Kansas Professional Engineer eNe

The cold days of winter are giving way to warmer days of spring, a welcome change for sure. This seemed like one of the longest and coldest winters in recent history, it’s good that my five year old son can now get outside and burn off some of that cooped up energy.

Your State Society has had a busy and productive winter and is positioned for a great spring and fall 2010.

Our MATHCOUNTS Committee, chaired by Amy Houghton, completed another successful state MATHCOUNTS competition in Salina on March 6. Approximately 77 Mathletes representing our mathematically gifted students from across the state competed in this year’s event. Many volunteers (including a handful of students from Fort Hays State University) contributed to the success of the event. Great job Amy, MATHCOUNTS Committee, Gaches Braden & Associates (GBA) Staff and all of the Volunteers.

The Legislative Committee, chaired by Mike Crow, has been busy watching activity of our legislators in Topeka, discussing issues that impact PEs and addressing them as necessary. Our committee may need your assistance contacting your legislators during the upcoming “Wrap Up Session” in late April and early May, so please be ready! Great job Mike and Legislative Committee members.

Our Professional Development Committee, chaired by Keith Beatty, recently completed our inaugural continuing education webinar titled “KSPE State Legislative Affairs Webinar”. KSPE leadership has identified web based training as an efficient method of providing additional continuing education opportunities to our members. 48 individuals participated in this inaugural event. Great job Keith, Ron and Committee members.

Brian Armstrong, KSPE President-Elect, recently represented KSPE on a KDOT Design Build Advisory Board. The purpose of the Board was to study the potential of allowing the Design Build procurement method to be utilized in Kansas on large public infrastructure projects. Great job Brian.

The KSPE Nominating Committee, chaired by Tom Roberts, has been busy assembling the ballots for officer elections for the 2010-11 year. You can expect to see ballots soon. KSPE Budget Committee, chaired by Mark Williams, is working on the 2010-11 budget. Nice work Tom and Mark.

Our Membership Committee, chaired by Stacey Lamer, is planning the Fall PE Licensure Recognition Ceremony and supported a recent membership recruitment event conducted by the Wichita Chapter, where they discussed NSPE / KSPE membership with 24 potential members. Well done Stacey and the Wichita Chapter.

The Annual Conference Committee, chaired by Jason Duncan, has been working long and hard on the upcoming KSPE Annual Conference June 16 -18 in Topeka. They’ve put together a great agenda and are finalizing preparations. Please plan to attend. Great job Jason and committee members!

KSPE Leadership is planning to attend the upcoming NSPE Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida July 14-18. KSPE has been a significant contributor to NSPE discussions and planning as our Society continues to grow and evolve.

As you can see, we have a very active state association that’s driven by our excellent volunteer leadership and GBA professional staff. Thank you for all of the volunteer service that makes our society special. Thank you GBA Staff for your continued excellent service to our society. All of these efforts are greatly appreciated and benefit all PE’s in Kansas.

Spring means the grass needs cutting, the leaves need to be gathered and the legislature needs to go home. Go home they did, a week earlier than originally anticipated and without having completed their normal budget work. Like many Statehouse watchers, I was initially frustrated at the inability of the Legislature to adopt a preliminary budget for Fiscal Year 2011 before they left town early April 1^st. Why can’t they just go forward and complete the tough decision making and move on, I thought.

On more careful consideration, it was probably the right practical move even if it isn’t well understood by constituents back home. For legislators, the divisiveness of choosing between tax increases or budget cuts has never been greater. The rhetoric from both sides is very black and white. Voting for any tax increase will offend the anti-tax, fiscal conservatives who fund and lead Americans for Prosperity, the Kansas Chamber, and the Tea Party and who believe state government is still too big. Meanwhile, the failure to raise sufficient revenue to halt the cuts in K-12 funding, higher education and social services will offend moderates and those who believe these essential services are critical to the future of Kansas and our quality of life. There are two sides of this coin; regardless of how a legislator votes they are guaranteed to offend a significant portion of their constituency.

Couple that political unpleasantness with the desire to have the latest revenue forecast in hand before you pass a budget – so you don’t have to do it twice – and you can understand why both Senators and Representatives decided to go home without making difficult decisions about taxation and spending.

Transportation Plan is Unfinished Business
Passage and funding of a new Comprehensive Transportation Plan is another critically important piece of unfinished business and warrants your immediate action.

Contact your state representative and state senator now and encourage them to support passage of HB 2650 – the new Senate Comprehensive Transportation Plan. Below is the Action Alert prepared by Economic Lifelines urging all Transportation Plan supporters to contact their legislators before the start of the Veto Session on April 28^th.

Your constituent contacts are critical to passage of a new Transportation Plan. Legislators need to hear from constituents back home that it is OK to vote for the motor fuels taxes and registration fee increases that are contained in the bill (the increases aren’t implemented until 2013). There are plenty of voices arguing against any tax increases. Transportation Plan supporters must be heard. Let your legislators know that you expect their support for passage of new Plan, and that additional revenues are essential to having a plan that will maintain the safety of our current transportation system and finance the essential enhancements needed for renewed growth of the Kansas economy. Don’t hesitate. Your contacts are needed immediately.

KSPE Annual Conference

“Engineering a Sustainable Future”

Registration is now available for the upcoming KSPE Annual Conference being held June 16-18 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Topeka.

The theme for this year’s Conference is “Engineering a Sustainable Future” and the Planning Committee has put together an agenda for a must-attend event. The Conference will kick off Wednesday, June 16 at the Shawnee Country Club with the golf tournament and Icebreaker Reception. Mike Hardy, NSPE President-Elect will be joining us and giving an NSPE update on Thursday morning, as well as a one hour Engineering Ethics program. Thursday afternoon will offer options for attendees with a dual track schedule. Friday morning will be geared toward public affairs; several high profile speakers are invited.

Hotel reservations are now available at the Capitol Plaza Hotel by calling 800.579.7937. The KSPE special rate is $94.

Registration and additional information are available on the KSPE website at www.kansasengineer.org. You may also Click Here for a registration brochure and agenda. The registration form may be completed by typing directly into the PDF. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or vendor, please contact Brandy Johnson at 785.233.2121 or brandy@kansasengineer.org.

Salina, KS, March 6, 2010 — 77 students advanced from the local MATHCOUNTS competitions held throughout the state to the 2010 State MATHCOUNTS competition held on March 6, 2010 in Salina, Kansas. A team of middle school Mathletes® from Lakewood Middle School in Overland Park, Kansas won the State MATHCOUNTS competition. Members of the winning team are: Shyam Narayanan, Sai Vasam, Olivia Zhao, and Gavin Zhu. The coach from the winning team is Teri Adams. All winners pictured below with EFK President Greg Weatherd, P.E.

2nd Place Team: Overland Trail Middle School in Overland Park, Kansas

3rd Place Team: Prairie Star Middle School in Leawood, Kansas

4th Place Team: Frontier Trail Junior High School in Olathe, Kansas

5th Place Team: Topeka Collegiate School in Topeka, Kansas

6th Place Team: Oxford Middle School in Overland Park, Kansas

The top individual was Shyam Narayanan from Lakewood Middle School in Overland Park, Kansas.

2nd Place Individual: Josh Greene, Topeka Collegiate in Topeka, Kansas	3rd Place Individual: Michael Zhou, Overland Trail Middle School in Overland Park, Kansas
4th Place Individual: Jack Chen, Oxford Middle School in Overland Park, Kansas	5th Place Individual: Suruchi Ramanujan, Harmony Middle School in Overland Park, Kansas
6th Place Individual: Luke Chen, Prairie Star Middle School in Leawood, Kansas	7th Place Individual: Emily Zhu, Overland Trail Middle School, Overland Park, Kansas
8th Place Individual: Nikhil Ramanan, Robinson Middle School in Wichita, Kansas	9th Place Individual: Sahil Rattan, Topeka Collegiate in Topeka, Kansas
10th Place Individual: Joseph Coq, The Independent School in Wichita, Kansas

The top four individuals from the State Competition will represent Kansas at the 2010 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition in Orlando, May 6-9. The four team members are Shyam Narayanan, Lakewood Middle School in Overland Park, Kansas; Josh Greene, Topeka Collegiate in Topeka, Kansas; Michael Zhou, Overland Trail Middle School, Overland Park, Kansas; and Jack Chen, Oxford Middle School in Overland Park, Kansas. The coach is Teri Adams from Lakewood Middle School in Overland Park, Kansas.

In our increasingly technological society, those students who do not begin developing strong problem-solving, logical thinking and analytical abilities in middle school will face an uphill battle later in life if they wish to pursue a medical, scientific, mathematical, engineering or technical career. As a national math enrichment, coaching and competition program designed to improve math skills among U.S. students, MATHCOUNTS prepares students for future career opportunities and success. More than 6 million students across the U.S. have participated in the MATHCOUNTS program.

The state program is sponsored by the Engineers’ Foundation of Kansas. Leadership of the local MATHCOUNTS program is provided by members of the Kansas Society of Professional Engineers. A special thank you to Pepsi for donating the drinks for the competition.

The National Sponsors of MATHCOUNTS are Raytheon Company, National Defense Education Program, Northrop Grumman Foundation, National Society of Professional Engineers, CNA Foundation, ConocoPhillips, Pitsco Education, Texas Instruments Incorporated and 3M Foundation. The National Society of Professional Engineers, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and CNA Foundation founded MATHCOUNTS.

Additional information on MATHCOUNTS is available at www.mathcounts.org. For information regarding the Kansas competition, contact Amy R. Houghton, Kansas MATHCOUNTS coordinator, at ahoughton@bwrcorp.com.

Thank you to all of our volunteers! Check out more photos below from the state MATHCOUNTS Competition!


EFK Board Member Don Taylor, P.E. and Kansas MATHCOUNTS Coordinator Amy Houghton, P.E. volunteer to make MATHCOUNTS a great event for both students and volunteers!	Thank you to our volunteers and graders! MATHCOUNTS would not be possible without you!
A big thank you is owed to Mark Borst, P.E. - Head Grader at MATHCOUNTS!	Left to Right: Eastern Chapter President Adam Stodola, P.E., KSPE President Doug Danaher, P.E. and Eastern Chapter Member Ryan DaMetz, P.E. pose for a photo while volunteering at MATHCOUNTS in March.
A great venue made the MATHCOUNTS Competition an enjoyable experience for all.
MATHCOUNTS teams work diligently in an effort to place well in the competition.
KSPE Board members were also present at MATHCOUNTS. KSPE and EFK Board meetings were held in conjunction with the event. KSPE Executive Director Ron Gaches (left) and KSPE President Doug Danaher sit in on the meeting.	KSPE Treasurer Mark Williams and PEPP Practice Chair Sid Arpin review important issues in the Board meeting.

The legislature is slated to come back to Topeka on April 28th and begin to debate many issues, including transportation funding. H.B. 2650 would provide funding for transportation projects, which will be the economic boost that Kansas needs.

Please take the time to contact your legislator and voice your support for H.B. 2650 by clicking here or calling 800.432.3924.

If you want to learn more about transportation funding, please join us in one of 9 locations across the state to learn more about H.B. 2650.

You can also use our Letter to the Editor Template to submit your own letter. Please take the following steps to ensure that our jobs are protected and that the investment we have already made in our roads is not lost.

Other resources:
Watch Preservation: Rough Road Ahead. This video underscores KDOT's inability to continue important preservation work and shows pictures of highways all across the state scheduled for rehab or reconstruction until the budget cuts. We can't afford to do the needed rehab or reconstruction on those highways this year.

Read about the T-WORKS bill. This bill provides a responsible funding approach that will preserve the state's transportation system and address emerging infrastructure needs over the next 10 years. While it takes into account the difficult economic climate, it also recognizes the importance of protecting Kansans' investment in the system. The bill will provide much-needed jobs in today's sluggish economy enhance safety and sustain economic growth in the long term.

Please remember to pass this email along to your colleagues, neighbors and friends - post it to your organization's website and be certain that your membership has taken action. This is an essential piece of legislation for the state of Kansas and it will take the power of many voices to see it through - and it only takes a few minutes to make your voice heard.

Economic Lifelines is the statewide coalition of organizations and community groups which provide the grassroots support for Comprehensive Transportation Programs in Kansas. Its members believe that the economic development and jobs that are generated by such programs are vital to the stability and growth of the Kansas economy and that of individual communities.

The Eastern Chapter of KSPE has been very busy over the last few months encouraging members to participate in a variety of volunteer opportunities. Members have had the opportunity to volunteer for several beneficial programs including: MATHCOUNTS, Model Bridge Building Competitions, and other E-Week programs. Not only do these programs provide members an opportunity to network, get involved, and help a good cause, but they also encourage membership and participation in the society. Please see the highlights below of the great activities the Eastern Chapter has been proud to be involved with.

The Eastern Chapter MATHCOUNTS contest was held on February 2 at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park. Approximately 160 students from 21 schools competed. Five teams and one individual advanced to the state competition. Ryan DaMetz did an excellent job of organizing the event. With over 20 volunteers, the competition ran smoothly. The winning team was Lakewood Middle School, Overland Park, Kansas.

The Eastern Chapter hosted its Model Bridge Building Competition on January 30^th at the KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park. Rod Holcomb and Mark Johnston chaired the event. A total of 85 students from schools across the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro area participated in the competition. The winners of the competition were determined by calculating the highest ratio of load carried by the bridge to the weight of the bridge itself. The top three finishers were:

The top 2 competitors are eligible to participate in the International Bridge Building Competition in Philadelphia on May 1^st.

The KSPE Eastern Chapter and MSPE Western Chapter held their 60th Annual Engineers Week Luncheon on February 18, 2010 at the Kansas City Downtown Marriott. This event was attended by more than 800 engineers from the Greater KC area. The keynote speaker was Joe D Manous, Jr, P.E., Ph.D., D.WRE United States Army Corps of Engineer, Alexandria, VA. Adam Stodola, Eastern Chapter President, presented Stephanie Hale with the Eastern Chapter Engineer of the Year Award.

Interested in having your chapter activities highlighted in this publication? Please contact Amy Schlink in the KSPE office at 785-233-2121 or by email at amy@kansasengineer.org to submit your chapter activities today!

The Advanced Transit Association will be holding a mini-conference on PRT (Personal Rapid Transit) at the Legends in Kansas City . The conference will be held April 23, 2010 from 9am-2pm. The cost is $60 (including lunch). Please Click Here for more information. If you have any questions, please contact Larry Fabian with the Advanced Transit Association at 617-825-2318 or visit www.advancedtransit.org.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Members and their clients can now improve the energy efficiency and performance of their facilities and projects, and make a fundamental commitment to protecting the environment, through a new partnership between the National Society of Professional Engineers and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR. Through the partnership, NSPE will be working toward helping members establish energy management approaches to enhance their financial health and preserve the environment for future generations.

"The requirement that a professional engineer verify applications for an ENERGY STAR label for commercial building has led to a natural partnership," says Larry Jacobson, executive director at NSPE. "The EPA understands that PEs provide unbiased engineering services and are legally bound to uphold ethical standards. And it is also this high level of professionalism and commitment to the public health, safety, and welfare that sees many PEs searching for ways to be energy-efficient and environmentally friendly in everything they do."

In partnership with ENERGY STAR, NSPE will encourage members to:

NSPE will be recognized on the ENERGY STAR Web site as a partner and supporter of the ENERGY STAR Challenge, and hopes to achieve additional recognition for the society and its members by sharing members' milestone achievements in energy efficiency. Members will also enjoy access to many EPA and ENERGY STAR resources and tools, as well as future training, panel participation, and educational opportunities. In addition, members can participate in a program to offer free ENERGY STAR label certifications to K–12 schools in their local or surrounding areas as a gesture of goodwill and commitment to energy efficiency.

ENERGY STAR is a voluntary partnership between business, government, and others to protect our environment for future generations by changing to energy-efficient practices today. ENERGY STAR works with more than 9,000 partners to improve the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings, and businesses. Businesses can use ENERGY STAR to improve efficiency, enhance profits, and create a competitive advantage. Last year alone, with the help of ENERGY STAR, Americans saved about $19 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 29 million vehicles. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call 1-888-STAR-YES.

The National Society of Professional Engineers is the national society of licensed professional engineers from all disciplines that promotes the ethical and competent practice of engineering, advocates licensure, and enhances the image and well-being of its members. Founded in 1934, NSPE has been promoting professional excellence for over 75 years. NSPE serves more than 43,000 members and the public through 53 state and territorial societies and more than 500 chapters. For more information, please visit www.nspe.org.

From time to time, NSPE receives requests for suggestions on ethics videos, engineer outreach, association leadership, etc., that can be used by state societies and local chapters for educational programming at the state and local levels. Please Click Here for a listing of several quality videos on a variety of topics. For more information on obtaining these videos through the Lending Library, please email education@nspe.org or call Education Services at 703-836-4875.

KSPE would like to welcome the following new members who have joined since our last issue.

Kansas Professional Engineer eNews