April 2026 News

Contents

  • Special Event - Section Dinner with ASCE President 4/22/2026
  • Message from Section President
  • NM Attends ASCE Regional Training
  • Leadership Update
  • Recognizing Route 66
  • Younger Members Host PE Night
  • Section Bylaws Under Review
  • ASCE 2026 Legislative Ply-In
  • Student Awards
  • Upcoming Events
  • Record Keeping

You're invited to attend the NM Section Dinner with ASCE President Marsha D. Anderson Bomar

Wednesday, April 22nd at 6pm
La Posta de Mesilla
Las Cruces, NM

RSVP to Attend

Dinner Social Invitation Image

President's Corner

Hello New Mexico ASCE Members, 

My March President's Corner will look at the following: Workshop for Section, Branch, and Institute Leaders (WSBIL); New Northern Branch leaders; Route 66; Washington Fly-In; New Mexico Infrastructure Report Card; Section Constitution and Bylaws review; and more opportunities to make a difference.

At the end of January, I attended the WSBIL for Regions 3, 6, and 7 in Chicago (the high temperature was 27 degrees; who thought this was a good idea?). Regardless, the workshop was packed with information on the resources available to sections, branches, and institutes. 

The call for members to be the Northern Branch leaders proved fruitful. Thanks to the members who have stepped forward to serve. Read more about the recently installed officers 

Roger Zimmerman is our Section's authority...and probably the State's...on Route 66 in New Mexico. He and Jeanette Walther will be continuing progress on the Route 66 National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, including coordination with the City of Albuquerque for a plaque and dedication ceremony. The plaque is proposed to be located at the intersection of Central Avenue and Fourth Street in Albuquerque.

The suggested wording on the plaque is: 

“Route 66 is representative of the early development (circa 1920s) of cross-country highway routes in the United States. Creation of Route 66 was the collection of many individual efforts at the state, country, and local level that established what eventually became a continuous numbered highway from Chicago to Santa Monica. Notable civil engineering features and achievements occurred at many locations along the Route 66 alignment during its development. All Route 66 traffic passed through this intersection on either 4 Street (1926-1937) or Central Avenue (1937-1985).”

Thanks to Josh Neal who was the only Section member to participate in this year's Washington Fly-In. Let's try for more participation next year. 

Josh is also coordinating the Section's effort to produce the New Mexico Infrastructure Report Card. If anyone is interested in working on this effort, please send me an email ([email protected]) and I'll pass your name on to him. 

The last time the Section Constitution and Bylaws were approved may go back to 2007. Over the next few months, there will be a review of these documents. Thanks to our Region 6 Governor, Paola Bandini, for soliciting volunteers. Section members will have multiple opportunities to view and comment on any revisions that come from the committee. 

The last thing I want to mention is that there are still opportunities for you to support your professional society. We need some members to be a nominating committee to identify the Section's next leaders as the term of some of the positions ends at the Fall Meeting. 

In service, Ken Cooper, P.E. (NM), F.ASCE

New Mexico Attends ASCE Leadership Training

Group photo at ASCE Leadership Training

In late January, officers from the New Mexico Section attended the ASCE Leadership Conference in Chicago. The event offered sessions for section leaders and younger members, delivering recommendations to enhance engagement, leadership, and resource development.

Section Leadership Perspective: Resources, Governance, and Regional Collaboration 

Section President Ken Cooper represented New Mexico at the Workshop for Section, Branch, and Institute Leaders (WSBIL). 

The workshop provided comprehensive information regarding resources available to sections, branches, and institutes. 

Key takeaways included a greater understanding of Society level resources, such as umbrella insurance supporting both the Section and its two branches, and tools to improve communication and outreach. Sessions addressed best practices for social media engagement, particularly through ASCE’s LinkedIn community, and offered updates on forthcoming governance changes. 

Direct engagement with Society leadership was also highly valuable. Ken Cooper met with the Region 6 Director and Governors, initiating regional collaboration that will facilitate ongoing coordination and advocacy for New Mexico members.

Younger Member Perspective: Engagement, Career Development, and Leadership Development

Gabriela Guadarrama, President of the New Mexico Younger Member Group, and Adilene Carrasco, Secretary, attended the Central Region Younger Member Council (CRYMC).

The sessions emphasized strengthening local groups, increasing engagement, and expanding outreach initiatives. A primary takeaway was that successful groups are characterized by consistency, clear communication, and the creation of value for members at all career stages.

Membership growth was identified as a key theme, achieved through a balanced mix of programming that integrates technical opportunities with social and networking events. Collaboration with local firms and agencies was highlighted as essential for increasing both participation and sponsorship.

Outreach and visibility were identified as necessary components of ASCE group success. Maintaining an active presence through social media and regular communication, as well as strengthening partnerships with student chapters, were recognized as key opportunities. Facilitating a strong transition from student membership to Younger Member involvement is a continued priority.

Leadership development was also a central focus. Providing opportunities for members to assume incremental responsibilities, serve on committees, and progress into leadership positions supports organizational continuity and long-term success.

Bringing it Back to New Mexico

Ken Cooper, Gabriela Guadarrama, and Adilene Carrasco emphasize that the true value of the conference is realized through the local application of these best practices.

For Younger Members, recommendations from CRYMC are currently being implemented. Recent initiatives include a PE Information Night to support members preparing for licensure. An upcoming “Welcome to Albuquerque” event this summer will connect recent graduates and young professionals with the local engineering community.

At the Section level, Ken Cooper intends to utilize Society resources, implement communication strategies, and strengthen connections with regional leadership to enhance ASCE membership in New Mexico.

Introducing Newly Installed Section & Branch Officers

New officers have been added to the Section and Northern Branch leadership teams.

Muhammad Saeed Zafar PhD, EIT - Northern Branch President 

Dr. Muhammad Saeed is currently serving as the President of the ASCE Northern New Mexico Branch and works as a Research Engineer at the University of New Mexico (UNM) in the Gerald May Department of Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering. He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with research focused on advanced cementitious materials, 3D concrete printing, and sustainable construction technologies. His technical interests include digital construction, additive manufacturing in infrastructure, and performance-based material design for resilient and sustainable systems. 

As Branch President, his goal is to strengthen engagement between students, academia, and industry professionals, promote professional development opportunities, and expand regional collaboration to support innovation and leadership within the civil engineering community across Northern New Mexico.

YeongAe Heo, PhD - Northern Branch Vice President

Dr. YeongAe Heo is a Manager Consultant in the Government Services Structural Engineering Group at Sargent & Lundy. Dr. Heo earned her Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Davis, with a focus on Structural and Earthquake Engineering. With over 20 years of experience across academia, national laboratories, and industry, her expertise spans the analysis and design of critical energy infrastructure systems, including nuclear, oil and gas, and renewable facilities. Her work emphasizes design load evaluation and nonlinear dynamic analysis for extreme hazards such as blast, impact, and seismic events, as well as performance- and probabilistic risk-based assessment, integrating U.S. and international codes and standards into engineering practice. She has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed papers and over 10 technical reports, and served on technical committees for ASCE, ACI, and ASME, including as Chair of the ASCE/SEI Multihazard Mitigation Committee. 

As the new Vice President of the ASCE New Mexico Northern Branch, Dr. Heo is dedicated to fostering a collaborative and inclusive community that bridges academia and industry. Through leadership, innovation, and engagement, she strives to empower members to grow as civil engineers and make a meaningful impact on society.

Astrid C. Gonzaga - Northern Branch Secretary

My name is Astrid C. Gonzaga, the new secretary of the ASCE Northern Branch. I am a UNM Alum with an interest in the water and environmental infrastructures of the vast Civil Engineering field. 

My plans for the northern branch is to have it be a place to get resources for knowledge and professional development. With the new closing for news and information, have a pleasant day as of this writing. 

Rafael Arauz - Northern Branch Treasurer

This is Rafael P. Arauz, Treasurer. As a Civil Engineer across multiple states, I bring experience in Land development, Surveying, and the design of water and transportation systems.

Plan is to ensure North Branch of NM ASCE is well represented and aligned with the engineering community.

Melissa Garcia - Section Treasurer

My name is Melissa Garcia, and I’m honored to serve as the new Treasurer for the New Mexico Section of ASCE. I work in the Traffic and Transportation department at Bohannan Huston, where my experience includes traffic analysis, as well as signal, lighting, and ITS design. I became involved with ASCE because I value its role in supporting professional development, connecting engineers, and giving back to our communities. 

As Treasurer, I look forward to helping maintain the Section’s financial health and supporting programs that benefit our members and students. Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, reading, and spending time with family and friends. I’m excited to be part of the board and look forward to working with all of you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out—I'd love to connect.