2012 Alumni Awards Brunch

The CEE alumni awards are designed to recognize you for your dedication, support, and contributions to both the department and the general world of civil and environmental engineering. These three awards are the Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Outstanding Service Award, and the Recent Alumnus Achievement Award. They are all given at the annual CEE Alumni Brunch during Cèilidh weekend each fall. All alumni are invited to fellow alumni who have demonstrated exemplary achievements and service.

Outstanding Service Award

Russell C. Jones (B.S. 1957, M.S. 1960, Ph.D. 1964)

Dr. Russell C. Jones has been a leader in several organizations; he has served as the Dean of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, the Chairman of Civil Engineering at Ohio State University, Academic Vice President at Boston University, and President of the University of Delaware. He also published the International Engineering Education Digest for several years, with a distribution of 70,000 readers worldwide.

In addition to his accomplishments within higher education, Dr. Jones has a long history within various engineering societies. He was the president of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), president of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, as well as the Executive Director of the National Society of Professional Engineers. 

In 1998, Dr. Jones founded World Expertise LLC, a focused consulting company serving clients in higher education as they developed new programs and institutions.

Distinguished Alumnus Award

Betsy and George Kane (B.S. 1974) & (B.S. 1974)

Both Betsy and George Kane have acted as corporate champions for the CEE Department with their employer, Turner Construction Company. For several years they have organized the recruiting team for Turner, which led to internships and full-time employment opportunities for multiple CEE students. Under their leadership, Turner is consistently among the first companies to register for the annual CEE Career Fair.

In addition, Mr. Kane has been an active member of our Advisory Council for over two years; he participates in council meetings, attends alumni events, and encourages others to attend as well.

Recent Alumnus Achievement Award

Linda Kaplan (B.S. 2007)

Ms. Linda Kaplan is currently a bridge designer with Gannett Fleming, where she works on local projects such as the Hulton Bridge replacement and the Squirrel Hill Tunnell rehabilitation. She has also worked on projects in Baltimore, such as the Rock Creek Pedestrian Bridge. 

In her role as a mentor to our students in the American Society of Civil Engineers, Ms. Kaplan has guided students to participate in local Young Member Forum events, and really excelled as a mentor. She also has organized various professional development events for the CMU ASCE chapter, including a mock interview night to prepare students for the CEE Career Fair.