Highpoints | Volume 32, No. 6 -- June 2016

Nominations Open for Prestigious AAEES Awards

Do you know someone who deserves recognition for their professional achievement? Each year at the AAEES Awards Luncheon ceremony, the Academy honors top environmental engineers and scientists. The individual awards include:

• Edward J. Cleary Award for outstanding management of environmental protection enterprises
• Gordon Maskew Fair Award for substantial contributions to the environmental engineering and science profession
• Stanley E. Kappe Award for outstanding service to the Academy and advancement of public awareness
• Honorary Member for professional eminence and achievements
• International Honorary Member for professional eminence and achievements

Forms for submitting nominations are available at http://www.aaees.org/aaeesawards-criteria.php. Please submit your nominations at Sammi Olmo at JSOlmo@aaees.org no later than July 15, 2016.

The O*NET Initiative

The Academy has been asked to assist with an important initiative called O*NET (Occupational Information Network), a project for the U.S. Department of Labor and America's primary source of occupational information. RTI International, the non-profit research firm contracted by the DOL to conduct the data collection, is gathering information about the work of Environmental Engineers. Our input is vital to the success of this project and maintaining the most current and accurate summary of our work at the O*NET Database: www.onetonline.org.

Some of our most experienced members will be invited to provide feedback on tasks, knowledge areas, work context factors, and activities via questionnaires to keep information about our profession accurate and up-to-date at the O*NET Database. The calls will begin in late summer.

If you are contacted by the O*NET liaisons, we hope you will consider assisting with this important research as it will be of great benefit to the millions of students, educators, job seekers, veterans, labor market researchers and employers who use the free O*NET Database each year as a resource for career exploration, research, hiring/training and job analysis.

If you have questions about the O*NET research, please contact Traci Davis at RTI International - she will be happy to speak with you. 877-233-7348 ext. 109 or tdavis@onet.rti.org.

Thank you for your support of this research and of the Academy.

ABET Commentary Document

At the recommendation of the AAEES Engineering Education Committee, we are posting a document on the AAEES web site that is a "Commentary" on the ABET Environmental Engineering Program Criteria. This document was generated on behalf of the Academy by the members of the Education Committee. The document is primarily intended to:

• assist AAEES/ABET program evaluators in applying the Environmental Engineering program criteria, and
• assist Environmental Engineering program administrators in preparing for ABET visits.

This document will be maintained and reviewed for update annually by the Education Committee. Just click on this link to download the PDF of the "Commentary."

A second purpose of this document is to inform the Academy membership of the work that ABET and the Academy are collaborating on to maintain and update the standards that college and university environmental engineering programs must meet when seeking accreditation from ABET.

The "Commentary" is intended for public dissemination on behalf of the Academy's Education Committee. We believe it will make an important contribution to the 2016-17 accreditation cycle that is now beginning. We hope the "Commentary" will serve as a touchstone for educators as they close out the 2015-16 academic year and begin the important task of updating their programs to keep them at the forefront of the evolution of the environmental field.

BCEE/BCEEM Audit

Thirty-eight BCEE/BCEEM/BCESs, chosen at random, have received notices for the 2016 audit. Each person audited is being asked to supply the Recertification Committee with documentation substantiating at least 40 Professional Development Hours. If you work full-time you automatically receive 24 PDHs and then you only have to come up with 16 more. This can be done by attending seminars, classes, symposiums, exhibits, performing presentations, etc. The PDHs are acquired by continuing professional development activities during calendar years January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2015 to ensure compliance with the continuing professional development requirements for Active and Life Active specialty certification. Those who were audited within the past 10 years are exempt from the current cycle.

Membership Corner

If you have not renewed your certification by March 31st it is considered expired! Please contact Joyce Dowen at Academy Headquarters at 410-266-3311 or JDowen@aaees.org. Did you know you can always renew online anytime at The AAEES Center at: https://netforum.avectra.com/eWeb/StartPage.aspx?Site=AAEES.

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2016 Examinations

On April 13th, the Admissions Committee completed evaluations of more than 70 applications paving the way for examinations to be conducted during July and August. Coupled with holdovers from previous years, more than 90 examinations will be administered this summer. If you are called upon to serve on a peer review panel or as a Chief Examiner, your cooperation and assistance in this effort is greatly appreciated and you will receive 0.5 PDH credit per interview.

Staff Summer Hours

Staff summer hours began Memorial Day Weekend. The office closes Fridays at 12:00 p.m. Normal business hours resume following Labor Day Weekend. You may leave a message for any staff person by calling 410.266.3311 and listening for the appropriate extension, or send an email by clicking here.

Subscribe to the AAEES Meetings and Events Calendar

Click here to view the AAEES Events Calendar. Bookmark it or subscribe to our calendar to have the most up-to-date events, meetings, and announcements.

Have You Visited The AAEES Center? - BCEEs, BCEEMs, BCESs, Members, and Student Members

You may now renew and update your Profile records online! Additional members-only benefits include an online directory, search for other members, view updated committee and board rosters, and purchase lapel pins, certificates, and other apparel!

Non-members and guests are also able to use the AAEES Center to apply for membership, subscribe to Environmental Engineer and Scientist, register for events, and to purchase AAEES publications. Click on the Login button on the AAEES.org home page to visit the AAEES Center or click on the following link: https://netforum.avectra.com/eWeb/StartPage.aspx?Site=AAEES.

The AAEES Center is a secure site.

AAEES on Social Media

Please visit, follow, subscribe, and recommend the Academy on all of our newly updated social media networks! Contribute a valuable discussion to the 1900+ subscribers on LinkedIn, join the conversation on Twitter, check out your Academy's exciting events on Facebook, view the most up to date photos on Flickr, and much more! You can access all of the Academy's social media networks through the shortcuts on the AAEES homepage: http://aaees.org/.

AAEES Activities

Elevate Your Visibility Today Through the Academy

It's easy and free to host an Academy Workshop or Seminar in your locale - If you would like to learn more, please email Sammi Olmo at JSOlmo@aaees.org. Be sure to give an approximate date and suggested topic (if any), possible speakers, and possible location. For three easy steps to hosting an event, click here.

June 19-22, 2016 - AWWA ACE16, Conference, Chicago, IL. Click here to register.

June 22, 2016 - AAEES/AWWA Luncheon Presentation 11:30 - 2:00. The guest speaker will be Dr. Vernon L. Snoeyink who is a Professor Emeritus of Environmental Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois. Dr. Snoeyink will be discussing Water Quality Deterioration and Excessive Precipitation in Distribution Systems. Click here to register

June 20-23, 2016 - A&WMA's 109th Annual Conference & Exhibition (ACE), "Unmasking the Industrial Renaissance: New Orleans, LA. Click here to register.

September 26, 2016 - AAEES Breakfast at WEFTEC. All are invited! This year's breakfast is at 7:00 am at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center. The Keynote Speaker is James R. Mihelcic, Ph.D., BCEEM, Samuel L. and Julia M. Flom Professor & State of Florida 21st Century World Class Scholar, University of South Florida. Details of his speech to follow. Earn one Academy PDH for attending. Click here to register.

September 26-28, 2016 - WEFTEC. AAEES will be exhibiting again at Booth 2864 and volunteers for booth duty are welcome. Click here to sign up as an official Academy booth spokesperson or email Sammi at JSOlmo@aaees.org. Not only will you get a chance to promote the Academy, but you will also find yourself making connections that are made possible only through your participation in the booth. Being there adds to your WEFTEC experience. We look forward to your joining the AAEES WEFTEC team!

October 20, 2016, AAEES Technical Conference: Program and Plant Performance Improvements with Emphasis on Energy Efficiency and Sustainability, Hampton Inn & Suites, Cazenovia, NY. The American Academy of Environmental Engineers & Scientists (AAEES) will be hosting a one-day technical conference in Cazenovia, New York in conjunction with the Academy's Board of Trustees Meeting the following day. The selected speakers represent the "Best of the Best" professionals from Central New York in their environmental specialties of water and wastewater. Attendees will hear about the proven and state-of-the-art technologies and concepts to maximize performance and improve energy efficiencies and sustainability. Updated agenda can be found here. Register online now at http://bit.ly/AAEES2016Conference.