Considering the future of the profession

Powell, Anne Elizabeth

Civil Engineering; Nov/Dec 2002; 72, 11/12; ProQuest Central
pg. 220
 THE ROAD AHEAD

C E ROUNDTABLE

Considering
The Future
Of the Profession
A panel of distinguished practitioners recently convened by Civil
Engineering shared their thoughts on what might lie ahead for the civil
engineering profession over the course of the next 50 to 100 years. Their
four-hour discussion was wide ranging, and while the views they
expressed were diverse, on one point they wholeheartedly agreed: The
21st century is most likely to be an extremely challenging and extremely
rewarding time in which to be a civil engineer.

By Anne Elizabeth Powell

Photography by Skip Brown

The panel, opposite center, convened on the morning of October 1 at

 ASCE's headquarters in Reston, Virginia. Clockwise from opposite top
left are Oscar Suros, Peggy Layne, John Dionisio, and Bill Dawson.

22 0 0885-7024-/112-0011-00220/S18.00 pt·r anicle Civil Engineering NovEMBERIDECEMBER 2002

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THE ROAD AH EA D
 NovEMBERIDECEMBER 2002 Civil En,rineering 221

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 THE ROAD AHEAD

T
 his particular moment in time-as th e Should civil engineers be educated differently? If so, how?
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
celebrates its 150th anniversary and the

profession of civil engineering begins its

st
advance into the 21 century-seems an

How can the profession diversify-draw more women and

underrepresented mino riti es into engineering schools and into
the work force?

ideal juncture at which to explore in depth the challenges and

opportunities the future may bring.

These were the discussion points the panelists were asked

to reflect upon prior to convening. The participants were
G.Wayne Clough, the president of the Georgia Insti tute
What are the most pressing issues the civil engineering
ofTechnology;James E. Davis, the executive director and chief
profession will likely face within the next 50 to 100 years?
executive officer of ASCE; William R. Dawson, the chief of
Population growth, transportation congestion, decaying
the International and lnteragency Services Division of the
infrastructure, environmental degradation, threats posed by
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' headquar
terrorism, others? What are the best ways to address these
issues?

ters in Washington, D.C.; John M. Dionisio, the president

and chief executive director of DMJM + HARRIS in New
York City; Margaret E. "Peggy" Layne, the director of the

What are the problems, challenges, opportunities likely to be?

program on diversity in engi ne er ing for the National Academy
of Engineering in Washington, D.C.; and Oscar

What should the profession's priorities be and who should Suros, the assistant chief engineer for design for the Port
 set these priorities? Authority of New York and New Jersey in Newark, New
Jersey. The discussion was moderated by H. Gerard

How important a role or roles will the civil engineering Schwartz, Jr., ASCE's president and the chairman of Jacobs
st
profession play in the 21 century? Civil Inc. in St. Louis.

Schwartz opened the discu ssion by posing the ques What

new technologies/advanced forms of communica tion,"W hat are the most pressing issue s that the civil engi tion
are likely to emerge? neering profession will face within the next fifty to one
hundred years? We 're now looking back on one hundred

Will the civil engineering profession- or the practice of fifty years. As we look forward to our two hundredth civil
engineering-change in any significant way or ways an niversary, what are the issue s that we will be facing? If during the 21s
century? you would, select one and talk a bit about how we might

address that issue."

THE PANELISTS

G.WAYNE CLOUGH, PH.D., P E. is one of a handful of civil engineers to have twice received
Clough is the first alumnus to serve as the president of civil engineering 's oldest award, the Norman Medal-in

the Georgia Institute ofTechnology. He received B.S. and 1982 and 1986. His interests include technology and higher
 M.S. degrees in civil engineering from Georgia Tech in education policy, economic development, diversity in high 1964
and 1965, respectively, and earned his Ph.D. degree in er education, and technology in a global setting. His spe civil
engineering from the University of California at cialty is geotechnical and earthquake engineering.

Berkeley in 1969. He has been a member of the faculties of

Duke University, Stanford University,Virginia Tech, and the WrtLIAM R . (Bru) DAWSO N

University ofWashington. Additionally, he has served as the Dawson is the chief of the International and Interagency head
of the Department of Civil Engineering at Virginia Services Division of the U S.Army Corps of Engineers. He Tech
and as the provost and vice president for academic began his career with the Corps in the Huntington district as
affairs at the University ofW ashington . the manager of urban studies , then moved on to the Vicksburg

Clough has been recognized for his teaching and district, where he managed the Ouachita River Basin study
research and has won seven national awards from ASCE. He He has served as programs chief of the fort Worth district,

222 Civil Engineering NOVE/v!HERIDECEMBER 2002

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THE ROAD AHEAD
 JAMES E. DAVIS, P.E.

programs division director of the South Atlantic division,

chief of the engineering management branch of the South
Davis is the executive director and chief executive offi cer of
western division, director of programs management in the
ASCE. He earned a bachelor's degree in civil engi neering from North
South Pacific division, and director of civil works and man
Carolina State University in 1970, a master's degree in regional
agement directorate of the Southwestern division.
planning from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in
1972, and a master's degree in civil engineering from North
Carolina State University in 1972. He has also completed
postgraduate work at the University of Maryland and has received
award from such organizations as the American Association of
Engineering Societies, the United Engineering Foundation, the ASCE
Dawson earned a B.S. degree in civil engineering in Foundation, the Civil Engineering Research Foundation, and the
1971 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univer Howard University College of Engineering, Archi tecture, and
sity and an M.S. degree in environmental engineering in Computer Science.
1974 from the University of North Carolina. He has made
a point of continuing his education at such facilities as the
Federal Executive Institute and the Center for Creative
Leadership and has studied such subjects as total quality
management, U.S. Army force modernization, and execu
tive operations for senior officers.
 NovEMBERIDEC:EMBER 2002 Civil En.(!ineering 223

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 THE ROAD AHEAD

SUROS

THE PANELISTS
 Davis is responsible for the management of the Society,
overseeing a staff of more than 300 and an active volunteer
force of roughly 7,500. Since his appointment as exec
utive director in May 1994, the Society has seen the creation
six full-service institutes, the Excellence in Civil Engi
neering Education (EXCEEd) program, and ASCE's Report Card
America's Infrastructure. Before joining ASCE, Davis led a
initiative at Sea-Land Services, Inc., to increase pro
ductivity, improve efficiency, and reduce operating costs in the
company's container and rail intermodal terminal operations.
JOHN M. DIONISIO, P.E.
Dionisio earned a B.S. degree in civil engineering
224
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from the City College of New York in 1971 and an M.S.
degree in civil engineering from the Polytechnic Institute work
of New York in 1976. He began his career working for
Frederic R. Harris, Inc. He has worked for the firm, now of its
known as DMJM + HARRIS, for more than 30 years, and is
now its president and chief executive officer. Dionisio has for
been involved in such projects as the redesign of JFK corporate
International Airport and the Second Avenue Subway, as
well as many transportation projects around the world.
Dionisio is very involved in his community, having
served on the Greater Jamaica Queens Development
Board and established a City College internship through
his firm. He and DMJM + HARRIS actively support the
Civil Engineering NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2002