• Ask Counselor Tara (ACT)
  
  2008 Multi-Regional Leadership Conference Dates/Locations Announced
  
  Headquarters Orientation Workshop
  
  Peer Review Marketer Wanted
  
  Guess What Lava Lamps, NASA and Snack Food Have in Common?
  
  Members Speak Out: Stimulating the Return of Stay-At-Home Mothers to the Engineering Profession
  
  Excellence in Journalism Call for Nominations
  
  Membership
  
  TISP Breakfast Featuring RADM W. Craig Vanderwagen, M.D.
  
  California Office of Emergency Services Saftey Assessment Program Training Workshop Featuring ATC-20 Postearthquake Safety Evaluation of Buildings
  
  ASCE Call for Disaster Assistance Volunteers
  
  2007 Conferences
  
  Energy Division Call for Award Nominations
  
  Faculty Workshop on Failure Case Studies in the Civil Engineering Curriculum
  
  Continuing Education Webinars
  
  Mark Your Calendar!
  
  
  Region Boards of Governors
  
  Committee on Geographic Units
  
  Executives
  
  Geographic Services Department
  
  Contact Information
  
• ASCE

Counselor Tara,

What is ASCE's policy on corporate sponsorships?

Corporate sponsorships are a common way for tax-exempt organizations to generate funds for educational programs or meetings. However, groups seeking to attract corporate sponsors must be aware that providing certain benefits to sponsors may require the group to pay unrelated business income tax (UBIT), on the fair market value of those benefits.

When the IRS grants tax-exempt status to an organization, this designation means the entity is not taxed on income from activities conducted in furthering its educational, charitable, or other tax-exempt purpose. This does not mean, however, that all income used to support the organization’s exempt activities will be free from federal income tax.

IRS regulations state that, where an exempt organization generates income from a business activity that does not “contribute importantly” to the group’s exempt purpose, other than by providing funds to the organization, then that income is taxable to the organization as unrelated business income. Activities that the IRS has deemed unrelated business include mailing list rentals, insurance programs, and the sale of advertising in a tax-exempt entity’s publications.

The IRS excludes from this definition income received from “qualified sponsorship payments.” Under this exclusion, tax-exempt groups are not required to report as taxable income any payments from a trade or business for which that business receives no benefit other than 1) products or services of an “insubstantial value” or 2) acknowledgment of the business name, logo or product lines in connection with the organization’s activities.

Under this definition, sponsor benefits such as special receptions or complementary passes to social events and/or sporting tournaments may be considered substantial benefits if the fair market value of these items exceeds a certain threshold amount. In addition, any acknowledgment of a sponsor that is deemed to be “advertising” will require the group to pay UBIT on the fair market value of the advertisement. For purposes of reporting UBIT, this includes any messages containing prices, comparison, or statements concerning quality or savings; any endorsements of products or services; or any inducements to buy, sell, or use a product or service.

For more detail on UBIT, see Internal Revenue Services Publication 598, available at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p598.pdf.

The dates and locations for the 2008 Multi-Region Leadership Conference are as follows:

These conferences will feature the new two-day format that was debuted in Princeton in January of 2007.

Be on the lookout for more information in the fall.

The ASCE Committee on Peer Review for Public Agencies (CPRPA) is seeking a member to market the ASCE Peer Review Program. The ASCE Peer Review Program is designed to help all public sector engineering and construction agencies improve the management and quality of their engineering services. Peer reviews examine organizational management, project management, emergency management procedures, technical practice and procedures, human resource management, financial management, and public relations practices. Peer reviews are voluntary, confidential, and conducted by a team of ASCE members with 15 years of public agency experience including a minimum of 5 years in senior management.

The marketer should be an ASCE member who meets the peer reviewer experience requirements stated above. The marketer will be expected to initiate contact with agencies, respond to inquiries, track and report on progress, and collaborate with CPRPA. The marketer will receive a monthly stipend for his/her efforts. The workload averages about 20 hours per month.

If you are interested in this opportunity, send your resume to akarwoski@asce.org.

Visit http://www.asce.org/professional/peereview/peer_review.cfm to access our peer review brochure and more information on the program.

Modern Marvels: Great Inventions Week

May 15 – 17 on The History Channel®

Check your local listings for times.

From tape cassettes to lava lamps, 60’s Tech tells stories of modern marvels that changed the world. Stay tuned for It Came From Outer Space, our look at NASA technology in everyday products. Hungry for more? Snackfood Tech showcases the science behind your favorite munchies!

To top things off, watch as we reveal the outstanding innovators of 2007 – the Winners of the Modern Marvels Invent Now Challenge!

Catch the 25 Semi-Finalists in a national traveling exhibition of their ingenious inventions.

Visit History.com/invent for more information. Be Inspired! Watch Modern Marvels Wednesdays 8 p.m./7c.

ASCE's Committee on Diversity and Women in Civil Engineering (CDWCE) is exploring the challenges stay-at-home mothers face when returning to the engineering workforce, and we need your help. Click here to learn more about the project and contribute your comments, stories and perspectives. Employers are also encouraged to submit comments. http://www.asce.org/professional/diversity/

Have you read a good news story on civil engineering recently, or know a journalist who consistently covers local projects or activities? If so, nominate them for the 2007 ASCE Excellence in Journalism Award.

By honoring superior news coverage, we can improve the public’s understanding of the impact civil engineers and the civil engineering profession have on their daily lives. English-language, U.S.-based, regional or national stories from daily or weekly newspapers, general circulation (non-trade related) magazines, radio or television programs, and electronic/Web-based (non-trade related) news outlets are eligible. Stories must be published or broadcast between May 1, 2006 and April 30, 2007. Entries must be postmarked by June 1. For more information on the Award, e-mail An Pham at apham@asce.org.

For more information visit

http://www.asce.org/pressroom/honors/excel_journalism.cfm.

ASCE Delivers at Your Next Meeting

ASCE Champions recently received a package inviting them to have a pizza party sponsored by ASCE. Champions can contact Susan Blodgett at sblodgett@asce.org to request materials and they will receive: ASCE cups, napkins, and plates, a PowerPoint presentation deliverable to non-members attending the meeting, as well as applications and brochures. Plus, the pizza is on us!

2007 Member-Get-A-Member Campaign – Recruit Members & Win Prizes

ASCE is happy to announce the winners of its winter drawing for $50 Visa Gift Cards:

• David Mooberry, P.E., M.ASCE – Michigan Section, Lansing-Jackson Branch
• Gregg Harkness, P.E., M.ASCE – Florida, East Central Branch
• Terese Kwiatkowski, P.E., M.ASCE – Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section
• Guillermo Melgar, P.E., M.ASCE – Sacramento, Central Valley Branch
• Stacy Loeffler, P.E., A.M.ASCE – Oklahoma Section, Tulsa Branch
• Jeffrey Herr, P.E., M.ASCE – Florida Section, Palm Beach Branch
• Trent Thatcher, P.E. M.ASCE – Arizona Section, Phoenix Branch
• Kimberly Hakola, P.E., M.ASCE – San Diego Section
• Stephen R. Gilman, P.E., M.ASCE – New Hampshire Section
• Kashan Bhatti, A.M.ASCE – Los Angeles Section

Encourage your members to lead their industry peers and colleagues to ASCE by recruiting them for membership. Each recruit who joins earns their sponsor an entry into the next drawing, June 30 for one of 10 $50 Visa Gift Cards.

Help your colleagues discover why there’s no place like home and visit www.ascedrive.org to start recruiting today!

Check Out the New Member-Get-A-Member Web Page

The MGAM Web site underwent a significant makeover this spring to provide you and your members with greater and simpler content. The revamped site comes complete with, not just a new theme, but expanded features and recruiting materials to help members bring in new prospects and truly see why there’s no professional home like ASCE. Visit www.ascedrive.org to start using our new tools and recruiting new ASCE members.

Nominate an Outstanding Membership Champion

Your Section/Branch Membership Champion can be key in the success of your Membership Drive, as well as membership growth and retention. Now is the time to recognize your Champion for his/her hard work by submitting a nomination for the 2007 Outstanding Membership Champion Award.

The winner and the Section, selected by the ASCE Membership Committee at its fall meeting, will each receive $250.

Nomination forms are due Sept. 1 and are available online at www.asce.org/inside/files/doc/2004OutsMemChairNomForm1.doc or by contacting Susan Blodgett at (703) 295-6008 or sblodgett@asce.org.

Membership Data Hint of the Month – Welcome Student Members

It is the perfect time of year to welcome newly graduated Student Members who have advanced to Associate or Affiliate Member to your Section or Branch. Use membership data to identify these members and contact them with a personal e-mail, phone call or letter to invite them to attend meetings and other activities or to participate on a committee.

To identify these members, look for Associate Members and Affiliate Members with recent grade dates. Those whose grade date does not equal their election date joined ASCE as a Student Member and recently transferred to Associate or Affiliate Member grade. For example, an Associate Member with a grade date in June 2007 and an election date in September 2005 joined ASCE as a Student Member in 2005, recently graduated and transferred to Associate Member grade in June.

If you have any questions about how to use or access membership data via File Transfer Protocol (FTP), contact Michael Cook at (800) 548-ASCE (2723) ext. 6121, (703) 295-6121 or mcook@asce.org.

Fellow Education Program Available from National Office

ASCE Fellow is an advanced professional grade, second only to that of Honorary Member. Fellow status must be attained by professional accomplishments via application and election by the Membership Application Review Committee (MARC). It is a prestigious honor held by fewer than 6% of ASCE members.

The 150 Fellow applications received annually indicate there are many more members eligible to apply who do not. There are many members in your areas who have embodied the true spirit of ASCE and have been active and influential in the field of civil engineering, but may not be aware that they are eligible to apply for advancement to Fellow.

We need your help to make a personal connection with these eligible members and to provide them with the information they need to begin the Fellow process. The Fellow Education Program is a step-by-step guide and brief presentation package that may be tailored for any geographic region to use as a portion of a Section or Branch meeting. The Fellow Education Program is available by contacting Erin Santiago, Applications Coordinator at (703) 295-6289 or (800) 548-2723 ext. 6289 or esantiago@asce.org. More information about becoming a Fellow and the Fellow application can be found at www.asce.org/fellows .

Award Winners Announced

Help ASCE reward great achievements and technical merit

Congratulations to the following engineering professionals for receiving these 2007 Awards: John T. Novak, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE (Simon W. Freese Award and Lecture); Vibeke L. Birkelund, Aff.M.ASCE, Peter Kjeldsen, Aff.M.ASCE, Keith C. K. Lai, M.ASCE, Irene M.C. Lo, Ph.D., M.ASCE (Samuel Arnold Greely Award); Joel G. Burken, Ph.D., M.ASCE, Rao Y. Surampalli, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, Jun Wang, P.E., M.ASCE, Xiaoqi Zhang, A.M.ASCE (2007 Rudolph Hering Award); Muriel Auriol, S.M.ASCE, Yves Comeau, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE, Youssef Filali-Meknassi, Ph.D., Rao Y. Surampalli, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, Rajeshwar D. Tyagi, Aff.M.ASCE (Wesley W. Horner Award); Wayne C. Huber, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE (Julian Hinds Award); Hung Tao Shen, Ph.D., M.ASCE (Hunter Rouse Hydraulic Engineering Award); Francesco G. Carollo, Ph.D., Vito Ferro, Ph.D., Donatella Termini, Ph.D. (Karl Emil Hilgard Hydraulic Prize); Willi H. Hager, Ph.D., F.ASCE (Hydraulic Structures Medal); Carlos V. Alonso, Ph.D., M.ASCE (J.C. Stevens Award); Wynn R. Walker, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, M.ASCE (Royce J. Tipton Award); Leo R. Beard, P.E., D.WRE, Hon.M.ASCE (Ven Te Chow Award); David C. Goodrich, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE (Arid Lands Hydraulic Engineering Award). It is not too early to submit nominations for the 2008 selection cycle! For complete information on these and all Society awards, please visit www.asce.org/awards.

The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP) is pleased to announce that RADM W. Craig Vanderwagen, M.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and Chief Preparedness Officer, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will be the keynote speaker at the May 10 Breakfast Speaker Series event. The TISP Breakfast Speaker Series provides educational and networking opportunities with leading public and private sector experts discussing the latest developments in security, public policy and technological advances related to critical domestic infrastructure resilience.

The breakfast will be held at at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC on May 10 in conjunction with GOVSEC, from 8:00-9:30 a.m. The cost to attend is $40 per person. Since ASCE is a TISP Contributing Member, all ASCE members are eligible to attend. Seating is limited and pre-registration is required by 12:00 p.m. EST on May 8th. Onsite registrations will be accepted on a space available basis only. TISP gratefully acknowledges support from Parsons Corporation for sponsoring this event.

» To register for this event, visit: http://www.tisp.org/events/eventdetails.cfm?&eventID=1385

» For additional information, contact Catherine Tehan at ctehan@asce.org

» Organizations interested in sponsoring future TISP events should contact Marla Dalton, P.E., TISP Executive Director at 703-295-6231.

Scheduled for May 16 in Long Beach, Calif., the ASCE Committee on Critical Infrastructure (CCI) is pleased to offer this training in cooperation with the Applied Technology Council (ATC) and the California Office of Emergency Services (OES) Safety Assessment Program (SAP).

SAP and ATC have developed the ATC- 20-1 “Procedures for Postearthquake Safety Evaluation of Buildings Field Manual” and the “SAP Evaluation Manual” for evaluating the safety of buildings and other facilities (with emphasis on buildings) after earthquakes, winds, floods and fire. These procedures and guidelines are written specifically for volunteer structural engineers, as well as building inspectors and structural engineers from city building departments and other regulatory agencies, who would be required to make on-the-spot evaluations and decisions regarding the continued entry, use, operation and occupancy of damaged buildings and other facilities.

The registration fee for this workshop is $95 before May 15 and $125 onsite (after May 15). Registration fees include all workshop materials (including the ATC-20-1 field manual and the SAP evaluator manual), a boxed lunch, and coffee breaks. Participants licensed in the state of California will be eligible to be registered as California OES Safety Assessment Program (SAP) Evaluators. Participants completing the entire training will earn 6.0 PDHs. For additional information, contact Catherine Tehan at ctehan@asce.org or 703-295-6026.

» Online registration is available at: http://content.asce.org/conferences/structures2007/register.html

Each time a natural disaster or man-made event (such as Hurricane Katrina or the terrorist attacks of 9/11) occurs, ASCE members volunteer their time and talents to assist in response and recovery initiatives, and look to ASCE to provide an avenue to do so. The ASCE Committee on Critical Infrastructure (CCI), in response to our members’ desire to lend support to such efforts, is developing a directory of members who express their interest and availability to assist. CCI is currently seeking volunteers to participate in disaster management activities including planning, preparedness, response, and recovery, on an as-needed basis. The information provided will be included in a directory for the ASCE Disaster Assistance Volunteer Program to be made available in the event of natural and man-made disasters requiring engineers for planning, damage assessment and rebuilding efforts. The data provided in the directory will be made available upon request to qualified parties including local, state and federal agencies, as well as private consulting firms seeking professional engineering expertise. Enrollment in the directory does not guarantee that a member will be called upon. Additionally, volunteers should note that Good Samaritan laws vary from state to state. No protection from liability concerns is provided by enrollment in the database.

Interested members are encouraged to update their ASCE member profile by providing additional disaster assistance related information for inclusion in the directory. To ensure the accuracy of the directory, members may be asked to confirm the information provided on an ongoing basis.

For additional information about the ASCE Disaster Assistance Volunteer Program and to enroll in the directory, visit http://ciasce.asce.org/

Hotel Pennsylvania, New York City

Registration now open!

13 PDHs available.

To Exhibit or For Sponsorship Opportunities Click Here

The International Pipelines Conference 2007 will take place at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel in Boston from July 8-11. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn about Advances & Experiences With Trenchless Pipeline Projects. To learn more about and register for the conference, visit the Web site.

The 7th International Symposium on Field Measurements

in Geomechanics (FMGM)

September 24-27, 2007

Boston Park Plaza & Towers

www.fmgm.org

The Energy Division is currently seeking nominations for three prestigious ASCE Awards:

Stephen Bechtel Medal - for Contributions to Power Generation
Rickey Medal - for contributions to the Hydropower Industry
Hoffman Medal - for contributions to the Pumped Storage Generation field

For further information visit: http://www.asce.org/inside/energydivision.cfm#awards

The University of Colorado at Denver (UCD) will host a one-day workshop on July 20. The registration fee is $149 which includes course materials and lunch.

Some of the cases to be covered include:

• Ronan Point (statics, structural analysis)
• 2000 Commonwealth Avenue (concrete structures)
• St. Francis Dam (geotechnical engineering, hydraulics)

For more information, visit the Web site at: http://www.ascetcfe.org/FacultyWorkshop.html

May 4: Response due at ASCE World Headquarters for national collection of Section dues.

June 1:

• Deadline for submission for the Outstanding Section and Branch Web Award Competition
• Nominations due for Ralph B. Peck Award, H. Bolton Seed Medal and The Professional Practice Ethics and Leadership Award

Aug. 4: Submission deadline for the State Public Affairs Grant Activity Report to ASCE Washington Office

Aug. 15: Nominations due for Casagrande, Construction Management, Kapp and Terzaghi Awards

Oct. 1: Nomination deadline for Honorary Members, OPAL and Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prizes

Oct. 30:

• Nominations due for the Workshops for Section and Branch Leaders and the Younger Member Council Meetings .
• Nominations due for the National Outstanding Section/Branch Award.

Nov. 1:

• Submission deadline for the Outstanding Section and Branch Newsletter Award

• Nomination deadline for Arid Lands, Bartholomew, Bechtel awards, Bickel, Biot, Can-Am, Cermak, Chow, History & Heritage, Computing in Civil Engineering, Norman/Croes, Duke, Einstein, Freese, Freudenthal, Greeley, Hardesty, Hering, Hilgard, Hinds, Hoffman, Horner, Howard, Hydraulic Structures, Innovation in Civil Engineering, International Coastal, Laurie, T. Y. Lin, Masters, Middlebrooks, Moffatt- Nichol, Moisseiff, Newmark, Peurifoy, Reese, Rickey, Roebling, Rouse, Rowland, Scanlan, Smith, State-of-the-Art, Stevens, Surveying & Mapping, and Wisely

Nov. 2: State Public Affairs Grant applications due

Nov. 3:

• Annual Business Meeting with Society Awards Presentation, Orlando, Fla
• Honorary Member Induction Ceremony, Orlando, Fla

Nov. 30: Section Annual Reports are due at ASCE World Headquarters.

Region Annual Reports are due at ASCE World Headquarters.

Feb. 1:

• Nominations are due for National ASCE Edmund Friedman Young Engineer Award for Professional Achievement and the Daniel Mead Prize for Younger Members
• Nominations are due for Young Government Civil Engineer Award
• Nominations are due for Younger Member Group Award
• Nomination deadline for Collingwood Prize