It has been almost three years since Ranjit Sahai, Chris Manalo and LJ Sauter of ASCE-NCS decided to have a new column in the monthly eNewsletter for students and practicing engineers. That was the beginning of “Dr. Z’s Corner” and the rest was history. As I reflect on 2016, we had some good and some sad news to report. On a personal note, I was pleased to receive another national award, this time from ASEE and the news of ASCE-Fellow. For the sad news, I will share with my readers a letter that I received from Cherod Gregory Hicks, President of ASCE Student Chapter at Morgan State University.

Remembrance of Dmitri

“My name is Cherod Hicks and over the past semester, I had the honor and privilege of serving as the President of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) at Morgan State University, located in Baltimore, MD. When I was nominated for the position, my first question was, “Who will be serving as my Vice President?” I understood then, as I understand now, without a strong support staff and executive committee, I would be unable to maintain a high standard of excellence that ASCE student chapters hold near and dear to the oldest engineering society in our nation’s history, founded in 1852. When I found out it would be Dmitri Clemons, I was excited and couldn’t wait for the fall 2016 semester to begin because I knew his work ethic was unparalleled amongst any student in the Department of Civil Engineering. We would bounce ideas off of one another and whenever I questioned my purpose in the field of civil engineering or wondered aloud if I could be successful, he always reassured me by letting me know that the only person that could stop me from achieving my goals was myself.

“Dmitri T Clemons was born in Silver Spring, MD on November 5, 1994 to Lynn Clemons. He was educated in the Montgomery County Public School system, where he graduated from Paint Branch High School in 2013. He was a member of the Varsity football team and he threw Shot Put for the track team. Dmitri was an avid reader and he loved working out. On any given day, you could find him running through campus or working out in the gym. Upon graduation, he attended Morgan State University, where he majored in Civil Engineering. In 2013 and 2014, he received a Certificate of Academic Excellence for making the Dean’s List with a 4.0 GPA. He was named Vice President of ASCE, Morgan State Chapter his Junior year and he continued in that role his senior year. He traveled to Philadelphia, PA for the Global Competitiveness Conference and he also traveled to Pittsburgh, PA and Boston, MA for the ASCE Conferences. In June of 2016, he was selected by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Emerging Leaders to represent Morgan State for the US-China Study Delegation. Along with being a member of ASCE, Dmitri was also an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers and the American Society of Highway Engineers.

“It is with sadness and a broken heart that Dmitri passed away on September 21, 2016 after working out. He had a near perfect GPA and his mother received his Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering posthumously on his behalf at the December 2016 Commencement. He is as missed today as he was the moment we found out he taken his last breath. It is incredibly sad that his life ended so prematurely when we all recognized that greatness had already tapped him as the next great leader in the field of Civil Engineering. He had aspirations of pursuing his PhD after graduation and was inspirational to his fellow classmates to pursue greater goals as well. He started a GRE study group and he was instrumental in informing us that he was attending Dr. Z’s pro-bono Saturday classes at UDC (University of the District of Columbia). I, Cherod Hicks, and Phine Ulysse attended our first class with Dr. Z today and it was one of our best academic experiences to date. It would not have been made possible without Dmitri taking those first steps when he attended those sessions during the summer of 2016 and showed us how much he was learning and technical application he was taking away from Dr. Z. If he were here, he would tell us to smile, suck it up, stop making excuses, and study. Even though he is gone, he will never be forgotten because we all carry a part of him along with us every step we take, especially as we matriculate through our careers and personal lives. Dmitri T Clemons, we miss you, we honor you through our actions, but most importantly, we love you! Rest in Peace Big Homie, God’s got you now.”

Cherod Gregory Hicks,
Morgan ’16, Civil Engineering

I would like to close with uplifting news. Starting next month, we will welcome two new contributors that will be helping us: Dr Lei Wang in Geotechnical and Dr Bryan Higgs in Transportation concentrations.

Until next time,

Ahmet Zeytinci, P.E.
Dr. Z. (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

I am pleased to tell my readers that we’ve just celebrated one of the most memorable Engineers Weeks in recent memory. We’ve been invited to several award banquets and proclamation lunches with colleagues from ASCENCS, including the president and my good friend Jordan Pitt. We were delighted to see that all keynote speakers and many awardees were women engineers. That is why this month, I’ve decided to write about women engineers. Especially two extraordinary women engineers, Dr. Ericsson and Dr. Pehlivan. You may already know them since they are celebrities. But first, a brief background and some statistics:

Who was the first woman to receive a degree in engineering? Elizabeth Cady Stanton received her civil engineering degree from Cornell University in 1905. Over the past few decades a growing number of women have been entering the field of engineering, but many believe this good news doesn’t have a rosy ending. As recent coverage in the media, including National Public Radio, details, many female engineers are leaving their positions and some are hesitant to enter the profession at all. For the civil engineering community, the statistics demonstrate that we are doing better than most, yet we have much more work to do.

Statistics show that women represent 12.1% of the civil engineering workforce and 14% of the total workforce. And according to the Engineering Workforce Commission (EWC), over the past five years, civil engineering has consistently outpaced all other engineering disciplines in the awarding of Master’s and Doctoral degrees to women.

Aprille Joy Ericsson, PhD:

Dr. Aprille Joy Ericsson is the New Business Lead for the NASA GSFC Instrument Systems and Technology Division at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Most recently, she served as the Capture (Mission) Manager for a proposed Astrophysics Mid-sized Class Explorer of $250M, called STAR-X. Prior to that proposal development, she served as the NASA GSFC Program Manager for Small Business Innovative Research/ Small Business Technology Transfer Research. Formerly, she has served as the Deputy to the Chief Technologist for the Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) with a primary focus as a Technologist for Advanced Manufacturing, Applied Nanotechnology, miniaturization of Technology for CubeSat and SmaliSat space platforms.

During her 25+ year tenure with NASA, she has held numerous positions. She was an Attitude Control Systems analyst developing practical control methods and analyzing structural dynamics for X-Ray Timing Explorer, Tropical Rain Forest Measurement Mission, Transition Region & Coronal Explorer, and Wilkerson Microwave Anisotropy Probe. As a NASA HQs Program Executive for Earth Science, and a Business Executive for Space Science, she supported the SORCE and ICESat missions. She was an Instrument Project Manager leading spaceflight instrument teams and proposal development. Also, her aerospace research at Howard University was developing control methods for orbiting large space platforms like ISS.

Dr. Ericsson has also served as an Adjunct Faculty member at several Washington DC Area Universities. She sits on several Technical Academic boards at the National Academies, MIT and previously Howard University where she also served as a member of the Board of Trustees.

Of her numerous awards and recognitions received over the years, the most prestigious was “The 2016 Washington Award” from the Western Society of Engineers. She is the first female (and the first African-American female) to receive a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University, and the first African – American female to receive a PhD in Engineering at NASA GSFC. She received her BS in Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering from MIT. She grew up in Brooklyn, NY and has one daughter, Arielle Ericsson-White.

Menzer Pehlivan, PhD, PE:

Dr. Menzer Pehlivan is a well-known   PE, featured in ASCE’s “Dream Big” IMAX movie. Dream Big: Engineering Our World debuts in museums and theaters around North America during the Engineers Week.

Dr. Menzer Pehlivan is a geotechnical engineer specializing in earthquake engineering. She is currently working at CH2M in Seattle, WA. She is an expert in the analysis of seismic site response, liquefaction and other natural hazards, soil-foundation-structure interaction, probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA), and the seismic design of foundation of structures. She was inspired to build more resilient communities and reduce the risk associated with the earthquakes following the 1999 Kocaeli Earthquake that hit Turkey.

Upon completing her undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering, she pursued graduate studies specializing in geotechnical earthquake engineering. She obtained her doctorate from The University of Texas at Austin in 2013 and started working as a consulting engineer in New York City, where she had opportunity to work on seismic design of projects in the US, Mexico, and Canada. During this time she also served as an Adjunct Professor at Manhattan College where she developed and taught the seismic portion of a graduate course for practicing engineers on fundamentals of foundation design.

She has been actively involved with pioneering research projects advancing the state-of-art and state-of-practice of geotechnical earthquake engineering. She led a part of NGA-EAST research effort regarding the modelling of the uncertainty in regional soil effects of Eastern-North America. Following the 2015 Nepal Earthquake, she was one of the appointed members of the Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) team to travel to Nepal and perform post-earthquake reconnaissance. Dr. Pehlivan published several journal and conference papers and serves as reviewer for Earthquake Spectra.

Next month we will talk about “Ten Reasons to Love Engineering.”

Until next time,

Ahmet Zeytinci, P.E.
Dr. Z. (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

What do engineers really do? How do they spend their days? If you think they mostly sit at a desk doing math, you are wrong. According to DiscoverE (E-in STEM), engineers not only design, invent, fix, improve, research, travel, present, inspect, draw, write, calculate, but also they work with really interesting people on great projects. Engineers are changing the world for the better all the time. They dream up creative, practical solutions and work with other smart, inspiring people to invent, design, and create things that change our planet. As promised, in this issue of Dr. Z’s Corner we will talk about “Ten Reasons to Love Engineering.”

1: Love your work, and love your life

Engineering is an exciting profession, but one of its greatest advantages is that it will leave you time for all the other things in your life that you love. According to author and creativity guru, Chris Barez-Brown, life and work are intrinsically linked. They are not separate, they are one. If we want to live an extraordinary life, we have to make our work equally extraordinary. It is possible to help you make your work, work for you. Apparently Brown’s approach has produced some tangible returns on investment for many Fortune 500 companies such as Nike, Coca Cola, Diageo, The Gates Foundation, Sony and WPP Unilever, and ITV, for his unique and energetic approach to transforming their people and their work.

2: Be creative

Engineering is a great outlet for the imagination – the perfect field for independent thinkers. Can Creativity Be Taught? What about the creative process? Certainly an understanding of the basic rules of thumb can be taught. Everyone can learn to some degree how to construct ideas and things that work by imitating, emulating and modeling the behaviors of effective teachers. A word of caution: According to experts on creativity, extensive technical thinking diminishes creativity. Most engineers would need to be a practitioner to understand the creativity process.

3: Work with great people

Engineering takes teamwork, and you’ll collaborate with all kinds of people inside and outside the field. Whether they’re designers or architects, doctors or entrepreneurs, you’ll be surrounded by smart, inspiring people.

4: Solve problems, design things that matter

Come up with solutions no one else has thought of. Make your mark on the world. A lot of people end up being successful, and some of those successful people end up being rich. But very few people actually make their mark on the world and leave us all better off for having known them.

5: Never be bored

Creative problem solving will take you into uncharted territory, and the ideas of your colleagues will expose you to different ways of thinking. Be prepared to be fascinated and to have your talents stretched in ways you never expected.

6: Earn a big salary

Engineers not only earn lots of respect, but they’re highly paid as well. Even the starting salary for an entry-level job is impressive comparing to other professions. According to a recent survey, entry-level civil engineers can expect to earn an average of $58K per year. Of course, the residence (location of the work) and the name of the company will impact the annual salary, with the former having the largest influence.

7: Enjoy job flexibility

An engineering degree offers you lots of freedom in finding your dream job. It can be a launching pad for jobs in business, design, medicine, law, and government. To employers or graduate schools, an engineering degree reflects a well-educated individual who has been taught ways of analyzing and solving problems that can lead to success in all kinds of fields.

8: Travel

Field work is a big part of engineering. You may end up designing a skyscraper in Europe or developing safe drinking-water systems in Asia. Or you may stay closer to home, working with a nearby high-tech company or a hospital.

9: Make a difference

Everywhere you look you’ll see examples of engineering having a positive effect on everyday life. Cars are safer, sound systems deliver better acoustics, medical tests are more accurate, and computers and cell phones are a lot more fun! You’ll be giving back to your community.

10: Change the world

Imagine what life would be like without pollution controls to preserve the environment, lifesaving medical equipment, or low-cost building materials for fighting global poverty. All this takes engineering. In very real and concrete ways, engineers save lives, prevent disease, reduce poverty, and protect our planet.

And finally, did you know that starting July 1, 2017, NCEES will introduce a new testing component called Alternative Item Types (AITs) in its computer-based FE and FS exams? As you may have guessed, AITs are questions other than traditional multiple-choice questions and next month we’ll talk about them.

Until next time,

Ahmet Zeytinci (Dr.Z.)
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Are You Ready for AITs?

Over the years, I have observed that taking the multiple-choice Fundamental of Engineering (FE) tests comes more easily for some examinees than for others. Even some students enjoy taking these tests and exhibiting their knowledge while others dread the process and suffer from test anxiety. Knowing what format the test will have can help you develop your own learning and preparation process and focus on the strategies needed to do well. As we promised last month, today we are going to talk about some new exam formats including the new AITs.

Starting July 1, 2017, all computer-based NCEES exams will introduce a new testing component called Alternative Item Types (AITs). Alternative item types will be incorporated into the FE, FS, and PS practice exams. Alternative item types provide opportunities to assess the technical knowledge of examinees using methods not available through paper-and-pencil based testing.

AITs are questions other than traditional multiple-choice questions. According to NCEES, all computer-based exams will incorporate commonly used alternative item types that include but are not limited to the following:

• Traditional Multiple Choice Questions – A multiple-choice question consisting of the text of the question and four options provided after the question
• Multiple Correct Options – Allows multiple choices to be correct
• Point and Click – Requires examinees to click on part of a graphic to answer
• Drag and Drop – Requires examinees to click on and drag items to match, sort, rank, or label
• Fill in the Blank – Provides a space for examinees to enter a response to the question

Let’s explain these formats starting with the traditional Multiple-Choice questions that feature four-answer options from which to choose, one of which is the correct answer. This format has been used for years and all students are familiar with this format.

Multiple-Choice questions with multiple correct options feature more than four answer options from which to choose and allow for multiple answer options to be selected.

Point & Click questions require you to select one or more predetermined clickable areas that become visible when you move your cursor over the graphic or picture. Point & Click questions may also ask you to select an unidentified spot or spots on the graphic. In other words, Point & Click questions contain a picture or some other form of media with one or more areas designated by NCEES. The test taker, when answering a Point & Click question, cannot see the area(s). The examinee must select a point on the graphic/picture. Credit is given if the examinee selects a point within the designated area(s).

Drag & Drop questions require you click and drag your answer options to sort, rank, match or label a provided graphic. This question type allows examinees to drag answer to a question. These type of questions are great for sorting information especially information that is visual or process-oriented. To give an idea, let’s say that a question has four levels of information and the exam developer would like to evaluate each student’s knowledge by having her/him match each level to its title. To do this all steps are displayed on the left-hand side of the screen. Then the right-hand side of the screen would include the name of each level. This question type is similar to matching in that the user must match answers to questions.

Fill in the Blank questions are familiar and they require examinee to enter the response instead of choosing it from a list of answer options.

Now a few words for the PE exam takers as well: As always, the first thing to do is to familiarize yourself with your state licensing board’s registration procedures before registering for a PE exam. The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam is designed by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) for engineers who have gained a minimum of four years post-college work experience in their chosen engineering discipline. According to our students who have conquered the PE exams, the best strategies are; studying the reference material from NCEES regularly for at least two hours a day, solving as many practice problems as possible, reviewing the PE exam specifications and design standards, and, of course, organizing your test material in well-indexed three-ring binders. Most importantly, remember not to “cram” because you are being tested on knowledge that you have accumulated over several years. Studying at the last minute will only stress you out. Before the exam day, you may go to a movie or hang out with a friend – anything to get your mind off of the test!

And lastly, stay relaxed and confident. Always keep a good attitude and remind yourself that you are going to do your best!

Good Luck,

Dr Z
Ahmet Zeytinci, PE
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.