Arkansas Academy of Civil Engineering Inducts 38 Into Their Ranks

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On April 8, 2022 the Arkansas Academy of Civil Engineering (AACE) joined by the by the faculty, staff and students of the Civil Engineering department inducted 38 new members. The occasion also marked the first in-person gathering of the AACE since 2019 due to the COVID pandemic. With the 2020 and 2021 ceremonies having been cancelled due to the pandemic, the academy membership recognized their new members from years 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The Arkansas Academy of Civil Engineering Inductee Class of 2020 are:

• Charles Bayles – Associates of Surveying 1983; BSCE 1987 – Design Engineering Manager, Black Hills Energy
• Charles Boyd – BSCE 1971 – Division Administrator (retired), Federal Highway Administration
• David Carson – BSCE 1972 – Surveys Division Head (retired), Arkansas Department of Transportation
• DeJuan Carter – BSCE 1996 – Engineering and Construction Division chief, UA Army Corps of Engineers
• David Clements – BSCE 1999; MBA 2008 Harding University - Director of Software Engineering/Cloud Consulting, Walmart Global Tech
• Chad Clinehens – BSCE 1997; MBA 1999 – President and CEO, Zweig Group
• Andy Davis – BSCE 1999; MSCE 2001 – former Arkansas State Representative
• Kirk Morrow – BSCE 1988 – Owner/President, Morrow Consulting
• Todd Mueller – BSCE 1999 – Transportation Team leader, Garver
• Michael Noernberg – BSCE 1999; MSCE 2017 - Vice President for Engineering and QA, W&W | AFCO Steel
• Joe Doss – BSCE 1984 – Executive Director (retired), Texarkana Water Utilities
• Kevin Reynolds – BSCE 1999; MSCE 2001 – Senior Vice President of Sales and Estimating, W&W | AFCO Steel
• Richard Welcher – BSCE 1999; MSCE 2004 – Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, Tatum Smith Welcher Engineers, Inc.

The Arkansas Academy of Civil Engineering Inductee Class of 2021 are:

• Dennis Birge – BSCE 1998 – Transportation Director, City of Bentonville, Arkansas
• Keith Brooks – BSCE 1995 – Director of Public Works and Transportation, City of Arlington, Texas
• Jaysson Funkhouser – BSCE 1998; MSCE 2000 – Program Manager, US Army Corps of Engineers
• Chris Hall – BSCE 1999 – Water Wastewater Team leader, Olsson
• Karl Hanson – BSCE 1994; MSCE 1996 – President, Hanson Engineering LLC
• Steven Haynes – BSCE 1978 – Senior Project Manager (retired), Garver
• Timothy House – BSCE 1996 – Program Manager/Civil Engineer, Federal Aviation Administration
• Lance Jobe – BSCE 1999 – City Engineer, City of Rogers, Arkansas
• James Mardis III – MSENE 1997 – Chief Environmental Officer, Denali Water Solutions
• Wade Phillips – BSCE 2000 – Chief Operations Officer/City Engineer, City of Harrison, Arkansas
• Kyle Salyer – BSCE 2000 – Director, Principle, Vice President, Hawkins-Weir Engineers
• Gary Smith – BSCE 1984 – Assistant Director, Texarkana Water Utilities
• Michael Spainhour – BSCE 1984 – Director of Development, Luzich Partners
• Brian Vines – BSCE 1993; MSCE 1994 – Team Leader, Halff Associates

The Arkansas Academy of Civil Engineering Inductee Class of 2022 are:

• James Arbuckle, Sr. – BSCE 1985 – Senior VP/Operations Manager, Halff Associates
• Marc Barry – BSCE 1995 – Principle, Marc Barry Engineering Structural Consultants
• Chris Corbitt – BSCE 2000; MSCE 2001 – Principle Engineer, Professional Engineering Inspection Services
• Stephan Durham – BSCE 2001; MSCE 2003, PhD 2005 – Professor of Civil Engineering/Assistant Dean for Student Success and Outreach, University of Georgia
• Jason Langhammer – BSCE 2001 – Senior Project Manager/Bridge Team Leader, Garver
• Shannon McGarrah – BSCE 2001 – Construction Services Business Team Leader, Garver
• Peter Nierengarten – BSCE 1999, MSCE 2001 – Environmental Director, City of Fayetteville, Arkansas
• John Peterson – BSCE 1996 – Senior Associate, Cromwell Architects Engineers
• Mark Rickett – Team Leader/Project Manager, Halff Associates
• Jennifer Williams – BSCE 1993, MSCE 1994 – Right of Way Division Head (retired), Arkansas Department of Transportation
• Vernon Williams – BSCE 1993 – Owner, GarNat Engineering LLC

The AACE also honored three civil engineering undergraduate students for their academic accomplishments.

• Claire Lakin – E. Walt LeFevre Outstanding Senior
  • Lakin is from Springfield, Missouri, a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority and the Honors College Student Advisory Council for Service and Social Justice.
• Kate Weston – Outstanding Junior
  • Weston is from Benton and is a student leader in the campus ministry organization Cru.
• Margaret Bozarth – Outstanding Sophomore
  • Bozarth is from Bolingbrook, Illinois, an ambassador for the ASCE student chapter and a peer mentor for the First Year Engineering Program.

The AACE is a hands-on supporter of civil engineering students at the U of A. Members will take on the roles of mentor to our students. They also host annual events such as “Evening with The Pros,” during which students will hear first-hand from professionals in the industry and garner some career networking contacts. This past academic year more than 50 civil engineering students were awarded scholarships thanks to the Arkansas Academy of Civil Engineering. During this year’s annual business meeting weekend, the membership of the AACE pledged $101,500 in scholarship funds. If you are interested in contributing to the success of our future civil engineers, please visit our online giving page.

New members in the Arkansas Academy of Civil Engineering are selected annually. Candidates are nominated by sitting academy members and must be granted a degree in civil engineering from the U of A or from an ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) accredited engineering program at least 20 years prior to election. Career accomplishments and professional activities are important factors for the voting membership to consider when electing new members. To learn more about the Arkansas Academy of Civil Engineering please visit their website.

About the Department of Civil Engineering: The Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Arkansas was established in 1897 when the College of Engineering made clear the separation of civil and mechanical engineering degrees. The department maintains accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and ranks in the top 10% of civil engineering schools nationwide according to Best Engineering Schools. The department earned $2.7 million in research awards in fiscal year 2020 while our graduates earn a starting salary averaging $68,000. To learn more about the Department of Civil Engineering please visit our website.