www.roceng.org
November 2020
Improving Patient Safety through Innovations in Surgical Training and Machine Learning | 12
Neurosurgery training workshop, demonstrating tumor resection using fluorescent microscopy on a SIM phantom.
Also in this issue:
Feature Article
Are You Kidding?
“How do STEM Practitioners make the multitude of parts necessary for the dozens of Project-Based-Learning experiences that are to be shared with students? Check it out on page 18...
Improving Patient Safety through Innovations in Surgical Training and Machine Learning
The Rochester Engineer Published since 1922 by
ROCHESTER ENGINEERING SOCIETY, INC. Founded March 18, 1897 Volume 99, Number 5, NOVEMBER 2020 (Electronic Copies Only) You can purchase individual printed copies directly from ISSUU.
2,500+ Monthly Circulation (11 issues electronically) ISSN 0035-7405
RES Mission Statement: The RES will become the lead organization for improving the image and influence of the engineering community in the greater Rochester area by: Demonstrating a comprehensive knowledge of the region’s engineering and technical capabilities; Providing the best clerical support and public relations assistance to our affiliates; Continually communicating the engineering and technical accomplishments to both the engineering and technical community and the public; Providing regular forums and networking opportunities for the exchange of ideas and discussion of issues; and, Providing programs that identify career opportunities to the region’s youth and develop the skills of the practicing engineer. News items and articles are invited. Materials should be submitted to the administrative director at the society’s office, 657 East Avenue, Rochester, New York 14607; Phone number (585) 254-2350, e-mail: therochesterengineer@gmail.com.
The web site for the RES is: www.roceng.org. The deadline is the 10th day of the month prior to the issue. Unless otherwise stated, opinions expressed in this publication are those of contributors, not of the Rochester Engineering Society, Inc. Advertising information may be obtained by contacting the office of the Rochester Engineering Society or going to the website at www.roceng.org. Published every month but July. You can purchase individual copies directly from ISSUU. Go to www.roceng.org to join the Rochester Engineering Society. Click on the individual membership and you can submit your application on-line. Board of Directors:
OFFICERS: President GREG GDOWSKI, PhD University of Rochsester / Greg_Gdowski@urmc.rochester.edu First Vice President MICHELLE SOMMERMAN, PE Bergmann Associates / msommerman@bergmannpc.com Second Vice President DENNIS ROOTE, PE CDE Engineering & Environment, PLLC / dennis.roote@cde-pllc.com Treasurer ANDREW C. HIRSCH Retired / andrewcharleshirsch@gmail.com Past President JOSEPH DOMBROWSKI, PE Retired from M/E Engineering / jdombrowski3@rochester.rr.com EIGHT DIRECTORS: CORNELIUS (NEAL) ILLENBERG PE Rail Safety Consulting / nillenberg@aol.com RICHARD E. RICE Erdman Anthony / rriceaquash@gmail.com BRETT ELIASZ, PE Bergmann Associates / beliasz@bergmannpc.com KENTON G. HINES Merrill Lynch / kenton.hines@ml.com MIKE KURDZIEL, PhD (Director on Executive Committee) Harris Corporation / mike.kurdziel@L3harris.com STEVEN W. DAY, PhD Rochester Institute of Technology / swdeme@rit.edu NANCY CRAWFORD Optimation Technology, Inc. / nancy.crawford@optimation.us DANIEL WEAVER Optimation Technology, Inc. / dweaver87@gmail.com Administrative Director LYNNE M. IRWIN Rochester Engineering Society / e-mail: res@frontiernet.net or therochesterengineer@gmail.com
(cover) 12-15
contents
4 • RES History - November 1972 - January 1973 5 • RES Technical Corner by Brett Eliasz
6 • We continue to thank those who stayed commited to being a sponsor of the 118th RES Annual Gala which was cancelled because of COVID19 7 • Call for Nominations - EOY, YEOY, and EOD 8 • Education at Dr. Walter Cooper Academy, during the Pandemic...
10 • RES Scholarship Application Information 11 • 2021 Engineering Symposium in Rochester - Thursday, April 29, 2021 12-15 • Improving Patent Safety through Innovations in Surgical Training and Machine Learning (cover) 16 • Get To The Point - Let's Talk 17 • Get IT Done - Let Me Tell You Something You Already Know 18 • Are You Kidding? (Feature) 20-23 • Professional Firms - Employee News 22 • FE Civil Exam Review Course Offered by CET at RIT 24-25 • Position Openings 26 • Continuing Education Opportunities (PDHs) 27-28 • Engineers’ Calendar 41-42 • Directory of Professional Services 42 • Directory of Business Services 43 • Affiliated Societies and Corporate Members of the RES Membership Application and Advertising Rates are also on the website: www.roceng.org.
news of the... • ABCD Association for Bridge Construction and Design.....................35 • ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers............................................30 • ASHRAE American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.....................................................40 • ASPE American Society of Plumbing Engineers....................................29 • EA Electrical Association.......................................................................34 • IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers..................36-37
2 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
• IES Illuminating Engineering Society....................................................33 • INCOSE International Council on Systems Engineering..........................38 • MPES Monroe Professional Engineers Society......................................32 • RES Rochester Engineering Society..................................................2-10 • SWE Society of Women Engineers.........................................................31 • TERRA TERRA Science & Engineering Fair...............................................39
index
President’s Message
Greg Gdowski, PhD University of Rochester RES President June 1, 2020 - May 31, 2022 Dear Fellow Engineers,
I have helped with a number of professional societies, like many of you, and have often wondered if my efforts in creating events have had value or long lasting impact on Rochester. Having run numerous events, I have often thought the probability of having lasting impact is often so small that it is too difficult to perceive. That said, even the occasional small success will drive you to continue volunteering your time and effort. A few years ago, I tried to reignite a group called the Rochester BioBeers organization that was established by a good friend, Bill Rader. The first event we tried was a local new technology pitch session that was hosted at Excell Partners by CEO Theresa Mazzullo and COO Rami Katz. I brought in two clinicians, including Drs. Charles Duffy and Jonathon Stone, to speak about medical technologies they were interested in commercializing. I left the meeting gratified by the success of filling the small auditorium at the Kodak headquarters which is the home of Excell Partners. That meeting had far more impact than I could have even imagined. At that meeting was an acquaintance of mine, Dr. Michael Wilson, who was looking to get involved in the startup community, which is difficult to penetrate as a young entrepreneur. Also in attendance was Steven Griffith, an engineer and colleague I had met through the MedTech Association. Steve has given wonderful presentations to IEEE about the engineering behind the small vineyard he manages in Rush.
res news - president’s message
From that small meeting, the collision of Dr. Stone (CEO), Dr. Wilson (COO) and Mr. Griffith (CTO) resulted in the Rochester-based company, Simulated Inanimate Models (SIM). As I look back at that successful event, I don’t think these three individuals would have met any other way. It gave me great pleasure in having them provide the cover story in this issue that recognizes their recent success within the local Luminate competition! The moral of this story is that the RES relies on volunteers like yourself to create a community with events that generate “collisions of value”. Your efforts as a volunteer within your professional society often have far more impact then you realize. That impact comes in many different ways. For example, the scholarship that helps an individual pursue a career path. Science fairs that inspire young individuals to become engineers. Tutoring that results in an individual graduating with honors. Meetings that result in personal contacts that create new job opportunities. I have been lucky enough to have seen many of these transpire long after the initial effort was put in as a volunteer. If you haven’t volunteered before, take a look through the Rochester Engineer. Your efforts will clearly have impact on the Rochester community. All my best, Greg Gdowski RES President
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 3
Rochester History Continuing with the historical sampling of the earlier writings on behalf of the Rochester Engineering Society, the years following "The Great War", into and through the “Great Depression”, continued to be a time of reaching out for the maturing Society, both locally and nationally. The meeting minutes describe a series of technical discussions and presentations intended to broaden the technical horizons of the membership (especially the CE's, ME's and EE's). The RES affiliated itself with a number of National technical societies, adopted local Affiliated Societies, frequently held joint meetings with them and continued taking action on a growing list of public matters. Certain issues of standardization, some crucial to public safety, became the responsibility of the RES and its affiliates. In the pervasive economic downturn of the “Great Depression”, the magazine offered classified advertising for unemployed engineers, technicians and draftsmen and took other steps to try to deal with the crisis. Still, it continued its effort to shape the function, purpose and infrastructure of the City of Rochester, and beyond. World War, again affected the Society, taking away many of its leaders while providing opportunities for others to step forward to fill these vacancies. In an effort to provide even greater perspective on the happenings and concerns of the day, a synopsis, featuring selected items from "The Rochester Engineer" has become an integral part of this series. The Second World War and the Korean Conflict are now history, and the Vietnam War has recently become a focal point. These experiences have changed the face and, no doubt, the future of the community. The Rochester municipal leadership and the industrial community have become immersed in the cold-war, growth economy.
“The Rochester Engineer” (November 1972)
In a joint effort to inform and enlighten members of both the legal and engineering professions on matters of “product reliability and liability,” the RES and the Monroe County Bar Association joined in a cooperative effort to develop a “Mock Trial” experience. Representing the Bar Association in this effort were Marvin J. Rosenthal and Angelo G. Faraci. Local attorneys for the plaintiff included Richard Bernstein and Norman Spindleman, and for the defendant, John B. McCrory and Stephen V. Lines. Providing “Expert Testimony” in the proceedings were M. John (Jack) Corson of RG&E and Charles O. Hancock of the Castle Company, Division of Sybron Corporation. Preceding the event, held at Valley Echo, was a $6 buffet dinner. Following the “trial” there was a panel discussion, with the participants and also including Roderick T. McFarlane of Castle Company and William J. Stolze of R.F. Communications. It was announced that the RES Luncheon Series for November would include “Our Environment – What We’re Doing About Preserving It” by Eric A. Seiffer, NYS Regional Engineer for Environmental Quality and Howard F. Christensen, recently appointed Monroe County Director of Solid Waste, “What Happened at the Polls?” by Howard Hosmer, WHEC News Director, “Slow-Scan Television Round the World” by William H. DeWitt, Eastman Kodak Company, Metrification” by Arthur R. Machell of Xerox Corporation.
December 7, 1972 (Board Meeting, Chamber of Commerce)
The Board approved two applications for Regular Membership and one application for Associate Membership. It was announced that Henry Diamond, NYS Commissioner of Environmental Conservation had agreed to be the keynote speaker at the upcoming 1973 Engineers’ Joint Dinner. It was announced that members of the Operation RESOURCE Committee would be meeting with representatives of the plastics industry. RES Director, Jack Schickler, reporting for the Education Committee, announced that the Society would be sponsoring ten-week, evening seminars on “Reviewing Engineering Mathematics” and “Effective Reading”, at RIT. Mr.
4 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
A Sampling from the Archives of the Rochester Engineering Society...1897 - 1973 by Lee M. Loomis
Schickler, also reporting on the initial work of the RES’ Career Guidance Committee, proposed that the RES partially subsidize (@ 50%) the cost for members of the Explorer Post #523 to attend the Engineer’s Joint Dinner, with the hope that RES Affiliate Societies would pick up the remainder of the ticket cost. The Board also heard of the resounding success of the recent “Mock Trial”, and expressed hope that such cooperative meetings with the Bar Association would continue in the future.
“The Rochester Engineer” (December 1972)
The RES announced a five-day Organization Development workshop, conducted by William A. Boothe, former Manager of Education at Xerox Corporation, assisted by Dr. Thomas G. Cummings of Case Western Reserve. Conducted at the Notre Dame Retreat House on Canandaigua Lake, the targeted audience was organization specialists and persons interested in planned organizational change who share major responsibility for organization decision making. “Engineering Aspects of Corporate Planning”, by David S. Greenlaw, Assistant VP and Director of Corporate Planning at Eastman Kodak Company was announced as the December RES Luncheon presentation. “New Directions in Transportation”, by Bernard F. Perry, Regional Director, NYS Department of Transportation. In a small, yet portentously significant article, it was announced that U of R Professors Dr. Robert Wang, Electrical Engineering and Dr. Raymond Gramiak, Diagnostic Radiology, both members of the Biomedical Engineering Department, had received a $107,123 grant from the National Heart and Lung Institute to expand use of echo-ranging techniques in the diagnosis of heart abnormalities. Their statement about the project explained, “The use of ultrasonic energy as a non-invasive diagnostic tool by which doctors may examine the soft tissue of the body without harm to the patient has already shown considerable promise, and it is hoped that the U of R Team will be able to refine the technique, and develop improved readout methods for interpreting results.”
January 10, 1973 (Board Meeting, Chamber of Commerce)
The Board approved applications for four Regular Membership and three Junior Memberships. On behalf of the RES Transportation Task Force, Dr. Richard Kenyon reported that it was NOT the mission of the group to develop a transportation plan, rather it was to establish guidelines for use by local, state or federal planning groups to help determine the most likely consequences resulting from the implementation of future transportation systems proposals in the greater Rochester area. Subsequent articles in this series will describe the RES' continuing outreach to other technical societies as it considered its role in this and the larger community, along with more of the activities of the RES as it moved to be of greater service to its membership, especially those suffering from current economic crises, and adopted a greater role in shaping the future of the City and its environs. Noted also, will be the contributions made by RES members in the struggle to meet the challenges coming out of World War II and the Korean Conflict, as well as a hoped-for period of postwar growth and prosperity. These articles will also feature an impressive array of RES activities in support of post-war re-emergence of Rochester area industry, and the ensuing prosperity of the second-half of the 20th Century. We welcome your questions and comments on this series.
res news - history
Technical Corner Any legally required NEC 700 Emergency systems require maintenance and testing in order to assure proper function of life safety equipment when the time arises. What happens when you need to test or perform maintenance on this system and there happens to be a utility failure at the same time? Using the 2017 NEC, section 700.3(F) is where you will find the requirements to aid in this scenario. Interestingly, the 2014 NEC did not even have this section and the 2020 NEC appears to match the 2017 code language. The first illustration shows a loss of utility power as well as a loss of the permanent generator due to maintenance which would ultimately leave the facility in the dark. The solution could be to have a roll up generator at the sitedepicted here. The second illustration shows a loss of utility power during load bank testing on the generator system. When power is lost the generator power is redirected back onto the system which will cover the facility. Each of these scenarios will require the addition of a Triple Switch which is shown in the illustrations. There are a few other ways to accomplish what is required by this code section not shown here and of course there are some exceptions. One would likely utilize the exception which basically states to perform the testing and maintenance when the building is not occupied. I’d have to say that most buildings do have fully functional fire suppression systems (See Exception #2). These questions should be asked during the design to be sure we can meet the exception. One last point is that these requirements during testing and maintenance are not listed under NEC 701 for the year 2017 and 2020. Illustrations courtesy of ESL Power Systems
Hopefully this article finds you well and can be used as a reference for your project needs. If anyone would like to contribute to the RES magazine and add an article or would like to request information on a specific topic (not limited to Electrical) just email me at beliasz@bergmannpc.com. As always, any comments are appreciated‌! Thank you for reading. Brett Eliasz, P.E., LEED AP BD+C , RES Director res - technical corner
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 5
We continue to thank those who stayed committed to being a sponsor of the 118th RES Annual Gala which was cancelled because of COVID19! DIAMOND
PLATINUM
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
PROGRAM ADVERTISERS
6 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
res - thank you gala sponsors
RES CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
Call for Nominations 2020 Engineer of the Year Susan Houde-Walter, PhD 2019 EOY
Past Engineers of the Year 12 years...(first awarded 1963) Susan Houde-Walter, PhD Donald P. Nims, PE Martin E. Gordon, PE Diane M. Trentini Robert L. Clark, Jr., PhD Lalit Mestha, PhD Maureen S. Valentine, PE Sergio Esteban, PE Brian J. Thompson, PhD Gary W. Passero, PE Kevin J. Parker, PhD Satish G. Kandlikar, PhD
2020 Kate Gleason Young Engineer of the Year and 2020 Engineers of Distinction
Nick Vamivakas, PhD 2019 YEOY
Past Young Engineers of the Year -12 years... (first awarded 2007) Nick Vamivakas, PhD Brett Eliasz, PE Emily M. Smith, PE Matthew T. Sidley Danielle Benoit, PhD John Papponetti, PE Courtney E. Reich, PE Clement Chung, PE Sherwin Damdar Michael J. Walker, EIT Nathan Gnanasambandam, PhD Venkatesh G. Rao, PhD
The RES Board of Directors introduced a streamlined nomination form. A simple initial form allows an individual or organization to nominate a candidate. The RES committee will then contact the nominator if the candidate progresses to the next phase. At that point, a final form will be used to gather essential details from the nominator and candidate which will be used to determine our award recipients. The RES will select and recognize the 2020 Engineer of the Year, Young Engineer of the Year (and Finalists for Young Engineer of the Year), and Engineers of Distinction Awards in a variety of public venues and media during the weeks before the Gala. The Award recipients will be introduced on Saturday, April 17, 2021 during the Gala at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center.
Visit our website at www.roceng.org and click on Engineering Awards (Under What We Do), or call 585-254-2350 (res@frontiernet.net) to request a nomination form. The following information is described: Eligibility for Nomination Awards Criteria
Deadline for Preliminary Nominations - Friday, December 11, 2020 Deadline for Final Nominations - Friday, January 8, 2021
res news - call for nomonations
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 7
RES News - Tutoring Team Education at Dr. Walter Cooper Academy, during the Pandemic… With a “No Visitors” policy in place at all Rochester City Schools, the RES Tutoring Team will not be able to resume its good work at Dr. Walter Cooper Academy (RCSD School #10) (DWCA) in the foreseeable future. The original plan for the Fall 2020 re-opening of #10 School was for a “Hybrid” protocol (two “cohorts” of students (“A” & “B”), each attending inperson two days a week and at home in a virtual learning environment, the other two days). However, due to Covid-19 safety concerns for students, faculty and their respective families, this plan was changed, early last month, to one in which all learning, at all grade levels in the RCSD will be virtual, for the first ten weeks of this school year. So, for the next few(?) months, we will be presenting a series of articles on “Education at Dr. Walter Cooper Academy during the Pandemic”. You may already know what’s happening in your own home school district, via your children and grandchildren, this series is intended to keep you enlightened and informed on what’s happening at “Our School” and also in the Rochester City School District. On my way to gathering information for the first few articles in this series, I reached out to Dr. Lia Festenstein, the new Community School Site Coordinator at Dr. Walter Cooper Academy. She took time from her busy (first week of school) schedule to respond to several questions I posed on the #10 School student body, their access to the hardware & software necessary for virtual learning and the expectations for student participation in this “new” learning environment. My sincere thanks to Dr. Festenstein for these thoughtful responses…
We have had a number of “drops” where students are unenrolled and enroll in another school, but this typically because the family has moved out of the City of Rochester. We have not had any children change their enrollments to Home Schooling. Homeschooling is a specific enrollment so they would no longer be DWCA students if they chose to enroll in homeschooling.
How many DWCA students have the necessary equipment, and internet access, to allow them to participate? All K-6 students have been assigned a Chromebook. If they shared that they did not have internet access they were also provided a MiFi by the district. On 9/11/20, DWCA held a “Meet and Greet” for parents to stop by the school and pick up a “Learning Bag” for their student. Each Learning Bag contained the assigned computer if they did not already have one, a MiFi if requested, and materials prepared by their teachers for the first ten weeks of school. This varied by teacher and grade, but typically contained items like workbooks for the ELA program, math manipulatives, etc. Each set of parents came during their “assigned time” so that it was possible to remain socially distant, and the event was held outside in the parking lot. Parents and children were able to meet their new teachers “live” at this event, and could ask any questions they might have had. Follow up… Are any additional “meet & greet” events between teachers, families and students being planned for this Fall? Parent Teacher conferences are entirely digital this year. Due to guidelines around social distancing there are no other events planned at this time.
What is the size of this year's DWCA student body, by Grade level?
How many of these students have been "regularly" participating in the remote learning process?
Total Enrollment: 320
We are only in week #1 of remote learning, so it is difficult to actually gauge what long term participation will look like. Also, we are still getting Chromebooks to some families that either had broken ones, or were unable to pick up one at School, for whatever reason. Over 70% of our Cooper Scholars have logged in during this first week. I anticipate that the numbers will change over the next couple of weeks, as we get into a routine.
Pre K 3 yr olds - 14
Grade 1 - 55
Grade 4 - 53
Pre K 4 yr olds - 14
Grade 2 - 53
Grade 5 - 47
Kindergarten
Grade 3 - 49
Grade 6 - 66
- 40
Follow up… How many DWCA students are currently not attending and instead being “home-schooled”, “pod-schooled”, or just not schooled at all?
Follow up… Have you been able to monitor remote learning to determine if there’s been any improvement in remote learning participation, since week #1? Yes. Teachers take daily attendance based on work completed off line
8 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
res news - tutoring
and/or participation in online synchronous meetings. Our attendance has greatly improved over the last month. We also have weekly attendance meetings to look at attendance across the school and identifying trends, hotspots, and areas of need. This team consists of district administrators and employees from School #10 as well as partnering agencies and central office staff.
How are you able to measure/confirm this participation? At elementary school, teachers are using SeeSaw or Google Classroom and Zoom as their learning platforms. Most teachers require that students turn on their cameras at some point to actually view a student, and then students also turn in work electronically, so we also have that as a record. Again, we are only in week #1. So, in a few weeks, I will be able to give you more consistent information. Follow up… How is this progressing? Every week gets better and better as students, parents, and teachers become more and more comfortable with the online learning platforms.
Is there a follow-up process for ensuring that ALL DWCA students will eventually be able to participate in the remote learning process? We look at attendance every day, just as we did when we were here, inperson. Almost all students have their technology at this point, and there are just a few stragglers for whom we are personally delivering equipment to their homes. All students have access to a Chromebook, and if they have their own internet that’s great, but if not, we provide all students who need one with a MiFi device. Follow up… Have ALL students now received, and been utilizing the technologies available to them? Yes, with a few exceptions. There are always a few folks that are having issues, but we work individually with all families that have needs that are impacting their ability to regularly participate.
What have been some of the challenges for the students (who are actually connected) and for their teachers in making the remote learning process work? There are so many challenges… • Finding a quiet place to do school work, in a busy home. Are you able to inquire about success in this effort, at student’s homes? Teachers work individually with their families to assist and guide.
adults). Have you been able to interact, on an individual level, with students toward helping with this? Some students have worked with different staff members to mentor them towards being able to participate more fully. • Developing connections with each other, virtually. Are there any available “after school” study support venues in the Nineteenth Ward? All RCSD students have access to any of the City’s Rec centers where they can receive support. • And, there are always technology issues (unstable internet, hiccups with different platforms, etc.). Have the technology issues been getting attention, toward resolution? There has been a great deal of work around providing access to technology. All students have been issued a laptop and if they request one, a MiFi device which provides them internet access. These MiFis have a finite amount of data attached to them and if they are overused they will throttle the data at the end of the billing period. This can lead to issues with connectivity, however, once the new billing cycle starts data is unthrottled. Of course, even families with Spectrum or another provider also run into connectivity issues from time to time based on how many people are simultaneously using these platforms. As we become more fluent with the technology and the flow of online teaching this has become less and less of an issue or problem. Teachers and students are amazingly flexible with accommodating these sorts of issues and working around them. These are issues that plague everyone in this virtual learning environment; they are not unique to Dr. Walter Cooper Academy, though they are a constant topic of conversation. We continue to seek options for connecting with families and students, in ways that are meaningful, and still keep us all safe. Follow up...Are there any existing (or new) issues with which the RES Membership (Engineers, Scientists, Academicians) might be of assistance to your efforts? At the moment we are working to start a food cupboard and once that is up and running it would be great if your members could help us fill it. Questions??? Reach out to RES Past President Lee Loomis and the RES Tutoring Team at…Rochester Engineering Society, (585) 254-2350,via website: www.roceng.org, or via email: leeloomis46@gmail.com, (585) 738-3079 (mobile & text)
• Not being distracted by your environment (for both kids and res news - tutoring
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 9
RES Scholarship Application Information The Rochester Engineering Society (RES) is an umbrella organization for engineering societies in the Rochester area. The goals of the society are: to advance the art and science of engineering for the general public welfare in Monroe County and the adjoining counties; to foster in practicing and prospective engineers excellence as professionals, as citizens, and as individuals; and, to promote communication and cooperation among all branches of engineering. Multiple scholarships, sponsored by a variety of organizations and administered through the RES, are awarded annually ($1,500 each) to recognize outstanding engineering, engineering technology, science or technology students. These are merit-based scholarships. Scholarships from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) require applicants be student members of their respective organization. Please visit our website at www.roceng.org to find out more on the individual scholarships available. Eligibility: Applicants must meet the following qualifications: 1. Be an undergraduate student in good standing who has completed two years/or achieved Junior standing in an ABET-accredited engineering, engineering technology, science or technology program. 2. Have an overall grade point average of 3.0 out of 4.0 (or equivalent) or better. 3. Plan to continue engineering, engineering technology, science or technology studies in an undergraduate ABET accredited program in September 2021. Scholarship recipients will be individually notified by February 1, 2021, announced at the RES Gala on April 17, 2021 and funds will be mailed ~August 1, 2021. 4. Be a resident of Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne, or Wyoming Counties of New York or enrolled in an ABET accredited engineering, engineering technology, science or technology curriculum in a college in those counties. The Rochester Chapter of IEEE allows applicants from Corning and Alfred sub-chapters. 5. Not be a previous recipient of this scholarship. Application: Applicants must submit the six required items listed below. All items must be submitted together. The applicant is responsible for ensuring that all the necessary data are submitted by the deadline in one package and will be immediately disqualified from judging, with no further follow-up, if these instructions are not followed. The applicant should notify those persons supplying reference letters that timely response is critical. Reference letters may be submitted in individually sealed envelopes within the application package or emailed directly to RES with the applicant's name in the subject line.. Deliver, mail or email to res@frontiernet.net all items by December 11, 2020 to: The Rochester Engineering Society, 657 East Avenue, Rochester, New York 14607.
Required Data and Instructions 1. Certificate of Interview from a member of the Scholarship Committee - Request an appointment for interview by sending an email to the Scholarship Chairperson, Michelle Sommerman, PE, at msommerman@bergmannpc.com or go to www.roceng.org/scholarships and fill out the scholarship application. In your email, include your full name, phone number, and the day(s) and time(s) you are available for an interview. Attach your resume to the email. Contact Michelle Sommerman at 585-498-7896 if you have not received a reply within three days. The interviewer will provide a certificate that the interview was conducted after September 1, 2020 and before Novemberber 30, 2020 (the interview deadline). 2. Transcript - Official copy of applicant’s current transcript showing grades for the entire enrollment in current school and if a transfer student, courses taken and accepted from his/her prior college or university. 3. Resume - The same resume the applicant would use if applicant were applying for employment. Be sure to include the following information: name, permanent address, school address, college, degree and program, anticipated date of graduation, and any professional society memberships. 4. Applicant’s Letter - A letter written by the applicant addressed
10 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
to the Chairman of the Scholarship Award Committee of the Rochester Engineering Society. This letter shall not be more than one typewritten page in length and should discuss the applicant’s position with respect to the following: a. Why the applicant is studying engineering and chose his/her particular field. b. Why the applicant is applying for the scholarship. c. The applicant’s involvement in professional society activities, the leadership positions held and describe active involvement in other extra-curricular activities. d. Statement that the scholarship will be used in engineering, engineering technology, science or technology studies in an undergraduate ABET-accredited program in September 2021 should an award be presented. 5. Reference Letter #1 - Letter from the applicant’s faculty advisor in his/her current school. This letter should indicate the applicant’s standing in the class relative to other students, his/her course load and involvement. 6. Reference Letter #2 - Letter from a current or former employer who is not a relative, OR, a professor of engineering, science or technology in whose class the applicant has been or is presently enrolled. res news - college scholarship application
Save the NEW Date for the:
2021 Engineering Symposium in Rochester www.engineeringsymposiumrochester.com
Earn up to 7 PDHs Sponsored by Rochester's Technical and Engineering Societies and RIT
Thursday, April 29, 2021 Courses available in: Civil, Electrical, Lighting, Mechanical, HVAC, and Plumbing.
SAME LOCATION AS THE LAST SYMPOSIUM (2019): Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center 123 East Main Street, Rochester, NY Time: 7:30 am to 6:30 pm $140 Advance Registration (Plan to go back online ~February 1st) $20 Student Registration $170 AFTER April 1, 2020 and at the Door Registration will re-open online at www.roceng.org about ~February 1st
The Monroe Chapter of NYSSPE, in accordance with ADA compliance, will make every attempt to provide reasonable accommodations for those requiring additional services to participate in our educational programs. If you should require such services, please contact Lynne Irwin at the Rochester Engineering Society (res@frontiernet.net or 585-254-2350) to request support by April 1, 2021.
2021 symposium
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 11
Improving Patient Safety through Innovations in Surgical Training and Machine Learning Simulated Inanimate Models combines augmented reality with synthetic anatomy to create a novel “Flight Simulator for Surgery.” by Michael P. Wilson, PhD
The Luminate accelerator – an optics, photonics, and imaging (OPI) program – concluded its third cohort in September of this year, with the Rochester-based company Simulated Inanimate Models LLC (SIM) receiving the $400,000 Outstanding Graduate Award. The company’s ESIST™ surgical training platform is candidly described as a “flight simulator for surgery,” a technology that enables surgeons to acquire skill and certification without risking a patient’s life. The technology combines realistic, synthetic models of human anatomy (called “phantoms”) with educational software and augmented reality (AR) technology to deliver an immersive training experience. The ESIST™ platform can also be applied to broader medical training in operating rooms and hospitals, including for nurses, technicians, and other medical supportive staff. The phantom technology and simulation work were originally developed in part by company founder Dr. Jonathan Stone, an attending neurosurgeon and engineer at the University of Neurosurgery residents at Strong Memorial Hospital resect synthetic Rochester Strong Memorial Hospital. Dr. Stone brain tumors from a SIM phantom using fluorescent microscopy as part of a training workshop. began creating these realistic phantoms during his residency to give surgeons a safer and more effective means of acquiring the skills required. SIM was launched as a startup company from the university in July 2018, with support from an NIH STTR grant award to commercialize the phantom technology. One of the greatest strengths of SIM is the cross disciplinary diversity of its founders, including CSO Dr. Nelson Stone’s 40 year clinical experience and serial entrepreneurship, COO Dr. Michael Wilson’s Ph.D. training as a research scientist, and CTO Steve Griffith 30+ year career as a electrical/computer engineer with flight simulation and medical device experience. With the diverse team assembled, SIM submitted and was awarded an NSF SBIR Phase I grant to integrate augmented reality, artificial intelligence and gaming technology into its patented ESIST platform. 12 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
cover article
Solving Shortcomings in Surgical Education While simulation training has revolutionized the manner in which professionals in other fields acquire skills for complex tasks – the airline industry being the gold standard – these training innovations have been lacking for surgery. Modern surgical training remains centered around an apprenticeship-style of education that involves novice surgeons acquiring skills during procedures on live patients, under heavy 1-on-1 guidance and supervision from expert teaching surgeons; this dynamic persists due to the overall lack of effective training methods. Available surgical training tools all exhibit significant shortcomings, including existing phantoms, cadavers, animals, and virtual reality (VR) trainers. Perhaps most importantly, none of these tools provide the guidance and instruction critical for surgical education. SIM phantoms replicate every step of complex surgical
SIM’s ESIST platform solves all of these issues by procedures, including integration with operating room systems and software tools. combining physical realism with real-time instruction and education. The company’s phantoms are made from a synthetic, water-based hydrogel material with lifelike biomechanical behavior. Unlike competing phantoms, SIM’s models enable hands-on cutting, suturing, needle insertions, tumor resections, etc., and they are able to replicate complex procedures normally performed in the operating room. These phantoms are combined with educational software running on AR hardware that guides a surgeon through a complete procedure. ESIST uses machine learning to read the surgeons interactions with the phantom and deliver instruction, guidance, and feedback in a timely manner as the surgeon progresses through the simulated procedure. The software detects common errors in real-time and issues corrective instruction; the technology is meant to simulate the presence of an expert teaching surgeon standing beside the trainee and giving instruction. Additionally, the system tracks key metrics that are critical for the success of a procedure, scoring the performance of the surgeon and allowing them to train to a level of skill and become certified for a given medical device or procedure. All of this information is overlaid in real-time through the see-through optic of the AR headset, freeing up the surgeon’s hands to perform “real” procedures on SIM’s phantoms in a comprehensive, immersive training experience. SIM’s team labels this a “flight simulator for surgery,” with the hopeful goal of transitioning the remarkably low error rate and training efficiency found in the airline industry to modern surgery. Continued on page 14... cover article
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 13
Standardized Training ESIST delivers
The instructorless education and
audiovisual
performance-scoring features of
instruction in real
the ESIST platform open up major
time. The following
possibilities for surgical simulation
screencaps
and broader medical education. SIM’s founders envision early-stage surgical residents acquiring “instructed” repetitions with the company’s products in a simulation setting, honing their skills until they are able to continue their training safely in the operating room, under instruction from experienced attending surgeons. On the other hand, as novel medical
illustrate how ESIST delivers content using the see-through optic as a surgeon progresses through a simulated partial nephrectomy procedure on a SIM phantom.
and new procedures become the
The procedure
standard of care, even experienced
is outlined in
surgeons require hands-on training to
full, each step is
bring them up to speed. The ESIST
explained and
platform enables surgeons all over
demonstrated
the world to obtain training that is
through audio
the same criteria, regardless of which country the surgeon practices in, which medical center or clinic they’re at, etc. SIM envisions this training dynamic expanding beyond surgeons to cover additional hospital staff, and even medical and nursing students. Following two years of consistent
2. Instruction for Step 5, PiP video:
of an AR-headset
devices are released onto the market
standardized and graded according to
1. Procedural Outline:
visual instruction,
3. Step 5 Completed, Instructions for Step 6:
including picturein-picture video, and the system automatically detects and scores progress as the user interacts with the phantom. Error
4. End of Procedure, Summary of Performance, Grade and Score:
count and grade are delivered at
sales growth for its phantoms, the
the end to allow
company continues to develop its
for performance
ESIST technology and acquire pilot
evaluation and
customers. With support from Luminate
certification.
and the NSF’s SBIR program, SIM will 14 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
cover article
Neurosurgery training workshop, demonstrating tumor resection using fluorescent microscopy on a SIM phantom.
be engaging the considerable engineering and programming resources in the Rochester area to commercialize this technology. The company will also build out its manufacturing and sales capabilities as it continues to grow. Overall, SIM is a great example of how an early stage startup can quickly gain traction with the right founding team and support from the local entrepreneurial community.
A video of SIM’s working ESIST prototype can be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=WWG8R4n67yk. q
Hydrogel kidney phantom (courtesy of URMC Strong Memorial Hospital)
Michael P. Wilson, PhD is the COO of Simulated Inanimate Models, LLC cover article
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 15
Get to the Point! Let's Talk
This article is reprinted with permission from Lori Marra, Sr. Consultant with RGI and Lecturer at RIT School of Communication. It seems like we’re interacting with computers a lot more than we’re interacting with other human beings. We're listening to dozens of voice mails every day. We’re watching thousands of video clips on our phones. We’re talking to Siri more than we are our children, spouses, families, friends and colleagues. So, let’s talk. Really. Talking is one half of the communication equation and it’s an important one. It’s one of the most robust ways to send our message because the listener receives our message in a much more direct way than if we texted, emailed or tweeted it. Talking is direct, and with that direct communication comes less confusion. That’s really good, particularly when we’re “talking” about technical and business communication. We’ve all sent that email or tweet that was completely misinterpreted. It can be rough. Sometimes (and more times that we probably want to admit), talking is better. Of course, this is only true if you’re a good talker. To be successful, you need to talk so that your audience will listen to you. If you talk, and no one is listening, you’re just making noise. When you talk so that others listen, then your message is being delivered and true communication begins. When people hear you and understand, only then can you expect meaningful results. So, let’s talk about three ways you can talk so others will listen. 1. Always think about who you're talking with. In other words, know your audience.
This can be tough for those of us who live our lives immersed in the worlds of engineering and technology. We have our own terms, our own
16 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
approaches, and our own methods of delivering information that really work well in those worlds. But we must adjust the way we talk to people outside the field, if we want to be heard. We do this naturally with our children and our spouses, and we can do it with other audiences too. Just think about who you’re talking with and adjust.
2. Know the main intent of the situation.
In the world of business and technology, minimize the chit-chat and be sure to get to your point directly. This doesn’t mean you can’t have a bit of casual conversation to start, but don’t stay there too long. Get to the point! Conversely, recalling what we just said about our knowing our audience, don’t turn a date into a business meeting. Or if your client wants to chit-chat, go with it.
3. Remember to pause and to check in with your listener.
Delivering the message is the first part of the communication. Ensuring your message is being heard in the way you intended is the very core of successful communication. You won’t know that if all you do is talk. Remember to pause and check in with your listeners. Ask them if they understand you and confirm that they are still with you. Then of course, you’ll need to stop talking and start listening.
I’ll “talk” about listening in my next article.
© 2020, RGI Learning Lisa Moretto, President, RGI International, Inc. For 25 years she has helped engineers improve their oral and written communication skills. Visit www.rgilearning.com or call 866-744-3032 to learn about RGI's courses. get to the point
get IT done Let Me Tell You Something You Already Know — by André Godfrey
Let me tell you something you already know. The great American remote working experiment has proven successful and there is every likelihood that it will continue and even grow.
Now here is my laundry list without expansion but hopefully somewhat self-explanatory:
Those hard-working staff that worked diligently at their jobs when that meant physically coming into work and being at a desk, continued to work hard when working at home. Those laggards who had poor work habits in their previous work environment continued to display poor work habits when working virtually. Not a surprise.
• Training/Training Reinforcement
The quality of work performed however is a management issue (i.e. it is your fault), and we won’t address that here, but we will talk about how communication with remote workers possesses unique challenges; what those challenges are and how some businesses are addressing those challenges. After all, working remotely is here to stay albeit it may morph into a more hybrid model.
• Business Continuity Preparedness
Is communication directly linked to productivity? That concept gets a lot of heads nodding ‘yes’ but I believe that while many managers understand that conceptually, they do not understand the reason why communication is the singularly most important function of management. The reason is that the largest budget item of any company is almost invariably payroll. If payroll is a business’s largest expense then by extrapolation, anything that improves the quality of what ‘payroll’ produces empirically falls to the bottom line in either revenue, gross profit or reduced expense. I’ll give you some examples of communication segmentation with brief explanations and then begin a considered list, that as you read it, I would like you to think in terms of how significantly each item affects the bottom line. Let’s start. • • •
Understanding of New Initiatives – how quickly your people become aware of new initiatives, give input to new directions, and begin to make contributions is paramount to the success of those initiatives. Compliance, Understanding and Observance – whether compliance was dictated from within or without your organization, the downside of non-compliance could sink your business quickly. The worst thing to hear from staff is ‘I never heard about it’. Customer satisfaction deliverables – customers deliver revenues, and their continued satisfaction is tied directly to continued revenues and referrals. If there are shortcomings or better ways to deliver value, those methods must be communicated.
get IT done
• Understanding of Company Policy • Improved Internal Coordination • Employee Morale and Retention • Behavioral Modification • Health and Safety Issues • Building the Internal Brand • Litigation Avoidance • Onboarding or organizational changes Each and all of the above are so important as to be vital to a business’s success. There’s a tool we invented years ago to measure the ROI of communication. It can be found at www.escreenz.com/Pricing/ROI-Calculator. While the calculator was designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of our eScreenz™ product it can be a great tool to simply demonstrate the outrageous ROI that better communication brings to any business. You estimate the number of employees multiplied by the payroll + benefits mean and see what the most minimal improvement in communication could bring to your bottom line. Many of the individual components listed above are contained within the calculator itself and even a 1% productivity gain is substantial. We didn’t specifically tackle remote communication in this article but we will in the next issue of Rochester Engineer©. I thought the ‘what’ businesses communicate and the ‘why’, would be a good first step before we tackle the ‘how’. Think About IT
André Godfrey is President, Entré Computer Services, www.entrecs.com
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 17
ARE YOU KIDDING? “How do STEM Practitioners make the multitude of parts necessary for the dozens of Project-BasedLearning experiences that are to be shared with students? Wouldn’t it be great to have access to a wood shop and a machine shop and laser cutting and 3D printing capability and an NC router table and leaded/ stained glass tools and sewing machines and a Bridgeport mill and...and...?" “Come on! That would take access to an entire Makerspace - and I suppose you want to bring the students to this imaginary shop so that they get all the learning experiences such design and fabrication involves.” “Yes, in fact we need CAD and CAM capability as well, in hopes of capitalizing on the design side of such exposure.” “And just what do you mean by “STEM Practitioners”?” “You know, engineers and other STEM-experienced volunteers, working with the kids, instead of working in their own basement and then bringing the resulting hardware to the kids in a classroom. Project- Based-Learning should involve student participation at every level!” “OK, who wouldn’t get excited about such a program? Where are you going to find such a multifaceted workshop?” “It turns out that the Rochester Makerspace, located in the old Hickok Belt Building on St. Paul at Scrantom Street, is 18 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
feature article
offering just such a STEM opportunity. In fact they have approached the RES looking for volunteers to help introduce STEM students to all that the Makerspace has to offer.” “That sounds really good. You might also want to get the teachers into the Makerspace as well.” “You bet, Teacher empowerment is at the top of the list!” “Should we be worried about the impact of the Pandemic on any such support for STEM Learning?” “They are requiring masks and social distancing and online reservations, and it turns out that the Makerspace has enough room to make the use of every other work-bench a requirement. David Duckles, Rochester Makerspace President (President@RocMakers.org), and fellow Maker Courtney Reich P.E., President of Eighty Four Engineering, conducted a two hour tour for Jon Kriegel and Lee Loomis at the Rochester Maker Space.” “How do I sign up?” “Jon Kriegel is the RES Volunteer Coordinator and RES Past President, and you can reach him on his cell at: 585-281-5216. Lee Loomis is the RES Tutoring Team Coordinator and a RES Past President and can be reached at 585-783-3079. Given your interest in STEM, maybe we should both join!” q Below is a map showing where Scrantom Street and the Rochester Maker Space is located.
feature article
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 19
Professional Firms Employee News Bergmann News
Bergmann's David Plante Named to the Rochester Business Journal's 2020 Forty Under 40 List
David Plante, AICP CEP
David Plante, AICP CEP, Energy and Environment Practice Leader at national architecture, engineering and planning firm Bergmann, was selected as one of this year’s Forty Under 40 by the Rochester Business Journal. In choosing the winners, the panel of judges – consisting of previous Forty Under 40 honorees – recognize 40 men and women in the Greater Rochester community who have achieved professional success and who make significant civic contributions to the community.
“I have watched David develop as a professional planner over the last ten years. He is not only a technical expert in our profession with national recognition as a leader in renewable energy and environmental permitting, but David has proven to be a dedicated community volunteer as well,” said Andrew Raus, Senior Vice President Bergmann, RBJ 40 Under 40 Class of 2008. “I am proud of David’s accomplishments and look forward to watching his career grow over the next ten years.” As the leader of Bergmann’s Energy and Environment Practice, which specializes in providing ecological, environmental contamination, civil engineering and environmental permitting services to energy and non-energy sector clients throughout the firm, Plante has spearheaded the strategic growth of the group since 2016, bringing in key talent and carving out discipline opportunities, including the
diversification into solar to serve expanded client needs. Over his 15 years in the field, Plante has supported a variety of key projects, including environmental permitting for community solar projects throughout New York State with Delaware River Solar, the Albion waste gate repair project, and the environmental impact assessment process for the proposed statewide Embankment Integrity Management program through New York State Canal Corporation/Power Authority of New York. Outside of his role at Bergmann, Plante is highly involved in organizations that are making a direct impact on the community in which he lives, including Farmington-Victor Kiwanis. Plante serves as president of the Ontario County charity which focuses on improving the lives of children and families in need. In his role, he oversees the operations and finances of the organization, organizes events and programs, instituted a COVID-19 emergency relief fund, and more. Plante is also president of the South Farmington Friends Cemetery Foundation, an organization with the goal of restoring the historic South Farmington Friends Cemetery Chapel, and a board member of The Spot Canandaigua, a charity Plante’s wife Sarah founded in 2016 to provide free school supplies, clothing, shoes and food support to children in need in the Canandaigua City School District. Plante is also involved with the Victor-Farmington Food Cupboard, the Town of Farmington Comprehensive Plan Update Committee and the Town of Farmington Solid Waste Reduction Committee. Plante, and all members of 2020 Forty Under 40 class, will be honored via a virtual ceremony on November 12, 2020 at 5:30pm
Bergmann Senior Project Manager Appointed to the Land Use and Local Government Advisory Panel Jayme Breschard Thomann, AICP, CFM, Senior Project Manager at national architecture, engineering and planning firm Bergmann, has been nominated and appointed to the Land Use and Local Government Advisory Panel to the New York State Climate Action Council. The advisory panel is one of six representing key industry sectors across New York State, such as transportation, agriculture, power generation, and energy efficiency, tasked with providing recommendations and strategies for meeting the designated goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).
Jayme Breschard Thomann, AICP, CFM
The CLCPA was signed into law on July 18, 2019 by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and is among the most ambitious climate laws in the world. The legislation created a Climate Action Council charged with developing a Scoping Plan of recommendations to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and no less than 85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. The Council will be supported by input from the Environmental Justice Advisory Group, the Climate Justice Working Group, and the six sector-specific Advisory Panels, whose members will put forth recommendations for the Council's Scoping Plan.
Thomann, who joined Bergmann in January 2020, boasts an impressive resume, bringing 16 years of resilience, land use and environmental planning experience to the panel. A recognized expert in her field, she will provide a unique perspective through her ability to draw connections between local land use regulation and control, governance structure in New York State, and clean energy strategies. Panel members were nominated for their involvement, with Thomann being one of 11 selected for the Land Use and Local Government Advisory Panel. Together, these experts will identify a range of emissions reductions, consistent with
20 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
professional firms employee news
Bergmann News, continuted... analysis and in consultation with the Climate Action Council, for the sector which contributes to meeting the statewide emission limits. “I’m honored to be selected to contribute alongside this impressive group of experts. This initiative is important for New York State and the world as we seek to find solutions that provide both environmental and economic benefits in our fight against climate change,” said Thomann. “My goal is to leverage my experience to support how communities can thrive in a clean energy economy. We need to help municipalities work together so they can develop the policies and implement the land use regulations that create healthy and vibrant places—this includes better utilization of tools and programs that provide multiple benefits for communities.” The advisory panels will meet regularly over the coming months, with the goal of submitting a work plan and recommendations for development and outreach over the fall and into winter 2020. The Council plans to have a Draft Scoping Plan by end of 2021. q
M/E Engineering News
M/E Announces New Partners, Melanie Stachowiak PE, and Garrett Donals PE Melanie Stachowiak, PE, LEED AP BD+C, CVMP joined M/E Engineering in 2011 as a Senior Energy Engineer in the Sustainability/Commissioning group. She holds a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Clarkson University, and is a LEED Accredited Professional. Melanie Stachowiak, PE
Throughout her career at the firm, Melanie has continued to advance through the Energy/Commissioning Group and has worked on many energy analysis projects as well as managed projects in the higher education and K-12 markets. Her passion for energy efficiency and the advancement of technical analysis as it relates to sustainability has made her a leading resource for both clients and staff. Melanie will soon transition into the management of our firms Sustainability/Commissioning Group and select College/University clients. She will undoubtedly carry on the tradition of professionalism and accurate and beneficial solutions for our clients as the world becomes ever focused on sustainability, net zero, and more energy efficient structures across all markets. "Having worked with Melanie over the last several years I have come to appreciate not only her professionalism and technical expertise, but her commitment to the quality and constructability of each project she is associated with. That skillset is exactly what makes her an asset to the ownership team." Bill Liberto, Vice President
enjoyment of the outdoors. During her time off, Melanie can often be found at any one of the local lakes or rivers with her favorite fishing partner and husband, Matt. Garrett Donals, PE, joined the firm in 2008 as a Design Engineer. He holds a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Syracuse University. Throughout his career at the firm, Garrett has continued to advance through the mechanical engineering department and has worked Garrett Donals, PE on several high profile projects at Cornell University as well as Syracuse University. During his 13 years designing and managing projects, he has provided solutions for educational, healthcare, industrial and food processing facilities throughout the Northeast. "Garrett's tenacious work ethic, positive demeanor, and dependability have become a valuable asset to our team. His strong technical background has been invaluable in assisting clients to successfully complete complex projects on time and in budget. His leadership qualities and commitment to guiding our staff has had an impact on M/E Engineering's success. We are extremely excited to have these talents now a part of our leadership team." - John Dredger, President Garret lives in Mendon with his wife Chelsea and their two children. He loves outdoor activities especially hunting and golf. Above all, he loves spending time with his family and friends. q
Beyond her professional interests lies Melanie's professional firms employee news
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 21
FE Civil Exam Review Course offered by Civil Engineering Technology at RIT Spring Course Offering RIT’s Civil Engineering Technology program, within the College of Engineering Technology is now offering a Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Civil Exam Review Course for the civil engineering professionals. Passing the FE exam is the first step in the process leading to the Professional Engineers (PE) license. All fourteen (14) different exam topics will be covered. Class Delivery Method: Flex Mode
The course will be delivered in-person and online synchronous (zoom) simultaneously. Enrolled students can attend class online at the specified days/times and engage in course activities together with in-person attendees. Starts on January 12th with last day of class is on 23rd of April 2021. Hands-on Problem solving in every class with some theory but mostly based on FE Reference Handbook from NCEES. Over 100 hours of intensive teaching and practicing to ensure that the attendees fully grasp all the topics. A very fast-paced course with 15 weeks of evening classes. Extra materials similar to class problems will be provided for individual practice to build confidence. Fee for the review is set to be $1250. Group discount: For a group of 5 or more will receive a discount of $200 per person. Guarantee of passing: Students will sit for four full scale 6 hours mock tests during weekends at the end of 15 weeks of
classes (24th and 25th of April 2021, 1st and 2nd of May 2021, from 10 am to 4 pm). If the student receives 85% or more in mock tests but does not pass the FE, will be allowed to attend the next course absolutely free. Class meeting time: Tuesday from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm and Friday from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Registration deadlines are 10 days before the start of the course. All in-person classes will be held in RIT campus.
For additional information or to register, please contact: Greg Evershed, Director of Corporate Engagement RIT College of Applied Science and Technology, gmeast@rit.edu.
Professional Firms Employee News
Hunt Engineers & Architects Engineering Capacity Grows Clignett and Tarazona are new additions at High Falls Office
Audrey Clignett, EIT and Julieth Tarazona have joined HUNT-EAS’s Rochester office, bolstering the firm’s engineering capacity with additional site/ civil and electrical engineering, respectively. Audrey Clignett’s registered-EIT status and “water” engineering Audrey Clignett, EIT skillset are built on project experiences in both municipal and private development. A San Diego State graduate in environment engineering, Clignett also gives the firm additional field and computer research abilities. A native of the “far west”, Audrey lives in Pittsford with her husband, Jacob, their one-year-old son Henri, and several pets. 22 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
With an electrical engineering BS from La Salle University in Colombia and recent coursework at Monroe Community College, Julieth Tarazona exemplifies the firms dedication to continuing education. Those efforts express themselves in Tarazona’s project coordination Julieth Tarazona and design efforts – street lighting, electrical substations, and distribution circuitry. Another Pittsford resident, Julieth’s daughter, Natalia Orozco, attends Sutherland High School and her son, Juan Pablo Orozco, is an engineering intern in Georgia. Additional family includes Lia the Shih Tzu. q
campus advertisement | professional firms employee news
Barton & Loguidice News
Senior Project Manager Joines the Rochester Office Barton & Loguidice (B&L) announces Luann Meyer, has joined the Solid Waste Practice Area as Senior Project Manager in the firm’s Rochester, NY office. A current resident of the town of Pittsford, NY, Meyer received her B.S. in environmental management with a minor in political science from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). She has over 19 years of experience managing environmental projects.
Luann Meyer
Meyer makes her return to Barton & Loguidice after 3 years of service with Monroe County DES where she managed several solid waste projects; including management of intermunicipal agreements, operation and maintenance agreements, a Recycle Right! education and outreach campaign, and local solid waste management planning goals and objectives
Meyer is the current President of the Solid Waste Association of North America’s (SWANA) New York Chapter and has previously served as Director for SWANA’s International Chapter. Other board memberships include NY Solid Waste Federation Conference, NY Product Stewardship Council, Women of Wastewater Committee, New York Water Environment Association (NYWEA). Meyer was also the recipient of the 2019 Postprandial Toastmasters Communication Achievement Award. q
Bergmann News
Bergmann Hires CPA as New Controller Andrew Nisbet, CPA, has joined national architecture, engineering and planning firm Bergmann as controller. Based in the Rochester, New York, headquarters, Nisbet oversees the firm’s financial team with responsibilities to provide financial reporting and insights to the firm's executive leadership team. Among Nisbet’s first initiatives as controller is to streamline and automate the firm’s financial functions with the implementation of technology solutions that will improve the experience of Bergmann team members and clients alike.
Andrew Nisbet, CPA
“In every industry, finance and accounting included, technology is evolving quicker than ever before. Andrew is well-equipped to help Bergmann implement the appropriate tools and processes for our team’s needs and to ensure that the measures implemented are applied seamlessly among our employees and clients,” said Scott Lockwood, chief financial officer, Bergmann.
Prior to joining Bergmann, Nisbet served as director at JC Jones & Associates. In this role he was responsible for fostering positive client relationships, helping drive engagement success by reducing timeline and budget. Nisbet also conducted in-depth process reviews, identifying deficiencies and inefficiencies and developing and implementing time phased action plans, and executed construction project audits to ensure contract integrity through billing and work performed. “Though Andrew’s role is more internal in nature, his work directly impacts our clients. His previous experience has given him a strong understanding of client relationship management which will lend well to his new role,” continued Lockwood. Nisbet serves on the board of directors for the Institute of Management Accountants Rochester Chapter. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Alfred University. q
professional firms employee news
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 23
Position Openings...Pages 24-25
JOIN A TOP 100 TEAM! MRB Group Engineering, Architecture & Surveying, D.P.C. , a Greater Rochester Chamber Top 100 Firm, is currently recruiting for several positions to join our growing firm in Rochester New York including: Civil Engineers: to plan, design, direct, oversee and execute civil engineering projects in our water/wastewater group. Planner/Civil Engineer: to provide support on subdivision and site plan reviews, planning board activities, general planning services, and SWPPP/ Site Inspections. Construction Observers: to oversee construction of various projects in Western and Central New York. Visit our website (www.mrbgroup.com) for additional information. Resumes can be sent directly to: resume@mrbgroup.com or mailed to: MRB Group, The Culver Road Armory, 145 Culver Road, Suite 160, Rochester, NY 14620.
NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 1530 JEFFERSON ROAD ROCHESTER, NY 14623
CONTINUOUS RECRUITMENT The New York State Department of Transportation is continuously recruiting engineering candidates at all levels, entry level through Team Leader. To apply, visit the New York State Department of Civil Service website at https:// www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/public/licensing.cfm, select Engineering Positions, specifically Civil/Transportation Exam Series, which includes Engineer Trainee, Assistant Engineer, and Professional Engineer 1. For general inquiries, please email R04-Design@dot.ny.gov. 24 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
Save the Date Annual Engineering Symposium in Rochester Re-scheduled to Thursday, April 29, 2021 Rochester Riverside Convention Center Additional details will be posted on the RES website: www.roceng.org Registration will re-open around February 1st.
position openings
A Look at the Past...
Save the Date 118th RES Annual Gala Saturday, April 17, 2021 Rochester Riverside Convention Center Additional details will be posted on the RES website: www.roceng.org position openings | RES news
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 25
Go to the RES Web Site for Updated Details On All Meetings - www.roceng.org
Continuing
Education Opportunities
BE SURE TO CHECK IF A MEETING IS STILL SCHEDULED BECAUSE OF COVID-19
Wednesday, November 18
Monday, November 9
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
p 40 Hydropower in Downtown
Dispute Resolution in Construction (and History Review) 1 PDH Credit Pending Speaker: E. Mitchell Swan, Distinguished Lecturer Place: Virtual Meeting Time: Noon (Congressman Joe Morelle at 11:30 am to 11:50 am) Registration: Visit our web page at http://rochester.ashraechapters.org for registration information and more speaker/topic details this fiscal year.
Wednesday, November 18
American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) p 29 Antifreeze for Fire Sprinkler Systems 1 PDH Credit Pending
Speaker: John Pritchard, Curtesy of Lubrizol, Mark Lemire Time: 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm (check in 11:50 am) Place: Wherever you can access the internet! Cost: Free Reservations: Reservations to Dave Jereckos (585-341-3168), or djereckos@ibceng.com which is important for tracking attendance and issuing certificates.
Friday, November 13
Association for Bridge Construction and Design (ABCD) 32 Annual Bridge Conference Earn up to 6 PDH Credits nd
p 30
Rochester: Station 26 Improvements
1 PDH Approved Presenters: Don Lucas (LaBella) & Jim Guistina (Bergmann) Place: Teleconference (Zoom/Teams/etc.) Time: Lunch hour – Noon to 1:30 pm Cost: ASCE Members and non-members – please consider a donation of $15-20 toward our scholarship fund. Students – free. Reservations: Please make your reservation by Friday, Nov. 13th and you will receive an invitation to the meeting via email. https://sections.asce.org/rochester.
Monday, December 14
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and AirConditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) p 40
p 35 Piping Designs for Condensing
Place: Virtual Event Cost: $50 per person. Sponsorship and advertising opportunities available!. Visit the ABCD WNY website at www.abcdwny.org from October 1st or contact David Jenkinson for details (585-364-1634 or djenkinson@popligroup.com). Registration: Registration began October 12th and is open until the day of the event. To register, visit the ABCD WNY website at www.abcdwny.org.
Boiler Retrofits 1 PDH Credit Pending
Speaker: Jim Parks, Buckpitt Place: TBD Time: 12:00 Noon Registration: Visit our web page at http://rochester.ashraechapters.org for registration information and more speaker/ topic details this fiscal year.
To post continuing education opportunities on this page please contact the Rochester Engineering Society, 585-254-2350, or email: admin@roceng.org 26 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
continuing education calendar | engineers' calendar
Engineers’ Calendar
The engineering societies are encouraged to submit their meeting notices for publication in this section. The deadline for submitting copy is the 10th of the month prior to the month of publication. Please email to: admin@roceng.org. The meetings offering PDHs are highlighted in blue. Details about the meeting and affiliate (if in this issue) are on the corresponding page listed next to the affiliate name.
Monday November 2 through Friday November 13
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Wednesday, November 11 p 29
We20 – the world’s largest conference for women engineers. “Practice Curiosity: Here, There, Anywhere!” Place: 2 week virtual conference and career fair. Register at https://we20.swe.org/
Tuesday, November 3
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) EXCOM Meeting
Place: On-line: via webex conferencing. Time: 11:50 am to 1:00 pm Registration links for our events are at: http://sites.ieee.org/rochester/. Vtools# is 242337
Dispute Resolution in Construction (and History Review) 1 PDH Credit Pending
Attend a Meeting engineers' calendar
p 37
Speaker: Doug Weishaar, GreenSpark Solar Place: On-line: via webex conferencing. Time: 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm Registration: For more information visit: https:// greensparksolar.com/event/virtual-presentation-torochester-syracuse-buffalo-chapters-of-ieee/.
p 37
Systems Physiology of Ventilation, Electrical Analogs, and Simulations
Speaker: Ram Dhurjaty, Dhurjaty Electronics Consulting Place: On-line: via webex conferencing. Time: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm Registration links for our events are at: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/241079.
p 40
Speaker: E. Mitchell Swan, Distinguished Lecturer Place: Virtual Meeting Time: 12:00 Noon (Congressman Joe Morelle at 11:30 am to 11:50 am) Registration: Visit our web page at http://rochester.ashraechapters.org for registration information and more speaker/topic details this fiscal year.
Support Your Affiliate
Overview of Solar Energy Systems
p 37 Wednesday, November 11 Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
Monday, November 9
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
Friday, November 13
Association for Bridge Construction and Design (ABCD) 32 Annual Bridge Conference Earn up to 6 PDH Credits
p 35
nd
Place: Virtual Event Cost: $50 per person. Sponsorship and advertising opportunities available! Visit the ABCD WNY website at www.abcdwny.org from October 1st or contact David Jenkinson for details (585-364-1634 or djenkinson@popligroup.com). Registration: Registration began October 12th and is open until the day of the event. To register, visit the ABCD WNY website at www.abcdwny.org.
Calendar continued on page 28... NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 27
Wednesday, November 18 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Monday, December 14 p 30
Hydropower in Downtown Rochester: Station 26 Improvements - 1 PDH Approved Presenters: Don Lucas (LaBella) & Jim Guistina (Bergmann) Place: Teleconference (Zoom/Teams/etc.) Time: Lunch hour – Noon to 1:30 pm Cost: ASCE Members and non-members – please consider a donation of $15-20 toward our scholarship fund. Students – free. Reservations: Please make your reservation by Friday, Nov. 13th and you will receive an invitation to the meeting via email. https://sections.asce.org/rochester.
Wednesday, November 18 American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE)
Antifreeze for Fire Sprinkler Systems 1 PDH Credit Pending
p 29
Piping Designs for Condensing Boiler Retrofits 1 PDH Credit Pending Speaker: Jim Parks, Buckpitt Place: TBD Time: 12:00 Noon Registration: Visit our web page at http://rochester.ashraechapters.org for registration information and more speaker/topic details this fiscal year.
Thursday, April 29, 2021 2021 Engineering Symposium in Rochester
p 11
Earn up to 7 PDHs East Main Street, Rochester Time: 7:30 am to 6:30 pm Cost: $140 Advance registration; $20 Student registration; $170 AFTER April 1, 2021 and at the door. Registration will re-open at www.roceng.org around the 1st of February.
The RES website (www.roceng.org) has
Thursday, November 19
a calendar of events for this month's p 38
Perspectives on the Boeing 737MAX MCAS
Speaker: Dr. Ron Carson, University of Washington Place: Virtual Time: 6:00 pm to approximately 7:30 pm Reservations: We use Globalmeet2 for the monthly meetings. GlobalMeet Join Details: Join as a GUEST. Meeting details web address: https://incose.pgimeet.com/INCOSE_GMTwo. Access number: 1-719-457-6209. Guess passcode: 519 731 6920. 28 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
p 40
Place: Rochester Riverside Convention Center, 123
Speaker: John Pritchard, Curtesy of Lubrizol, Mark Lemire Time: 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm (check in 11:50 am) Place: Wherever you can access the internet! Cost: Free Reservations: Reservations to Dave Jereckos (585-341-3168), or djereckos@ibceng.com which is important for tracking attendance and issuing certificates.
International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE)
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
meetings and meetings that are received or updated after print deadline. Please refer to the website for updated information. If you wish to be listed in the calendar please send details to res@frontiernet.net
engineers' calendar
President/Education Chair: JENNIFER WENGENDER, P.E., CPD CPL 205 St Paul Blvd Rochester, NY 14604 585-454-7600 Vice President Technical: DAVE JERECKOS IBC Engineering, PC 3445 Winton Place Suite 219 Rochester, NY 14623 585-292-1590 Vice President Legislative: DAVID MYERS LaBella Associates, PC 300 State Street Suite 201 Rochester, NY 14614 585-454-6110 Vice President Membership/AYP: TRAVIS JESSICK Dave Gooding Inc 173 Spark Street Brockton MA 02302 585-794-8845 Treasurer: ALAN SMITH, P.E. IBC Engineering, PC 3445 Winton Place Suite 219 Rochester, NY 14623 585-292-1590 Administrative Secretary: ADAM KRAMER IBC Engineering, PC 3445 Winton Place Suite 219 Rochester, NY 14623 585-292-1590 Newsletter Editor: CHRIS WOLAK Victaulic Fairport, NY 14450 484-350-1954 Affiliate Liaison: REBECCA KOLSTAD Kolstad Associates
President's Message I hope everyone is staying well and safe. ASPE is continuing with the Webinar format until life can return to “normal”. Please keep us penciled in for the 3rd Wednesday of each month at noon, through May. October’s presentation will be through a Zoom meeting sponsored by Toto. This is pre-approved through AIA with HSW topic, which is allowed for NYS PE’s for a PDH credit. The meeting invite went out to our normal ASPE distribution. We will continue to try to offer presentations that will be applicable for NYS PE PDH credits. The rules for that are evolving, but we will do our due diligence to meet all current requirements. Stay safe but stay in touch!
Jennifer Wengender, P.E., CPD Rochester Chapter President
Meeting Notice – Save the Date Topic:
Antifreeze for Fire Sprinkler Systems
Speaker:
John Pritchard, Curtesy of Lubrizol, Mark Lemire
Date:
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Time:
12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m. (check in 11:50 am)
Place:
Wherever you can access the internet!!
Credits:
1 PDH – Pending approval
Cost:
Free. �
RSVP:
To Dave Jereckos (585-341-3168), or djereckos@ibceng.com which is important for tracking attendance and issuing certificates.
(Chapters are not authorized to speak for the Society)
aspe news
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 29
Rochester Secti on
Amer ican Society of Civil Engineer s www.asce.org
H YDROPOWER I N DOWN TOWN ROCH ESTER: STATI ON 26 I MPROVEMEN TS
The corner of Court and Exchange streets is home to an unimposing Power Plant. Station 26 is positioned at the end of Court Street Dam and unknown to most. In the last year, some significant improvements have been made. These improvements allow the Station to realize more of its potential by protecting its generation capacity and creating safe reliable access to the Station for future maintenance or improvement. This presentation will detail the identification, planning, design, and construction of these improvements. PRESENTERS: Don Lucas (LaBella) & Jim Guistina (Bergmann) DATE: Wednesday, November 18, 2020 LOCATION: Teleconference (Zoom/Teams/etc.) TIME: Lunch Hour 12pm – 1:30pm COST: ASCE Members & Non-Members: Please consider a donation of $15-20 toward our scholarship fund Students: FREE Please RSVP by Friday 11/13 and you will receive an invitation to the meeting via email. 30 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
asce news
The Society of Women Engineers stimulates women to achieve full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, expands the image of the engineering profession as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and demonstrates the value of diversity.
swerochester.org Find us on Facebook at SWE Rochester c/o Rochester Engineering Society at RMSC 657 EastAve Rochester, NY 14607
Life Long Learning and SWE PRACTICE CURIOSITY: HERE, THERE - ANYWHERE!
This is the slogan for the WE20 virtual conference this year. Hopefully you can attend, but as a member of SWE, you always have access interesting free content through the Advance Learning Center – SWE Learning for Career and Life (advancelearning.swe.org). Be sure to login to see the content that comes free with your SWE membership. There are Live Learning sessions that include topics such as Career Management. The sessions are often held multiple times and allow for a more interactive experience. Under On-Demand Stephanie WhiteContent, there are over 150 recordings on various topics from work-life balance, mentoring, leadership, and how to advocate for yourself. A short Secretary list of some titles: • Best Practices for Being a Super Mentor • Attract Advocacy of Influential Sponsors • Best Practices on Promoting Work-Family Balance – who doesn’t need this? Amy Blackmon • Difficult Conversations about Race & Gender Treasurer • Lead for a Distance: Virtual Work Essentials While all of us are definitely starting to suffer from zoom or online meeting fatigue, some of these session may actually help you manage them better. WE NEED YOUR HELP What would you like from SWE Roc? Do you have any new ideas? We’d love for you to join us, so join us at our upcoming planning meeting! CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AND JOIN OUR MEETINGS Executive Meetings are open!
Join or Renew with SWE Roc Today Benefit from a network of women engineers, get involved in outreach activities, and gain access to professional and personal development resources!
If you haven’t done so already, be sure to renew your membership today at swe.org. If you don’t have a membership yet, please join us! swe news
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 31
657 East Avenue, Rochestter, New York 14607 Dedicated to Professionalism in Engineering in the Interest of Public Safety and Welfare 2020-21 Officers: President Michael O. Ritchie, PE, President-elect Vacant, Vice-President Bill Grove, PE, Secretary Martin E. Gordon, PE, Treasurer Christopher R. Devries, PE, Membership Chair Vacant Past Presidents: Christopher V. Kambar, PE , David C. Roberts, PE, Directors: Barry J. Dumbauld, PE, Robert K. Winans, PE, Joseph Dombrowski, PE, Jim Drago, PE, Neal Illenberg, PE, Douglas R. Strang Jr., PE
COVID-19 STATE ACTIONS
NSPE is tracking and identifying executive orders and legislation related to Covid-19 and has created one-page printable reports for the majority of the states. Click here for NEW YORK: https://www.nspe.org/sites/default/files/sites/default/files/c19/NewYork-C19.pdf These are all dynamic resources that NSPE continues to update on a daily basis, so please check back regularly for new/ additional information. Access the information for Licensure (https://www.quorum.us/spreadsheet/external/XzccVELfzzrFQYyqEmxn/) Access the information for Small Business Legislative https://www.quorum.us/spreadsheet/external/GQuvKPGmWdIYzQPSUkaO/ Click here for more Resources: https://www.nspe.org/resources/coronavirus-covid-19-resources Continuing Education/Examination/Regulations: http://www.op.nysed.gov/COVID-19.html
2021 ENGINEERING SYMPOSIUM
The 2020 Engineering Symposium has been re-scheduled for Thursday, April 29, 2021. If you have already registered for the event, you don’t have to do anything - you will be advance registered and paid for the event in April. If you would like a refund, there will be no fees or penalties. Please email res@frontiernet.net and we will process a refund. Refunds will be mailed to you and will be processed on a monthly bases. Our goal is to re-open registrations in the spring and host a great event under better circumstances. Thank you for your understanding and stay safe.
MPES SCHOLARSHIPS
MPES sponsors two annual scholarships for local college students to study Engineering. To ensure that this organization can continue to provide scholarships to deserving students for years to come, we are seeking donations from local engineering firms, RES and MPES members. For more information on how to make a donation please email mritchie@costich.com
TYESA
SUNY TYESA (Two Year Engineering Science Association) will be hosting their annual meeting virtually on October 22-23. David C. Roberts, PE will be this year's keynote speaker. The title of his talk is “The Benefits & Challenges of Online Engineering Education”. For more information visit https://www.tyesa.org/. As always, we encourage active membership in the Monroe Professional Engineers Society. We are constantly striving to improve your membership but we always need more help. If you are interested in becoming an active member or have any questions, please email me at mritchie@costich.com or contact MPES through our website at www.monroepes.org/contactus/. Mike Ritchie, PE, President, MPES
32 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
mpes news
Rochester, NY Section P.O. Box 23795 Rochester, NY 14692 www.iesrochester.org
Thank You From The IES Rochester Section Our first in person lunch presentation was well attended. We will continue to bring you new educational opportunities helping to create a better understanding about lighting products, technologies and applications
Our 2020/2022 Board of Directors is as follows President Robert Gleason, C&S Companies Vice-President A.J. Hetzke, IlluminFX Secretary/Imm. Past President Daniel Rusnack, Bergmann Associates Treasurer Christopher Langton Directors Peter Brincka, Quality Lighting Systems Joe Dombrowski Steve Galley, IBC Engineering John Newton, Newton Lighting Enterprises Dwight Roth, VP Supply/Maynards Michael Trippe, Point Source Group, inc If you have any suggestions for future educational opportunities, please contact any of our board members. Please remember to visit our website at www.iesrochester.org ies news
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 33
34 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
ea news
32nd Annual Fall Bridge Conference Friday, November 13, 2020
Due to COVID-19, the 2020 Fall Conference will be held virtually Presentation Topics Include: • North Division Street Bridge Replacement– Mark Laistner, PE and Robert Traver, P.E.(Popli Design Group) • I-390/I-490/Lyell Ave. Interchange Improvements – Katherine Fragale, PE and Paul Spitzer, PE (NYSDOT) • Model Based Contracting at NYSDOT – Bridge Replacement of Rt. 28 over Esopus Creek – Brenda Crudele, PE (NYSDOT) • Sarah Mildred Long Replacement Bridge - Jay Rohleder, PE (FIGG) • Systems for the Protection of Beams against Overheight Impacts – Dr. Anil Agrawal, Ph.D, PE (CUNY) • Ethics and Leadership – Don Nims, PE (Bergmann)
EARN UP TO 6 PDH CREDITS! Attendee Cost: $50 Sponsorship and Advertisement opportunities available! Vist the ABCD WNY website, www.abcdwny.org, from October 1st or contact David Jenkinson for details Registration: Registration begins October 12th and is open until the day of the event To register, visit the ABCD WNY website, www.abcdwny.org For additional information contact: David Jenkinson, P.E. Popli Design Group djenkinson@popligroup.com (585) 364-1634
Association for Bridge Construction and Design Western New York Chapter www.abcdwny.org
abcd news
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 35
November 2020 Newsletter Section Officers Chair Eric Br o wn Vice Chair Treasurer Secretary Paul Lee
Chapters & Groups AES & COMSOC Cristiano Tapparello CS & CIS Bo Yuan EDS & CSS Sean Rommel EMBS Cristian Linte GRSS Emmett Ientilucci LIFE Mark Schrader APS & MTTS Jayanti Venkataraman Photonics Bruce Smith Parsian K. Mohseni PES & IAS Jean Kendrick SPS Alex Byrley Eric Zeise TEMS Paul Lee Young Professionals Eric Br o wn
Student Groups Univ. of Rochester Ming-Lun Lee RIT Jamison Heard
Committees Awards Jean Kendrick Communications Christine Frayda Howard Bussey Newsletter Howard Bussey PACE Alex Loui Bruce Rubin
Liaisons RES Harold Paschal RCSS William Brewer
Message from the Chair Dear Colleagues: October was a busy month for the IEEE Rochester Section and we hope to continue with sustained activity for the remainder of the year. We also received an infusion of new talent with several new volunteers joining the ExCom. • Jamison Heard, Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Microelectronic Engineering, is the new faculty advisor for the RIT IEEE Student Branch. • Ming-Lun Lee, Assistant Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, is the new faculty advisor for the University of Rochester IEEE Student Branch. • Alex Byrley is the new Chair of the Rochester Section Signal Processing Society and Eric Zeise is the new Vice-Chair. Finally, Raymond Ptucha, our former Signal Processing Society Chair, was selected by IEEE Region 1 for the 2020 IEEE Region 1 Outstanding Teaching in an IEEE Area of Interest (University or College) Award. Congratulations Ray, and good luck with your new ventures on the West Coast. Stay healthy, and best regards ,
Save the Date: Virtual Meeting with GreenSpark Solar Pencil in your calendar for Wednesday, November 11, 2020, from 1-2pm for a virtual meeting with GreenSpark Solar. GreenSpark Solar's Director of Commercial Sales, Doug Weishaar, will be presenting to the Rochester, Syracuse, & Buffalo sections. The content includes an overview of solar energy, career paths in solar field, NYS policy, project structures, and case studies. For more information, visit this site: https://greensparksolar.com/event/virtual-presentation-to-rochester-syracuse-buffalo-chapters-of-ieee/
(Apologies for the small font, but URLs must not be broken across a line)
Introducing Alex Byrley, New Chair of SPS Dr. Alex Byrley is the new Signal Processing Society chair. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from SUNY Buffalo. His research interests lie in radar waveform and software defined receiver design with a focus on Logarithmic Frequency Waveforms. He is currently a Research Scientist at Mastodon Design LLC in Rochester, NY, where he designs signal processing and other algorithms for radar receivers.
36 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
ieee news
Save the Date: Systems Physiology of Ventilation, Electrical Analogs, and Simulations Pencil in another on-line talk on Wednesday, November 11 th from 7:00 – 8:30. Ventilators have become a key tool in helping patients recover from COVID-19. To understand ventilators it is crucial to understand the mechanics of November 2020 Newsletter ventilation and its impact on physiology. In this talk, Ram Dhurjaty of Dhurjaty Electronics Consulting, LLC, discusses the physiology of ventilation from a systems point of view. It will make use of hydraulic systems, hemodynamic systems, and electrical analogs to elucidate both the ventilation process and some of its consequences on the physiology of organs such as lungs, blood, heart, and kidney. An electrical circuit simulation will demonstrate parametric sensitivities. This live demonstration will be an LTSPICE™ simulation of both a pressure controlled and a volume-controlled ventilator. The talk will then propose some possible improvements in existing ventilators to minimize lung injuries and the resulting comorbidities. Professional development credit is available. For more information, visit https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/241079 .
Report: Negotiating Conflict with Emotional Intelligence Melanie DellaPietra led about 34 people, at least 4 from IEEE, through the theory and practice of negotiating conflict with emotional intelligence. This was jointly sponsored by IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society (TEMS) and RocAgile, a meetup that welcomes all Agile practitioners and people interested in Agile.
IEEE Rochester Section Events Please check the events to ensure they are as scheduled below. Visit events.vtools.ieee.org/m/vtools# for details about any of these events.
Event EXCOM Meeting
Vtools # 242337
th
Solar Energy Systems (GreenSpark Solar) Systems Physiology of Ventilation, Electrical Analogs, and Simulations
ieee news
When November 3rd, 11:50 – 13:00
241079
Where Via Webex
November 11 , 13:00 – 14:00
Via Webex
November 11th, 19:00 – 20:30
Via Webex
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 37
Finger Lakes Chapter of INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL ON SYSTEMS ENGINEERING http://www.incose.org/ChaptersGroups/Chapters/ChapterSites/finger-lakes/chapter-home
Upcoming Chapter Meeting Events • Thursday, November 19, 2020: November Chapter Meeting Dr. Ron Carson, University of Washington.
Perspectives on the Boeing 737MAX MCAS
Dr. Ron Carson is a professor of systems engineering at the University of Washington and was a Technical Fellow in Systems Engineering at Boeing before he retired after spending 27 years at the company.
Dr. Carson is going to talk about the recent Boeing 737MAX MCAS mishaps from
a systems engineering perspective.
• Thursday, December 17, 2020: December Chapter Meeting
TBD
We have not identified a speaker for our December meeting yet.
• Meetings begin at 6:00 pm and run to approximately 7:30 pm All meetings are being held virtually until further notice. We use Globalmeet2 for our monthly meetings. GlobalMeet Join Details - Join as GUEST Meeting Details Web Address: https://incose.pgimeet.com/INCOSE_GMTwo Access Number: 1-719-457-6209 Guest Passcode: 519 731 6920
38 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
incose news
TRFSEF and RIT STEP nailed it with the 2020 RAYS pilot! Let’s do it again with your help! RIT Science & Technology Entry Program (STEP) enables students from underserved communities to explore STEM and learn about STEM careers in ways otherwise not available to them.
Harold Clark, Director Rochester Finger Lakes Fair trfsef@terraed.org
In September Ashley Simmons – Director, RIT STEP Program – presented to the Rochester Finger Lakes STEM HUB about the impressive achievements of the STEP students at their Research Access for Young Scholars (RAYS) Fair on campus, the subregional and regional JSHS competition, and at the TRFSEF.
Take a look at Ashley's 38 min. presentation Take a look at Ashley’s 38-min. presentation and discussion. She even has videos of the and discussion. She even has videos of the two two young women from RAYS whose work young women from RAYS whose work was was advanced the international GENIUS advanced to thetointernational GENIUS Olympiad! Olympiad!
Interested in being a mentor to support and encourage a student? Contact Ashley at link below!
Contact TRFSEF@terraed.org to connect with the regional fair and aask12@rit.edu for more about RAYS and STEP.
terra news
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 39
Rochester Chapter
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers Rochester ASHRAE website: http://rochester.ashraechapters.org
President's Message On September 14th, ASHRAE Rochester and Women in ASHRAE hosted Dr. Marwa Zaatari, a Distinguished Lecturer, at our first (virtual) lunch meeting of the year. Dr. Zaatari had an excellent presentation on Air Cleaning & Airborne Infectious Diseases. October 19 was a meeting on Commissioning presented by Michael Tatkow. In addition to our regular PDH presentation, our November
ASHRAE 2020-2021 Meeting Schedule Event
Date Monday, 10/19/2020
Monday, 12/14/2020
Monday, 1/11/2021
Theme
Location
(PDH Approved)
Virtual
Commissioning [NYS Energy Code & FGI Guidelines for Hospitals] Presented by: Michael Tatkow - IBC Engineering Congressman Joe Morelle at 11:30a-11:50a
Monday, 11/9/2020
What is Substantial Completion? Noon-1pm Presented by: E. Mitchell Swan, Distinguished Lecturer
History Review Virtual (PDH Pending)
Piping Designs for Condensing Boiler Retrofits Presented by: Jim Parks, Buckpitt
(PDH Pending)
Virtual
(PDH Pending)
TBD
Topic TBD Presented by: Topic TBD
Membership Promotion
Presented by: Michelle Schleher, Rochester Regional Health
(PDH Pending)
Friday, 2/12/2021
64th Annual ASHRAE Valentines Dinner Dance
---
Strathallan 9th Floor
Friday 2/19/2021
Joe Harding Memorial Ski Day (week of recess)
---
Hunt Hollow 9am-4pm
How the Internet of Things (IOT) is Changing BMS
Resource Promotion
Presented by: Joe Klotz, Johnson Controls
(PDH Pending)
Monday, 2/8/2021
Monday, 3/08/2021
Refrigeration Night
Monday, 4/12/2021
9th virtual meeting will feature a couple of high-profile
NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER
Refrigeration Tour (Location TBD) Monday, 5/17/2021
Annual ASHRAE Golf Outing and Picnic (Ravenwood Golf Course)
TBD
TBD
TBD
(PDH Pending)
---
9:30 AM Golf 4:30 - 8:00 Picnic
individuals; the ASHRAE Society President and Congressman Morelle! During this meeting, we can take a step back and view our industry from a high-level/nationwide perspective. ASHRAE President Gulledge is working to speak to all chapters during his presidential year. Virtual meetings have made this initiative possible. The Congressman will speak about conversations and legislation in D.C. as it relates to the HVAC industry.
Updated 10/11/2020
Keep an eye on our website for the latest information and meeting registration. Michael Benedict 2020-2021 President ASHRAE Rochester 40 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
ashrae news
Directory of Professional Services
www.eco-rentalsolutions.com 855-ECO-RENT Newest Rental Fleet in the Industry Exceptional Customer and Technical Service Consistent Quality Rentals • Sales • Service
directory of professional services
NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 41
Directory of Professional Services
Solving soils problems for over 40 years. 46A Sager Drive, Rochester, NY 14607 Tel: 585-458-0824 • Fax: 585-458-3323 www.foundationdesignpc.com
Advertising Rates and Membership Application is Available at www.roceng.org
Save the Date: 118th RES Annual Gala Saturday, April 17, 2021
Rochester Riverside Convention Center Additional details will be posted on the RES website: www.roceng.org
Directory of Business Services Advisors
Philip J. Welch
First Vice President - Investments
Wells Fargo Advisors
Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC
Member SIPC
42 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2020
400 Meridian Centre Blvd. Suite 210 Rochester, NY 14618 Direct: 585-241-7546 Fax: 585-241-3986 Toll Free: 877-237-6201 philip.welch@wellsfargoadvisors.com
directory of professional services | director of business services
Affiliated Societies of the Rochester Engineering Society American Consulting Engineering Companies of New York President, David J. Meyer, 585-218-0730 Email: dmeyer@pathfinderengineers.com American Public Works Association Monroe County/Genesee Valley Branch Chairman, Peter Vars, PE Email: PVars@bmepc.com American Society of Civil Engineers, Rochester Section President, Joshua T. Rodems, PE, Bergmann, Rochester, NY. 585-498-7944. Email: jrodems@bergmannpc.com American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Rochester Chapter President, Mike Benedict, mike@airsystemsbalancing.com. Email: ashraerocnews.com Website: rochester.ashraechapters.org American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Rochester Section Chairman, Joseph Lawson, joey@rocmarchforscience.org American Society of Plumbing Engineers, Rochester New York Chapter President, Jennifer Wengender, PE, CPD, Clark Patterson Lee, 205 St. Paul Blvd., Rochester, NY 14604. 585-454-7600. Email: jwengender@clarkpatterson.com Website: https://www.aspe.org
Association for Bridge Construction and Design President, Michael D. Davidson, PE JM Davidson Engineering, DPC Email: mdavidson@jmdavidsoneng.com
Association For Facilities Engineering, Rochester Chapter President, Matt Knights, Constellation Brands, Inc. Email: Matt.Knights@cbrands.com Electrical Association Executive Director, Karen Lynch Email: karen@eawny.com President, Russ Corcoran, Landmark Electric, 585-359-0800. Email: russc@landmarkelectric.net.
Monroe Professional Engineers Society President, Mike Ritchie, PE Email: mritchie@costich.com
Genesee Valley Land Surveyors Association President, Jared R. Ransom, LS 585-737-6881 Email: jaredransomls@gmail.com
New York Water Environment Association Inc., Genesee Valley Chapter (www.gvcnywea.org) President, Bill Davis, 585-381-9250 Email: william.davis@mrbgroup.com
Illuminating Engineering Society of North America Inc., Rochester Section President, Rob Gleason Email: rgleason@cscos.com Imaging Science & Technology, Rochester Chapter President, Bruce Pillman, 585-748-6006 Email: bruce.pillman@gmail.com Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Rochester Section Chairman, Eric Brown Email: eric.t.brown@ieee.org Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, Rochester Chapter President, Poojith Kalluru, Alstom Email: poojith.kalluru@alstomgroup.com International Council on Systems Engineering, Finger Lakes Chapter President, Jack Riley Email: jackri2139@hotmail.com
New York State Association of Transportation Engineers, Section 4 President, Paul J. Spitzer, PE, NYS DOT Region 4, Genesee Valley, 1530 Jefferson Road, Rochester, NY 14623. 585-272-4890. Email: paul.spitzer@dot.ny.gov Website: www.nysate.org
Sheet Metal & Air-Conditioning Contractor’s National Association-Rochester, Inc. Executive Director, Aaron Hilger 585-586-8030. Email: mzin@smacnaroc.org Society of Plastics Engineers, Rochester Section President, Brett Blaisdell Email: zippel@frontiernet.net Society of Women Engineers. Rochester Section President, Marca J. Lam, RIT Email: mjleme@rit.edu Terra Rochester Finger Lakes Science & Engineering Fair Director, Harold R. Clark, PhD Email: tasasef@terraed.org Website: TerraFairs@terraed.org.
Corporate Members of the Rochester Engineering Society Bergmann (Enterprise) BME Associates CHA Consulting (Champion) Clark Patterson Lee Erdman Anthony Associates Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce (RBA) Champion) Greenman-Pedersen, Inc.
Hunt Engineers, Architects & Land Surveyors, Inc.
Pathfinder Engineers & Architects (Champion)
IBC Engineering, PC (Champion)
Rochester Institute of Technology, Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Kistner Concrete Products Inc.
M/E Engineering, PC (Enterprise) MRB Group (Champion) Optimation Technology, Inc. Passero Associates
affiliated societies & corporate members of the rochester engineering society
Stantec TY-LIN International (Champion)
VJ Stanley IS YOUR COMPANY LISTED HERE? Call 585-254-2350 for information. NOVEMBER 2020 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 43
PUBLISHED BY ROCHESTER ENGINEERING SOCIETY 657 EAST AVENUE ROCHESTER, NEW YORK 14607
BE SURE YOU CONTACT YOUR AFFILIATE BEFORE ATTENDING ANY EVENTS! WITH THE COVID-19 CRISIS MANY EVENTS ARE BEING CANCELLED OR RE-SCHEDULED. WE HOPE EVERYONE STAYS SAFE AND HEALTHY! ~ RES Board of Directors
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