Environmental & Water Resources Institute Boston Chapter
Emanuel D. DeAndrade, PE, Senior Consulting Engineer, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc.
The ASCE Environmental & Water Resources Institute’s (EWRI’s) mission is to “provide for the technical, educational, and professional needs of its members, and to serve the public in the use, conservation, and protection of natural resources and in the enhancement of human well-being.” The EWRI Boston Chapter group meets regularly, typically on the first Thursday of each month, to discuss industry-related topics and coordinate events that are of interest to the environmental engineering community.
The EWRI Boston Chapter is holding various technical and social events this year to better promulgate professional knowledge and provide networking opportunities with your peers. Our latest technical webinar on “Flood Resistant Design: Building for Current and Future Conditions,” which occurred on February 13, 2025, had a great participation and fostered an interesting discussion. Our next EWRI Boston Chapter webinar in April will be focused on Low Impact Development (LID). The presenters will discuss various LID techniques used to decrease peak flows and increase stormwater quality and discuss various case studies. Please stay tuned for the actual webinar date.
The 2025 John R. Freeman Lecture, “Hydrologic Impacts of Climate Change for Coastal Massachusetts,” will be held on April 8, 2025, at the Wentworth Institute of Technology, Center for Engineering, Innovation, and Sciences Lobby. Our speakers will be Professors Mathew Barlow, professor of climate science at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and Bruce T. Anderson, professor & associate chair of the Department of Earth & Environment at Boston University. The 2025 John R. Freeman Lecture will provide an overview of the current state of the science relevant to understanding the ongoing and potential future impacts of climate change on the hydrology of coastal Massachusetts and the near-shore marine environment. It will also feature an update on the State Climate Science Report and discussion of the uncertainties and challenges with climate projections.
More information about all upcoming BSCES events can be found on the website.
The EWRI Boston Chapter is always looking for new members and ideas! If you would like to get involved, please get in touch with me at eddeandrade@sgh.com or ewri@bsces.org for more information.
Recognizing Civil Engineering Leaders
ASCE needs your help to ensure diversity and inclusion in the nominations for Outstanding Projects And Leaders (OPAL) leadership awards in the categories of Construction, Design, Education, Government, and Management. OPAL awards are among the highest profile awards presented by the Society. Do you know an outstanding civil engineering leader deserving of recognition in one of these five categories? Nominations are due June 1, 2025. Click here to learn more about the OPAL Awards or direct questions to awards@asce.org.