Environmental Engineer Fall 2012 - 5

use the Academy’s RFP language that encourages consultants to list their Board Certified staff members in their proposals. Value of Certification I believe Board Certification is a differentiator and that we as individuals and the organizations we have worked for benefit because we are members of AAEES. Referring again to WEFTEC 2012, there were numerous times when the author of a technical presentation listed BCEE or BCEEM after his or her name in the opening slide. There has been a big change in the visibility of our credential in the past few years, simply due to the encouragement to use BCEE/BCEEM and soon BCES in your business communications. We have a strong presence in social media now and in the near future will be displaying a short video containing testimonials on how Board Certification has benefitted us as individuals and our employers. You will be able to use that to inform your clients/colleagues about the special expertise you and your staff possess. Students and Young Professionals Perhaps our area of greatest growth has been in membership by students and young professionals. Beginning with one student chapter and a new Students and Young Professionals Committee only a few years ago, we now have 13 chapters and more are on the way. Our philosophy is to not burden students and professors to create new student organizations, so we encourage the linkage of an AAEES student chapter to an existing chapter, perhaps formed by one of our Sponsoring Organizations. Student membership is free and the benefits to students include electronic publications, guest speakers and professional interaction including mentoring. Our student member population now stands at over 400. We will have a new Student Team Award in 2013 that will recognize an outstanding Engineers Without Borders project. The students are also producing a video on the benefits of membership in AAEES. Awards AAEES has added several awards to its already outstanding program. In 2012, a new Environmental Communications award
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was added and a new Excellence in Environmental Engineering Education award was created jointly with AEESP. New awards in the areas of Industrial Waste Management and Graduate Research were recently created for both outstanding projects and the superior Master’s degree thesis, both in honor of Dr. Wes Eckenfelder.

Looking Forward
I believe the Academy is well positioned to expand its service to the profession. As the environmental problems we face become more complex and global in scale, the collaboration between environmental engineers and scientists will become even more important. The Academy has adjusted to that change, which creates new opportunities for growth and service. The addition of Affiliate Organizations also encourages development of programs that provide avenues for our members to collaborate with professionals in related areas of environmental engineering and science. We will have expanded prospects for workshops and webinars that provide opportunities for networking and training on the breadth of topics in environmental engineering and science. Our active students and young professionals will bring new energy, ideas, and ways to communicate to an organization that has historically been geared to mid-career and up members. I see the Academy’s certifications becoming more relevant as differentiators on the profession. The progress in this area has been amazing, with BCEE and BCEEM becoming much more understood and respected in just the last few years. Finally, I see tremendous potential for international participation in the Academy. The Academy’s awards program already draws many entries from other countries. The Academy is also considering expansion of international membership opportunities. We have tremendous momentum, largely due to the high energy volunteers in our committee and State Representative ranks. I hope this look at what has been accomplished inspires all of us to maintain and expand that energy...and encourages more of us to become involved! As always, I welcome feedback. You can reach me at michaelselna@socal.rr.com.
Environmental Engineer: News, Current Events & Careers

Environmental Engineer Fall 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Environmental Engineer Fall 2012