December 11, 2002

Design Detailings: SMPS 'power' luncheon Dec. 19

The Seattle chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services hosts the second luncheon in a series titled "Brand You: Showing Up Powerfully." The luncheon, focusing on developing excellence in our personal and professional lives, will be held Thursday, Dec. 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Washington Athletic Club.

Michele Corey, co-owner of Advanced Approach, will explain how corporate branding can apply powerfully to helping individuals communicate their business value and skills.

The cost is $30 for SMPS members, $35 for member firms, and $40 for non-members. To register, contact Tami Tedrow at The Austin Co. at (206) 674-8307 or visit www.smpsseattle.org.

ASCE hosts viaduct talk Thursday

The Seattle and Tacoma/Olympia Sections of the American Society of Civil Engineers invites ASCE members and interested civil engineers and guests to a joint section meeting to discuss the Alaskan Way Viaduct and seawall project on Thursday at the Museum of Glass, 1801 Dock St.

Presenters will be Tom Madden and Maureen Sullivan of the Washington State Department of Transportation, and Bob Chandler of the city of Seattle. They will discuss the need to rebuild the 49-year-old Alaska Way Viaduct and the 68-year-old waterfront seawall due to their age, risk to public safety, seismic vulnerability, deteriorated condition and role in the region’s transportation system.

Social hour is at 5:30 p.m., dinner is at 6:15 and the program begins at 7. For reservations, call (206) 296-0482 or e-mail adam.slivers@members.asce.org. Cost is $24.

Berger Partnership wins award

The Berger Partnership, a landscape architecture and site planning firm, is a joint recipient of the American Planning Association Washington Chapter’s, Physical Plans Honor Award for working with the city of Renton in development of the South Renton Neighborhood Plan.

The city, in collaboration with Berger, Marcia Gamble-Hadley, Real Vision and Mithun, created the South Renton Neighborhood Plan as an economic development tool for revitalization of a evolving area of town.

APA judges said were impressed by "the thorough integration of land use regulations, cost/market research, and detailed designs for the city’s private and public improvements."

Outstanding planning efforts in Washington are recognized at the annual Awards Program for Excellence in Planning, sponsored by the American Planning Association/Washington Chapter and the Planning Association of Washington.

UW tsunami expert opens OSU center

A world expert on tsunami waves has been appointed to Oregon State University's engineering department to establish a nationally recognized tsunami research center at the school.

Harry Yeh, who has served as a professor of environmental and civil engineering at the University of Washington for the past 20 years, will fill a newly endowed chair in the engineering department. "It is quite a coup to get Dr. Yeh down here," said Gregg Kleiner, spokesman for OSU's engineering department. "He is one of the top tsunami researchers in the world."

Yeh has completed tsunami research in Indonesia, Nicaragua, Turkey and Greece. His international contacts will help in the global sharing and networking of tsunami and ocean research, Kleiner said. Yeh's official appointment begins in January.

The wave research center at OSU has three wave pools, including one that is 360-feet long and produces waves so large they can be surfed on. Information technology at OSU will enable the tsunami research center to perform experiments live over the Internet, sharing the results with researchers around the world. It will also allow the center to maintain live connections with earthquake and tsunami sensing facilities.

Parametrix makes CE's Top 50

CE News Magazine recognized Sumner's Parametrix as a Top 50 Civil Engineering Firms to Work For. CE News released the complete rankings in its October issue and ranked Parametrix 33rd out of 102 companies nominated from across the nation.

The panel of judges commented that "... despite the wide range in size and scope, all firms listed offer excellent benefits as well as less tangible perks such as clear, open communication between personnel and managers; opportunities for all staff members to advance; positive, flexible working environments; and training programs that allowed their employees to advance in their careers."

According to Cathy Murphy of CE News, "The 50 firms identified ... offer employees amazing places to work and opportunities for the future." Some of the major areas that were looked at in the competition were training programs, percent of growth in total billings over the past five years, total benefits package, philanthropic and community involvement, and company philosophy.

Parametrix is an employee-owned, Northwest-based company providing services in transportation, environmental sciences, water and wastewater engineering, waste management, and architecture.

New guide for AEC job hunters

Job seekers in the design and construction industry can pick up a few tips in the new "AEC WorkForce Guide to Finding the Right Job in the Design and Construction Industry." The book is written specifically for job hunters in the design and construction industry.

The guide contains advice such as how to tailor a resume to the job description. Having a one-size-fits-all resume is a mistake, it says. The book also instructs applicants to include significant contributions in past jobs, keep your resume short, and don't include salary information. Hold off discussion of money as long as possible. "Raising the money issue first may send a signal to an employer that compensation is the only thing that matters to you," it says. Lastly, applicants are advised to "proofread, proofread, proofread."

AEC WorkForce is a career portal for architecture, engineering and construction jobs on the Internet. The Web site is AECWorkForce.com. The 240-page book is $23.95 plus $4 shipping and handling. For information, call (508) 651-1559, or e-mail customerservice@AECWorkForce.com.