CONNECTIONS
Bridges Between Past & Future
Civil Engineering
Departmental Newsletter
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Fall 2002 Connections Newsletter (#1)
Note from the Department Head
Welcome to the first edition of “Connections -- Bridges Between Past & Future,” a newsletter from the Civil Engineering Department at New Mexico State University. (NMSU). “Connections” will be published
biannually and will focus on current news about our alumni, students, and faculty. Our goal as a department is to maintain active links between the three legs of the education triangle- alumni, students, and faculty.
Ultimately, these fundamental structural elements build a bridge between the past and future, an essential connection for every successful academic department. Although time passes and names and faces change, our fundamental philosophy of providing a program of excellence and quality experiences for our students continues to be tightly woven throughout the fabric of our educational program.
Enjoy reading the latest news about our alumni, students and faculty. We invite everyone to contribute
newsworthy items for future editions of “Connections.” Your suggestions for an icon for the Civil Engineering Dept. to be used in the title banner are especially welcome. We are looking for an icon that would represent the department’s past and serve as a symbol for the future.
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Ricardo B. Jacquez, Ph.D., PE
Interim Department Head
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Happenings in the Civil Engineering Department
Seismic Design Added to Curriculum
A recent survey we conducted of civil and structural engineers in New Mexico revealed that they had not been adequately trained in the area of seismic design and behavior. The structural engineering group in the Civil Engineering Dept. has initiated plans to correct this deficiency.
Seismic design will now be taught in our new Wood and Masonry Design Course (CE-443). The seismic design
component taught in our Structural Capstone Design Course (CE-469) has been updated and increased substantially. In addition, elementary structural dynamics theory is taught in our Intermediate Structural Mechanics Course (CE-467) to ensure our graduates have an adequate foundation in the theory and behavior of structures subjected to seismic loads. These changes in our curriculum make the Civil Engineering Department at NMSU the area leader in having seismic design and behavior fully integrated into the undergraduate structures program.
SF Grant for Teaching Improvement
The Civil Engineering Department recently received a grant from the Division of Undergraduate Education of the
National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop educational materials for use in hydraulic engineering courses. With this 3-year, $425,000 grant, Dr. N. Khandan, the principal investigator, and his co-PIs from the Engineering Technology Dept., Mechanical Engineering Dept. and the NM Space Grant Consortium, are developing physical models and computer-based simulations, animations, self-paced tutorials, tests, etc. for in-class and out-of-class use by instructors and students.
The project provided valuable experience to the participating students in designing, fabricating, testing, and trouble-shooting the physical models. A total of 18 students have been supported by this grant over the past 18 months. These students have presented posters and platform presentations relating to this project at several professional meetings. A paper by one of the participants, Chris Wilde, was judged the Best Paper at the Spring 2002 ASCE Regional Student Paper contest. This fall, the student team was invited by NSF to participate in an Undergraduate Research Panel held in Washington, D.C.
Beyond classroom use, our students have put these models to good use in recruitment efforts with grade
school teachers, students, and their parents. On completion of the three-year activities, the materials being developed will be disseminated nationally. Please visit our project website at:
http://cagesun.nmsu.edu/~nkhandan/nsfhome.html.
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Bridge Maintenance Inspection Program
In January 1989, NMSU began work on a Joint Powers Agreement with the NM State Highway and Transportation
Department. The scope of this agreement was to perform bridge maintenance inspection. The inspections were to be conducted, from the outset, in accordance with the then newly published national bridge inspection
standards required in the Recording and Coding Guide for the Structure Inventory and Appraisal of the Nation’s Bridges (1988) from the Federal Highway Administration. This made New Mexico the first state to implement the new Coding Guide.
As part of this agreement, NMSU hires registered professional engineers as team leaders, co-op students as engineering aides, and provides a two-week comprehensive bridge inspection-training course for them. At the end of the six-month co-op phase, students in the field may work in the office on a part-time basis while attending classes at NMSU. New co-op students who have completed the comprehensive two-week training course replace them in the field. Last year over seven co-op students graduated from the program’s training course.
Civil Engineering Students Win International Design Contest
In the summer of 2002, Civil Engineering students, Jared Lujan and Christopher Barto, participated in the International Hydropower Design Contest held in Portland, Oregon. The aim of the contest was to raise a 1.5-kilogram weight in the shortest time, using a water-powered turbine wheel of a set size. Our students’ design was placed first in the Student Power Division of the contest. “The value of the contest was to make us think about physics and hydraulics” said Barto.
This is the second year in a row that a team from the Civil Engineering Department won this contest. Last year’s team (composed of civil engineering majors Jared Lujan, Daniel Lamb, and Jason Stauffer) placed second in the same category. That was the first time anyone from NMSU had entered this contest.
The contest was originated and sponsored by Hydro Review, an industry magazine, along with the
Tennessee Valley Authority, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and several private companies.
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Chi Epsilon Activities, Fall 2002
Chi Epsilon (Civil Engineering Honor Society) is doing some very exciting things this semester. Members and pledges have been volunteering their time to help with many engineering events on campus. Not only have they been helping out on campus, but are also planning to give back to the community. Chi Epsilon team has
volunteered many hours serving food and cleaning at the Gospel Rescue Mission, where the less fortunate can receive a hot meal and stay for the night. The new pledges are currently building a new plaque to hang in the
student lounge to recognize Chi Epsilon and its officers. Once a year, Chi Epsilon students assist in teaching an engineering Merit Badge for the Boy Scouts in the Las Cruces area. A similar Merit Badge program is being planned for the Girl Scouts.
Six new pledges will be initiated into Chi Epsilon this fall. The initiation for the new pledges will be held on Friday, December 6, 2002 at the Hernandez Hall. A dinner at La Posta will follow the initiation ceremonies to honor the new pledges and the graduating seniors. Everyone is welcome to the initiation ceremonies to recognize the students receiving the highest honor in Civil Engineering.
ECII Renamed Hernandez Hall
Engineering Complex II, the home of the Civil Engineering Department, has been named Hernandez Hall in honor of Dr. John W. Hernandez, professor emeritus of NMSU. The dedication of Hernandez Hall took place on October 2001, in the presence of a gathering of alumni, students, staff, and faculty.
Dr. Hernandez had joined the Civil Engineering
Dept. at NMSU as Associate Professor in 1965 and was tenured as a full
professor in 1968. From 1975 through 1980 he served as Dean of the
Engineering College. During his tenure as Dean, the College enrollment
increased from 1,135 in 1975 to 2,300 in 1980. In 1981 he took a leave of
absence from NMSU to work for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and
then for the U.S. Dept. of Energy. Returning to NMSU in January 1984, he
resumed his career as an outstanding teacher and researcher until his
retirement in 1999.
While in the Civil Engineering Dept. Dr. Hernandez had contracted with and published research reports for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the NM Interstate Stream Commission, the NM Water Resources Research Institute, the City of Gallup, the NM Department of Game and Fish, the NM Dept. of Health, and the United Nations. Although he has received many awards for his accomplishments, he feels that his best contribution to New Mexico was the years 1965-1974 when he taught Highway Design and Water Resources.
Many of his students are now leaders in environmental/water resources areas, one serving as head of the
NM State Highway and Transportation Department. and another as Chief of the NM Office of the State Engineer. It is a fitting tribute to his many years of service that EC II has been renamed Hernandez Hall to honor this distinguished member of our profession.
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RASEM2
RASEM2 is another project funded by the National Science Foundation. This 5-year, $4 million Alliance includes 52 partners in New Mexico and far west Texas. The overall goal of this project is to increase the numbers of people with disabilities who pursue and enter courses and careers in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)- areas of work in which they are highly under-represented.
Recently, RASEM2 mentors participated in the American Association for the Advancement of Science ENTRY POINT! program, a ten-week summer internship. A number of RASEM2 students, were hired for summer internships by IBM. NMSU is also the largest supplier of summer interns across the nation for the ENTRY POINT! program. These internships are matched with research or work positions that relate directly to students’ college majors. An excellent example of the caliber of students entering the ENTRY POINT! program is Bruce Budde. As an IBM intern, he received a Certificate of Achievement Award and a special cash award from his fellow employees. He is now permanently employed with
IBM.
State Water Conference 2002
The New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute held the 47th Annual State Water Conference in October,
with a theme statement of “there’s no doubt, we’re in a drought.”
The Civil Engineering Department was well represented at the conference by alumni, faculty and students. Alumni Tom Turney (State Engineer, MSCE ‘72) and Norman Gaume (Interstate Stream Commission, BSCE ‘73 MSCE ‘80) delivered presentations on the State’s drought management objectives and strategies. Ed Archuleta (El Paso Water Utilities Director, MSCE ‘66) outlined City of El Paso’s plans. Mike Gabaldon (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, BSCE ‘91) discussed the Bureau’s
research, planning, and management efforts to mitigate drought damages throughout the West. Associate Professor and Associate Department Head, Dr. J. Phillip King presented irrigators’ drought response while students, Joshua Davis and Jesse Guerra attended the conference.
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Civil Engineering Alumni Highlights
Chris Youngblood, P.E.
Growing up under the name Chris Craig (BSCE ‘93), having never met his father, Chris graduated from high
school in Truth or Consequences, NM. Following high school, Chris served in the United States Army for six years, stationed in Kansas, Holland, Germany, and Morocco.
After his military service, Chris returned to NMSU in the spring of 1988 to pursue a BSCE. While at NMSU, he worked two years as a co-op student in the Civil Engineering Department’s Bridge Inspection Program. During this time he was involved in inspecting the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge in Taos and the Los Alamos Arch Bridge in Los Alamos.
Chris took active part in many student activities, serving as the team leader for the very first
championship Steel Bridge Team at the Texas Section competition and also as president for the Daniel B. Jett ASCE Student Chapter. Chris was named the Outstanding Graduating Senior in the Civil Engineering Department and in the College of Engineering.
Leaving NMSU, Chris took a position with Chavez-Grieves Consulting Engineers in Albuquerque, where he
has now been employed for nine years. In 2000, Chris and five other individuals became shareholders in Chavez-Grieves. In January of 2002, Chris took over as President and CEO of the firm. During his time at
Chavez-Grieves, Chris has been involved in such projects as the NMSU Corbett Center Expansion, the NMSU Activity Center expansion/renovation, the Memorial Medical Center Central Plant, the Memorial Medical Center Hospital renovation and expansion and many other projects in New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and California.
Shortly after Chris and his family moved to Albuquerque, Chris was able to achieve one of his life long
dreams- locating his father. This having been a very positive experience, Chris and his family changed their last names to Youngblood in 1995.
Chris attributes much of his professional success to the education he received the Civil Engineering Dept., from experiences inside and outside the classroom. He believes that the most important factors in being successful in any career are always having an open mind, having a relentless pursuit of knowledge, developing long lasting relationships with clients and colleagues, learning how to communicate
effectively, establishing and operating from an uncompromising set of values, and always finding a way to give back to the profession and the community.
Currently, he is also the Chair of the Academy of Civil Engineering, Northern New Mexico Section. He was recently recognized by the Civil Engineering Dept. at the graduation ceremonies by being inducted into the Sociedad de Ingenieros as an Ingeniero Eminente. Felicidades, Chris!
Academy of Civil Engineering (ACAGE)
- Initiation and Banquet -
The annual Academy of Civil Engineering initiation was held on October 11, 2002 at Hernandez Hall. The following new members were initiated: Archie Beckett, Jr. (BSCE ’77), >Tim Cynova (BSCE ’74), Charles Easterling (BSCE ’73), Jorge Garcia, A. Norman Gaume (BSCE ’73), Rola Idriss (MSCE ’86, PhD ’91), Hoyt Pattison (BSAE, 52) and Richard Sena (BSCE ’78). Michael Moehn (BSCE ’93) and Jose Luis Rodriguez (BSCE ’93, MSCE ’95) were initiated as Associate Members.
The following students received Academy of Civil Engineering Scholarships: Theresa Burcham, Frank Jurado and Wendy Wyatt. An award of special recognition was presented to William Fiske (BSCE ’63). The initiation was followed by a banquet at the Holiday Inn, Las Cruces.
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Julie Moore, Editor
Civil Engineering Department
New Mexico State University
P.O. Box 30001, MSC 3CE
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8801
