Engineer of the Year!

A.J. Khairi, PE has been named Engineer of the Year by the Arkansas Society of Professional Engineers Central Chapter.

An employee with Garver for 20 years, A.J. is a bridge team leader and structural engineer. He began his career as a design engineer and has progressed to a bridge team leader in our North Little Rock, Arkansas office. His projects include designs for the Great River Bridge over the Mississippi River and the Big Dam Bridge over the Murray Lock and Dam on the Arkansas River. He also has worked on hundreds of bridge rehabilitation and scour study projects.

A.J. has achieved two higher education degrees, a Master of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Business Administration. He previously served as the ASPE Central Chapter president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. In addition, A.J. has been involved in the Math Counts Program sponsored by ASPE, and he has volunteered to mentor high school students who are interested in engineering and recent college graduates entering the industry.

Leadership for Engineers

Bridge Team Leader Jason Langhammer is participating in this year's Leadership for Engineers program hosted by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Oklahoma.

Jason is one of 15 engineers involved in the leadership class. The program offers three two-day sessions on topics such as ethics, human resources, strategic planning, economics, communication, risk management, and business development.

"The program covers many critical topics for managers and leaders, and this is a great opportunity to learn more about the business of engineering consulting," Jason said.

Opportunities for Future Engineers

More than 40 University of Arkansas students attended an engineering open house at Garver's Fayetteville office.

Garver interacted with senior-level civil, environmental, electrical, and mechanical students and introduced them to a variety of projects and services. The students also toured the specialized Water Design Center and witnessed how Garver's engineering disciplines work together on projects.

"This non-traditional corporate information session allowed our students to learn about career avenues offered by a consulting engineering firm," said Michelle Strong, UofA Director of Student Placement and Employer Relations. "It also helped our students get a feel for the corporate culture."

Two civil engineering students explained their appreciation for the event.

"I'm familiar with Garver because I have classes with many of your current interns," said Sara Johnson. "However, after attending the open house and hearing the presentations, my eyes were really opened to the possibilities an opportunity at Garver will give me."

"I enjoyed the chance to see the type of projects that Garver does and hear directly from engineers who worked on them," said Jacob White. "The open house was a unique out-of-the-classroom learning opportunity."

Preparing Engineering Students for Job Interviews

Garver Corporate Recruiter Laura Nick volunteered her time to talk with 80 students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock about interview skills and resume tips. Laura participated in a panel discussion hosted by the UALR Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology.

The student-planned event touched on topics such as making good first impressions, creating a resume, preparing for a job interview, and following up after an interview.

"New graduates are entering a very competitive job market," said Laura. "As a human resources professional, I enjoy sharing with young engineers how to put their best foot forward during a job search; and I commend the EIT student leaders who organized the panel for helping their fellow students. My recommendation to anyone seeking a new position is to be proactive, prepared, and professional."

Illuminating Knowledge

Garver electrical engineer Bart Gilbreath is helping start a Fayetteville, Arkansas chapter of the Illuminating Engineering Society. Bart is volunteering his time as vice president.

The IES seeks to improve the lighted environment by bringing together those with lighting knowledge and by translating that knowledge into actions that benefit the public.

"This region of Arkansas has needed this type of chapter for a long time," Bart said. "With the high number of engineers and future engineers in the area, this knowledge-based group's purpose is to educate our peers and further the lighting engineering industry."

Engineers can receive educational credits by attending the meetings. For more information, please email Bart at WBGilbreath@GarverUSA.com

Four Projects Win ACEC Awards

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Oklahoma honored Garver with four Engineering Excellence Honor Awards at its annual banquet January 26. Garver's Tulsa and Norman offices both won two project awards.
Structural Systems Category: State Highway 51 over the Verdigris River Garver provided services to replace the eastbound truss bridge over the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System near Wagoner. The new girder bridge is an 805-foot, two-lane structure. One of the unique project aspects involved demolishing the old bridge by a series of synchronized explosions.
Transportation Category: U.S. 169 Widening and Resurfacing Garver provided fast-track design to widen and resurface 5 miles of urban freeway in Tulsa County. The project contained several constraints limiting the ability to add a lane and shoulder in each direction.Garver widened to the inside of the median, thus avoiding unnecessary impacts and resulting in significant construction cost savings.
Environmental Category: Claremore WWTP Biological Nutrient Removal Upgrade and Expansion After Garver analyzed 17 alternatives, the City of Claremore approved a plan to incorporate a new treatment process at its wastewater treatment plant. This advanced upgrade and conversion has addressed Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality-mandated requirements and increased the future treatment capacity within the facility's existing footprint.
Energy Category: Hollis Municipal Airport LED Runway Lights Hollis Municipal Airport is the first airfield in the Southwest Region to operate with FAA-certified LED medium intensity runway edge lights. The airport's out-of-date incandescent runway lights had been in poor shape, and Garver provided engineering services to install the state-of-the-art LED system.