AGP Inducts New D.GEs at IFCEE 2015 Ceremony

The Academy of Geo-Professionals (AGP) held its ninth induction ceremony on March 17, 2015.  The ceremony was held in San Antonio, Texas as part of the 2015 International Foundations Congress and Equipment Exposition (IFCEE).  In total, 16 Diplomate, Geotechnical Engineers (D.GEs) were inducted at the event.

Blaine Leonard, PE, D.GE, Pres.10.ASCE, emceed the event, which was held just prior to the Terzaghi Lecture.  ASCE President Robert Stevens, PE, F.ASCE, gave a short presentation prior to the induction explaining to the audience about how specialty certification helps ASCE ‘Raise the Bar’ in the profession.  ‘Raise the Bar’ is one of ASCE’s three main initiatives (in addition to infrastructure and sustainability).  He noted that all of the other professional disciplines (medicine, law, pharmacy, accounting, architecture) have added to their education requirements to enter the profession, but engineering educational requirements have not changed in over 100 years. 

AGP President Larry Jedele, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE, then informed the attendees more about the Academy, including the current state (over 300 Diplomates), the qualifications needed to apply to become a Diplomate as well as the application process and benefits of becoming a D.GE.

Leonard read through the list of the inductees and invited them one-by-one to receive their certificate plaque and pin and have their photo taken with Jedele and Stevens.  Donald Anderson, PhD, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE, an AGP Board member, assisted Leonard with the induction. 

The last inductee was S. Scot Litke, Hon.D.GE, Aff.M.ASCE, who was inducted as an honorary Diplomate.  To date, there have been 10 Honorary Diplomates (Hon.D.GEs).  An Hon.D.GE is someone who has been recognized by the Academy for attaining a level of prominent recognition in one or more of the specialty fields of the Geo-Profession identified in AGP’s Bylaws, made noteworthy achievement or sustained noteworthy contributions to the advancement of the Geo-Profession in one of those specialty fields and/or has rendered outstanding service over a sustained period of time to the Geo-Profession.  Litke was then given the opportunity to say a few words.  

The ceremony concluded with a group photo and a champagne toast.

The following Diplomates have been awarded with the D.GE or Hon.D.GE since the previous ceremony, unless otherwise noted:

Honorary Diplomate:

S. Scot Litke, Hon.D.GE, Aff.M.ASCE - SSL: Communications Consulting                         

AGP Diplomates – 2014-15

Kenneth B. Andromalos, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - Geo-Solutions, Inc.
Russell David Charles, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - Duffield Associates, Inc.
Edward C. Clukey, PhD, PE, D.GE, F.ASCE – BP
Alan R. Crumley, PE, D.GE, F.ASCE - Geoconsult Geotechnical Engineers, PSC
Kim P. de Rubertis, PE, LG, D.GE, F.ASCE - Consulting Engineer
Morris Dirnberger, PhD, PE, RG, F.ASCE - Kaskaskia Engineering Group, LLC
Dincer Egin, PE, PG, CEG, D.GE, M.ASCE - The Louis Berger Group, Inc.
*Ashraf S. Elsayed, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - Geotechnology, Inc.
Roger A. Failmezger, PE, D.GE, F.ASCE - In-SITU Soil Testing, L.C.
Gregory R. Fischer, PhD, PE, D.GE, F.ASCE - Shannon and Wilson, Inc.
Patrick J. Fox, PhD, PE, D.GE, F.ASCE - University of California - San Diego
Mohammed A. Gabr, PhD, PE, D.GE, F.ASCE - North Carolina State University
Fernando Garcia, PhD, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - Hillis - Carnes Eng. Associates, Inc.
William C. Gates, PhD, PE, D.GE, PG, PEng, M.ASCE - McMillen Jacobs Associates
Robert L. Goehring, PE, D.GE, F.ASCE - ECS Southeast, LLC
Mark W. Goodsell, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - Hayward Baker, Inc.
D. Vaughan Griffiths, PhD, PE, D.GE, F.ASCE - Colorado School of Mines
Margaret Hagerty Duffy, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - Hagerty Engineering, Inc.
Richard D. Heckel, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - TTL, Inc.
John R. Hess, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - HDR Engineering
Ramanujachari Kannan, PE, D.GE, F.ASCE - US Army Corps of Engineers
Hugh T. Kelly, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - Parsons Brinckerhoff
*Van E. Komurka, PE, D.GE, F.ASCE - Wagner Komurka Geotechnical Group, Inc.
Zengxuan (Frank) Li, D.Eng, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - Southern Company
Burt G. Look, PhD, PE, CPEng, D.GE, M.ASCE - Foundation Specialists Group
Matthew E. Meyer, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - Langan Eng. & Environmental Services, Inc.
Victor A. Modeer, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - URS 
John F. O'Brien, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - URS Corporation
Kundan K. Pandey, PhD, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - Reed Engineering Group, LTD
James C. Pegues, Jr., PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - Southern Company
Dhirendra S. Saxena, PE, D.GE, FNAFE, F.ASCE - KCI Technologies, Inc.
E. Abe Simantob, PE, GE, D.GE - L.A. Private Eyes Engineers
David W. Sykora, PhD, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE – Exponent
Tomasz M. Szynakiewicz, PE, D.GE, A.M.ASCE - Hayward Baker, Inc.
Amin A. Tomeh, PE, PMP, D.GE - Matrix Engineering Group, Inc.
Heather H. Trantham, PhD, PE, PMP, D.GE, M.ASCE – Stantec
Alan S. Watka, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - Hub Foundation Co., Inc.
Steven A. Wendland, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - Kleinfelder, Inc.
*Christian B. Woods, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - Densification, Inc.
Garfield L. Wray, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE - NV5, Inc.                       

*Diplomate prior to 2014/Ceremony Attendee

Photographs are now available to enjoy and purchase with password "IFCEE2015"