with the same challenges at every level of detail on the wide array of information and technologies that will help you meet the water resources challenges of the new century.

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