June 2022 President's Report

Summer is here!  And so, we come to the end of one BSCES fiscal year and the start of a new one. While the challenges of the pandemic remained ever present during the planning and execution of this past year’s events, our institute chapters, technical groups and committees continued to deliver exemplary programs, made that much more impressive given our current environment. BSCES Executive Committee and Board of Government members used the time they saved by not having to travel to work to update governance policies and codify processes to ensure best management practices for the Society moving forward. Perhaps the most unexpected and extraordinary occurrence of the past year, was BSCES being the recipient of an exceedingly generous donation to form the Professor Peter S. Eagleson Scholarship Fund, which will be administered by the BSCES Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee to provide financial aid to civil engineering students from communities that are underrepresented within the civil engineering profession. I am very grateful for all the support we have received and looking forward to what is next.

With an eye on the horizon, the underlying subject of this month’s newsletter is Emergency Preparedness. This theme and its criticality in the planning process is reflected in the lead article entitled “Smart Resilience Planning and Design Includes Triple Bottom Line Benefits,” which was written by John Malueg, PE, of Stantec. Additionally, I would like to recognize and thank Stantec for their support as a 2021-2022 BSCES Society Sponsor and the sponsor of this issue of BSCESNews. This issue’s other featured articles include an outline of Emergency Preparedness resources and vital components, a highlight of new technologies to afford greater safety for MassDOT tunnel inspectors, and one firm’s examples of stitching new projects back into the natural fabric of their surroundings. If you’d like to learn more on these topics, please consider reaching out to the Coasts, Oceans, Ports and Rivers Institute (COPRI) Boston Chapter for more content and to get involved. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to out to president@bsces.org or our incoming COPRI Chapter Chair Matthew Page, PE at COPRI@bsces.org. 

Lastly, many thanks to our Society Sponsors and everyone who attended the 173rd Annual BSCES Awards Dinner. This in person event (finally!) was held on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, at the Royal Sonesta Boston Hotel in Cambridge, MA. It was a beautiful first evening of summer where we had the opportunity to connect with friends, old & new. The gavel has been passed to our new BSCES President Ronald Burns, PE, principal engineer, Arcadia Technology, Inc., who will no doubt continue to shepherd BSCES to even greater heights. The best is yet to come…