This message was sent to ##Email## July 29, 2020 Vol. 49 No. 59          Home  |   About Us  |   Membership  |   Resources  |   Events  |   Contact Us Subscribe  |   Archive    GBA NEWS Register Now! GBA's Fall Conference Let’s look forward to the future together. GBA’s Fall Conference (a virtual event) is convening October 20-23, 2020 in the comfort of your own workspace. Plan to join geoprofessional industry professionals from across North America for this three-day conference which will include premier education sessions that will focus on leadership behaviors, business strategies, and proven tactics critical to managing corporate performance beyond crisis to take advantage of the emergent new business environment. Conference Features: Committee Meetings Business Roundtables Keynotes by Best Selling Authors and Business Experts GBA Member CEO Panel Social Networking Attending GBA’s Fall Conference (virtually) requires only 2-4 hours of engagement each day and offers over 7 Professional Development Hours (PDHs). More Information and Registration: HERE New Podcast Series Launched: Encore Performances, Reconnecting with GBA Friends GBA Emerging Leaders Class GBA is legendary for engaging with amazing speakers at each of our conferences and in this series we reconnect with past keynotes that have become old friends of GBA to see where life has taken them and learn from their journey, they are American heroes, best-selling authors, business leaders, executive coaches, all experts in their fields and brilliantly engaging. The first two episodes featuring Major General Vincent “Vinny” Boles (Spring 2017) and Eric Kaufmann (Spring 2014) are now available. They update us on their message in light of the current challenges and share their messages of hope. We reconnect with spectacular, two-time keynote, Michael Allosso in an episode #3 to be available on August 5, 2020. This series is being edited and produced by GBA’s Emerging Leaders Class under the leadership of Tiffany Vorhies (SME), Donald Blackburn (Blackburn Consulting), Shawn Leyva (Crawford & Associates), and Ryan White (PBS Engineering and Environmental). Access podcast series: Encore Performances, Reconnecting with GBA Friends: HERE Elizabeth Clarke and Meghan Lester named CoMET Committee Vice Chairs GBA CoMET Business Committee GBA recently announced the selection of Elizabeth Clarke (Structure Groups) and Meghan Lester, P.E., (Geo-Technology Associates) as Vice Chairs of the Construction Materials Engineering and Testing (CoMET) Business Committee. They succeed long-time contributors Paul Lampe, P.E. (Raba Kistner) and Randy Martin, P.E. (S&ME) in these roles. The CoMET Committee Chair is Dan Schaefer, P.E. (Froehling & Robertson). Please join us in congratulating Elizabeth and Meghan! The mission of GBA’s CoMET Committee is to identify and respond to CoMET issues as they arise and develop educational content to help members and their clients deal with those issues in a manner that enhances the profession and demonstrates value. This series is being edited and produced by GBA’s Emerging Leaders Class under the leadership of Tiffany Vorhies (SME), Donald Blackburn (Blackburn Consulting), Shawn Leyva (Crawford & Associates), and Ryan White (PBS Engineering and Environmental). For more information about GBA’s CoMET Committee or to join: HERE Sponsor Our Conference Maximize your company’s brand recognition, increase your visibility, and reinforce your reputation as an industry leader. GBA Fall Conference sponsorship will help you achieve your goals by providing premium visibility to geoprofessional leaders from across North America. 2020 Fall Conference Sponsorship Opportunities IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Our most popular article from our last issue of GBA NEWSlog. NEW! GBA BUSINESS BRIEF: Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Financial-Performance-Survey Report  EVENTS Future GBA Events: Mark Your Calendars Now GBA 2020 Fall Conference Virtual Event Spring Conference 2021: April 22-25, 2021 at the Marriott Marquis, San Diego, CA Fall Conference 2021: October 21-23, 2021 at the Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa For more information: GBA EVENTS CALENDAR  MEMBER NEWS Nobis Group Awards 2020 STEM Scholarships Nobis Group Nobis Group recently awarded scholarships to three 2020 high school graduates. Now in its second year, the Nobis scholarship program was developed to further the company’s dedication to promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields to high school students. The scholarship is awarded to graduating high school seniors in New Hampshire and Massachusetts who have demonstrated an interest and are pursuing further education in STEM fields at a college, university, or trade school. 2020 Nobis Group STEM Scholarship recipients include New Hampshire students Jessica Janinda of Hopkinton High School and Alexandra Topic of Manchester Central High School and Massachusetts student Helena Koch of Groton-Dunstable Regional High School. Janinda, Topic, and Koch are pursuing higher education in the fields of Biology & Human Science, Computer Science & Mathematics, and Mechanical Engineering, respectively. Scholarship applications, essays, and transcripts are evaluated by an internal committee at Nobis comprised of scientists, engineers, and administrative professionals who are tasked with selecting students who best demonstrate a passion for STEM. This year the firm received 55 applications – nearly four times as many as were received in 2019 – and increased the number of awards from two students in its first year to three this year. Pictured: on left – Alexandra Topic; on right – Helena Koch.  READ MORE Dave Cook Declared "Rock Star" by Alma Mater Northern Arizona University Aspect Consulting Principal Geologist Dave Cook is featured in the latest issue of Pine, the alumni magazine for Northern Arizona University. Dave reflects on how a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon while he was an undergrad in Ohio sparked his curiosity for geology and led him to NAU to earn his master’s degree in Geology. There, he focused research on a remote, little-studied part of the Canyon called the Chuar Group and its 800-million-year-old rocks that show evidence of an ancient sea.  READ MORE Website Wins First Place Sanborn Head Sanborn Head’s website won first place at the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Boston Virtual Awards Gala held on June 25. The SMPS Boston awards program is designed to celebrate marketing accomplishments of firms and recognize the best and brightest marketing initiatives in the Boston area. Sanborn Head is honored to receive this recognition and appreciates the efforts of our staff involved in the design, and the talent of Clockwork Design Group in executing our vision. The new website was launched last October.  READ MORE Pennoni helps develop regulations for the Philadelphia Building Energy Performance Policy Pennoni As cities and municipalities look to implement solutions that will reduce carbon emissions, Pennoni is positioned to help meet the voluntary or mandatory requirements proposed. Representatives from Pennoni participated in the Advisory Group for the Philadelphia Building Energy Performance Policy. This group provides guidance, asks questions, and shares concerns as the City develops the regulations and is comprised of representatives with a connection to the policy including service providers, building owners and managers, and legislative reps.  READ MORE SNC-Lavalin awarded National Nuclear Cleanup Contract from US Department of Energy SNC-Lavalin SNC-Lavalin has been awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract to provide nationwide deactivation, decommissioning and removal (DD&R) of nuclear facilities, as well as waste management and program support from the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM), through its Atkins Nuclear Secured Holdings Corporation entity. This multiple award contract has a 10-year ordering period, and a maximum ceiling of $3 billion US, split between nine companies. This contract is within SNCL Engineering Services, the cornerstone of our strategy moving forward to greater growth and support for our partners and customers.  READ MORE Fugro Completes Phase 1 of Site Investigation Contract for Qatargas Fugro Fugro has completed the first phase of their multidisciplinary offshore site investigation for Qatargas’ North Field Production Sustainability’s Compression Phase. The fieldwork started in March and, while phase one marks completion of the geophysical scope, the geotechnical scope in phase two will run as planned until August this year. The fieldwork is being performed by in-country project teams from Fugro’s dedicated vessels Proteus and Adventurer and includes cone penetration testing and P-S logging results. The final deliverables – comprising a bathymetric and geophysical survey and a geotechnical appraisal of the soils encountered – will be used to optimize jacket platform pile foundation design, and pipeline and cable-route engineering, in Qatar’s North Field.  READ MORE Atlas Technical Consultants, Inc. Entered into a Mentor-Protégé Agreement with OLH Atlas Technical Consultants Atlas Technical Consultants, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATCX), a leading provider of professional testing, inspection, engineering, program management and consulting services and OLH Inc. (OLH) are proud to announce that they have entered into a Mentor-Protégé Agreement under the All Small Mentor Protégé Program (ASMPP) through the Small Business Administration (SBA), effective July 9, 2020. The purpose of the SBA program is to enhance the development of the protégé and encourage approved mentors to provide various forms of assistance to eligible ASMPP participants; all in an effort to ensure contracting opportunity, experience, and overall financial viability.  READ MORE Hicks Appointed Subsidiary Regional Manager ECS ECS is pleased to announce that John Hicks, PE, has been appointed Subsidiary Regional Manager for ECS Florida, LLC. An employee since 2004, Mr. Hicks began his career as a Staff Project Manager in the Chantilly, VA office before relocating to Florida. He has served as Principal Engineer on projects throughout Florida and most recently held the position of Orlando Branch Manager since 2017. “John started his career with us and continues to grow with our company. He is a natural and engaged leader who has succeeded at every level in his career. He works in a disciplined manner and puts his staff and clients first in his dedication to great consulting service. I’m excited to partner with John and lead our growing group of great professionals throughout Florida,” said Joe Champion, Subsidiary President for ECS Florida, LLC. “John will strengthen our already great leadership in our region with our Tampa, Ft. Myers, Orlando and Facilities Operations.”  READ MORE  INDUSTRY NEWS I Just Couldn't Get Out Of Bed Anymore — Hitting the COVID Wall Eleanor Allen on LinkedIn I couldn’t get out of bed last week. I usually do the 5-minute snooze but my routine had devolved to a 30-minute and eventually to a 1-hour snooze. I finally would get up when something inside told me I was down to the wire. I would then race to take a shower and would be ready “just in time” for my first Zoom call. And my princely husband would bring me his most-excellent coffee shortly thereafter to help remove the cobwebs from my head.  READ MORE Why Should I Care About Diversity in Engineering? National Society of Professional Engineers When the profession’s diversity becomes the topic of conversation, certain questions commonly arise. A group of NSPE members responded. Months before protests and social unrest engulfed many cities in the United States, a group of concerned NSPE members began working to raise awareness, start a conversation within the Society, and contribute to the important dialogue taking place in the profession about diversity. Their question was simple but not easy to answer: What needs to happen to move NSPE and our profession forward so that we reflect the diversity of our communities? The 10 members of NSPE’s new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee knew they couldn’t change the organization’s or the profession’s past—a past that has been largely white and male. Instead, they wanted to look forward, and they began plans for sharing their ideas in this issue of PE magazine. In late May, however, the conversation quickly took on a new urgency.  READ MORE Failed Construction Lawsuit Proceeds Alaska Business Journal A federal judge denied the U.S. Maritime Administration’s motion for judgment in Anchorage’s lawsuit against the agency over more than $300 million in failed construction at the city’s port done more than a decade ago.  READ MORE Self-Healing Concrete Science Direct The engineering application of microbial self-healing concrete in ship lock engineering is being studied. The produced microbial self-healing concrete was applied to the side wall of the ship lock, and it was observed that the cracking of the concrete was completely healed after 60 days, and the leakage of the crack was effectively blocked. Thus, microbial self-healing concrete is expected to be widely used in concrete crack self-healing in hydraulic environment. Watch Here  READ MORE 'We have a valuable contribution to make': The Women Returning to Engineering The Guardian Restarting a career can be difficult when faced with a recruitment system that doesn’t look favorably on gaps in CVs – and women are often disproportionately affected by such bias.  READ MORE A New Vision of Sustainability in Earth Science Education Eos. The geosciences can—and should—play a strong role in studying, communicating, and finding solutions to modern societal challenges, not the least of which is building sustainable societies. Following the culmination of an ambitious Earth science education initiative, scientists and educators met to prioritize ways in which education about Earth can help.  READ MORE AI to Give Workers a "Productivity Score" MIT Technology Review There is a startup providing an AI application to give workers a “productivity score” - but critics fear the kind of surveillance involved undermines trust.  READ MORE Improve Happiness — There is an App for That HR Trend Institute Meditation is a great tool to fight the effects of stress and anxiety and is increasing used in the workplace to find inner peace and take a break from the chaos. Here’s a list of top-rated meditation apps to help get you started.  READ MORE Avoid the Fatal Four — Construction's Toll on Workers ISHN On project sites in the field, geoprofessionals often fall into the category of “construction workers,” particularly when it comes to safety concerns. During a 45-year career, there is a one in 200 chance that a construction worker will die from a work-related incident. That’s a pretty scary statistic. Investments are key to avoiding the “fatal four.”  READ MORE Researchers Jump on Coronavirus and Many Won't Go Back Nature The pandemic mixed up what scientists study – and some won’t go back. Thousands of researchers have jumped into studying coronavirus and many want to continue.  READ MORE Research Team Releases Global Groundwater Maps PHYS ORG NASA researchers have developed new satellite-based, weekly global maps of soil moisture and groundwater wetness conditions and one to three-month U.S. forecasts of each product.  READ MORE African Continent Peeling Apart NBC News The African continent is very slowly peeling apart. Scientists say a new ocean is being born. New satellite measurements are offering valuable tools to study the tectonic rift in one of the most geologically unique spots on the planet.  READ MORE 3 Lessons from Military That Can Help Leaders Now Entrepreneur How do you stay levelheaded and navigate through these disruptive times, and come out stronger on the other side? Some effective tactics can be learned from the military in this regard.  READ MORE Critical US infrastructure 'can be hacked by anyone' TechRadar Hackers can exploit a new niche of widespread security vulnerabilities ushered in the by the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) to target and seize control of critical public and private infrastructure in the US, according to a new report from CyberNews. The reason US infrastructure is so vulnerable is because many of these systems are run by legacy Industrial Control Systems (ICS) which were designed without cybersecurity in mind.  READ MORE Breaking New Ground: How Construction Forges Ahead Commercial Observer Commercial real estate construction has shown resilience and grit amid the current pandemic. Times like these require businesses to be laser focused on strategy with constant attention to details and business plan execution. Still, given the massive slowdown in economic activity, developers are reassessing both current and future projects amid the uncertainty that could greet them when they come online.  READ MORE Words of Wisdom “A good scientist is a person with original ideas. A good engineer is a person who makes a design that works with as few original ideas as possible. There are no prima donnas in engineering." -Freeman Dyson (theoretical physicist and mathematician)  BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Kenneth R. "Ken" Johnston, (GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. / Norwood, MA), 781/278-3700 President-Elect: Thomas W. "Tom" Blackburn, P.E., G.E., F.ASCE (Blackburn Consulting / Auburn, CA), 530/887-1494 Secretary/Treasurer: Leo J. Titus, Jr. P.E., (ECS, Ltd. / Chantilly, VA), 703/471-8400 Directors: Chuck A. Gregory, P.E. (Terracon / San Antonio, TX), 210/641-2112 Martin LaRoche, P. Eng, M.Sc. (Kiewit / Montreal, Canada) Guy Marcozzi, P.E., LEED AP BD+C, F. ASCE (Duffield Associates, Inc. / Wilmington, DE) 302/ 239-6634 Christopher Matthew "Matt" Moler, P.E. (S&ME, Inc. / Greensboro, NC), 336/553-1245 Matthew "Matt" R. Poirier, P.E. (Sanborn Head & Associates, Inc. / Concord, NH) 603/ 229-1900 Steve Wendland, P.G. Steve Wendland, P.E., R.G., D.GE (Kleinfelder, Inc. / Prairie Village, KS ) 913/475-5851 NEWSlog Connect with GBA Recent Issues | Subscribe | Unsubscribe | Web Version   GBA Staff: Joel G. Carson, Executive Director, 301-565-2733 (office) | 402-517-1819 (cell) Sara Menase, Program Manager, 301-565-2733  Phillip D. Pettway, Controller, 301-565-2733  Barbara A. Nappy, Program Director, 301-565-2733 (office) | 727-457-2272 (cell) Geoprofessional Business Association 15800 Crabbs Branch Way, Suite 300  | Rockville, MD 20855 | 301-565-2733 | Contact Us  About GBA The Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA) helps its members and their clients confront risk and optimize business performance by delivering unique professional resources, programs, and services that make them stronger, smarter and more successful. Learn how to add us to your safe-sender list so our e-mails get to your inbox. 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063