The next NSPE-AZ luncheon will take place on Tuesday, March 28, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (MT) and will feature a presentation on Civil & Construction Engineering - the Carefree Water Consolidation Project. Greg Crossman, P.E., the general manager of Carefree Water Company, will serve as the presenter.
This presentation will discuss the disconnection and reconnection of hundreds of customers, plus $11.5 million of system improvements to strengthen the assured water supply, ensure representation, and complete capacity, quality, and reliability improvements to benefit for all Carefree water users. Following the presentation there will be a site tour of the project.
Access the registration information here.
Date: March 17, 2023
The NSPE-AZ Board of Directors will hold its next board meeting on Friday, April 7. The meetings are held on the first Friday of every month from 3:30 pm to 5:00 p.m. at the offices of McCarthy Building Companies (6225 N 24th St, Suite 125, Phoenix, AZ 85013). Access information about future meetings and other NSPE-AZ events here.
Date: March 17, 2023
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, March 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Access meeting information here.
Date: March 17, 2023
It's a story of ambitious goals and limited resources. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is looking toward 2050 with about a third of the funding it would need to execute all of the state highway authority's plans between now and then, the Arizona Daily Sun reports.
ADOT recently presented its Long Range Plan at an in-person public meeting at the Flagstaff Aquaplex. The meeting was one of three that took place across the state, engaging community members with the multi-modal transportation agency's broader mission, vision and goals going into the next few decades.
The plan will guide ADOT's policies as it manages Arizona highways, approximately 8,500 bridges, two urban transit systems (in Phoenix and Tucson) and 67 public-use airports. The plan doesn't go into detail regarding any of ADOT's specific projects or operations; it is intended to provide a policy framework for planners to use as they maintain and craft infrastructure for the state's transportation system between now and 2050. Read more.
Date: March 17, 2023
Communities across rural Arizona may soon welcome high-speed internet into their neighborhoods for the first time thanks to more than $99 million in pandemic relief funds that will be directed toward expanding broadband throughout the state.
Late last month, the US Department of Treasury approved the state's plan to use more than half of Arizona's Capital Projects Fund allocation through the American Rescue Plan Act to fund broadband infrastructure, AZ Central reports. These funds will be allocated through two programs focused specifically on the different needs of the state's rural and urban counties.
"Today's investment in Arizona increases connectivity across our state, ensuring everyday Arizonans have access to high-speed internet no matter where they live," said Arizona US Senator Kyrsten Sinema when the funding was announced. Read more.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Electrical Engineer II/III
Phoenix, AZ
Full Time, General Civil and Water Resources Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Date: February 15, 2023
Dear NSPE-AZ Members and Friends,
I hope that you all are gearing up for Engineers Week, February 19-25! This year's theme, "creating the future," couldn't be more fitting for the celebration we will be holding in Phoenix. On February 21, the state chapter and the local APWA will be hosting an awards luncheon to celebrate amazing engineers and those that inspire the next generation! I am excited to announce the following award winners:
The 2022/2023 Engineer of the Year is Duane Eitel, P.E., PTOE. Duane is the deputy public works director for Casa Grande and has been an advocate and driver for ensuring that the city's infrastructure kept up with growth, including major transit systems and water infrastructure. Duane has spent his entire career as an innovator and champion of transportation engineering. He has also been a member of the NSPE-AZ board since 2016 and has been a key player in keeping the society and advocacy for the profession alive in Arizona.
The 2022/2023 Government Engineer of the Year is Jeanne Jensen, P.E. As a chemical engineer, Jeanne is a great example of the diversity of professional licensure. Jeanne is the CIP projects supervisor for the Town of Gilbert and has spearheaded the business case and ultimate execution of the state's largest clean water infrastructure project, securing a reliable source of drinking water for her community for generations. You would typically find Jeanne volunteering, leading, or teaching in local and national water associations. Jeanne's passion and drive as a public servant has made, and will continue to make, a lasting impact on the Town of Gilbert and water resources in the State of Arizona.
The 2022/2023 Lifetime Achievement Award will honor the life of Vonne Nicklaus, P.E. Vonne Nicklaus was the president and CEO of Nicklaus Engineering, Inc. in Yuma, Arizona. Vonne was a leader in many of Yuma's most important development boards, dedicating his life to the growth and success of the entire city. As a result of Vonne's mentorship, many engineers who worked for Nicklaus Engineering went on to form five focused engineering companies including Dahl, Robins & Associates, Edais Engineering, Geotechnical Testing Services, Core Engineering Group, and Guiterrez-Canales Engineering. Vonne's leadership and impact continues to ripple throughout Arizona to this day.
The 2022/2023 Educator of the Year is Justin Davis. Justin is an engineering innovation and entrepreneur instructor at the MET Professional Academy. Justin has been instrumental in integrating the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program into the MET curriculum, with a high rate of success. Letters from Justin's students emphasize his ability to challenge and inspire students with real world issues. Justin's partnership and collaboration with higher education institutions and industry leaders has made his curriculum engaging and impactful. Justin is creating the future of STEM professionals.
I am so proud of and inspired by this year's award winners! There is so much talent, innovation, and humanity in our industry and in our state, and these awardees are the best examples of that. I hope you all plan on joining us at the awards ceremony next week to celebrate and honor these outstanding individuals. There are only a few spots left and registration closes at the end of the week. You can find a link to the registration page here. We'll see you next week!
Respectfully,
Michaela Rempkowski, P.E., DBIA, ENVSP
President, NSPE-AZ (Arizona Society of Professional Engineers)
Date: February 15, 2023
Capt. Christopher C. Jankowski, P.E., PMP, ENV SP, was named a top 10 finalist for NSPE's Federal Engineer of the Year Award. He serves as the chief of operations engineering for the US Department of the Air Force, Pacific Air Forces.
Jankowski and the other finalists will be recognized during a ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on February 24.
The Federal Engineer of the Year Award honors engineers employed by a federal agency that employs at least 50 engineers worldwide. These nominees have made extensive contributions to their organizations and also to the public that PEs ultimately serve.
Date: February 15, 2023
Join your fellow NSPE-AZ members at the 2023 Engineers Week Celebration: Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, February 21. We will be celebrating the future of the profession and honoring the annual award winners. This event includes a formal sit-down lunch (11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) at the ACEC headquarters in Phoenix.
The cost of the event is as follows: Students–$10, NSPE-AZ Members–$25, Nonmembers–$40. Event sponsorships are also available! Access more information and register here.
Thanks to our Sponsors!
Date: February 15, 2023
NSPE-AZ Board of Directors will hold its next board meeting on Friday, March 3. The board meetings are held on the first Friday of every month from 3:30 pm to 5:00 p.m. at the offices of McCarthy Building Companies (6225 N 24th St, Suite 125, Phoenix, AZ 85013). Access information about future meetings and other NSPE-AZ events here.
Save the Date: March Luncheon
NSPE-AZ will host a luncheon on Tuesday, March 28, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (MT). Stay tuned for more details.
Date: February 15, 2023
Semiconductor chip manufacturer Intel — which has had a longtime presence in Arizona — is helping to boost the number and diversity of workers available in the industry through their Broadening Participation in Science and Engineering Higher Education grant program. The grants are distributed from Intel to educational institutions in states where the company has a strong manufacturing and engineering presence, AZ Big Media reports.
Trevor Thornton and Hongbin Yu, both professors of electrical engineering in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, have received grants to help train the semiconductor workforce of the future.
"Intel takes great pride in supporting Arizona State University's semiconductor industry workforce development initiatives," says Intel's Arizona public affairs manager Angela Creedon. "These programs are essential to enabling Intel and the industry's growth in Arizona and to helping ensure our workforce reflects the incredible diversity of our community." Read more.
Date: February 15, 2023
Along the Colorado River and its tributaries, climate change is spurring the worst drought in 1,200 years. The river's water flow has decreased by about 20% in the last 23 years, endangering water supplies to about 40 million people in seven states and to 5 million acres of agriculture. The Bureau of Reclamation has asked the seven states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming — to consider how to cut their share of the river's water by up to 30% this year, The Week reports.
In Arizona, drought is combining with a population boom to create particularly dire water shortages, limiting further development and leading Scottsdale to cut off water supplies to a neighboring community beyond its borders. Among the solutions under consideration, desalination — the process of removing salt from saline water — is emerging as a top contender. In December, Arizona's water finance board advanced a proposal for a $5.5 billion desalination plant in Mexico's Sea of Cortez. After being desalinated, the water would be pumped 200 miles north in a pipeline, crossing the southern border to deliver water to drought-stricken regions.
The first phase of the Arizona plan, which could bring about 300,000 acre-feet of water to Arizona in a single pipeline by 2027, could cost up to $1 billion a year. That would be enough to supply a million or more Arizona households, but at a cost at least 40 times higher than current supplies. "No one can value the cost of water," said Erez Hoter-Ishay, manager of the team developing the project. "When you don't have water, you don't have growth, you don't have life."
Read more.
Date: January 20, 2023
The Arizona Society of Professional Engineers will host a luncheon on Tuesday, January 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (MT). This luncheon will feature a presentation on how the City of Casa Grande increased wastewater capacity three-fold in 24 months; and the innovation of accommodating massive new development and improving traffic flow with adaptive traffic signals.
Attendees can earn PDHs by attending the luncheon taking place at the Carollo Engineers office in Phoenix. Access the registration here.
Date: January 20, 2023
Join your fellow NSPE-AZ members at the 2023 Engineers Week Celebration: Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, February 21. We will be celebrating the future of the profession and honoring our annual award winners. This event includes a formal sit-down lunch (11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) at the ACEC headquarters in Phoenix.
The cost of the event is as follows: Students–$10, NSPE-AZ Members–$25, Nonmembers–$40. Event sponsorships are also available! Access more information and register here.
Date: January 20, 2023
NSPE-AZ Board of Directors will hold its next board meeting on Friday, February 3. The board meetings are held on the first Friday of every month from 3:30 pm to 5:00 p.m. at the offices of McCarthy Building Companies (6225 N 24th St, Suite 125, Phoenix, AZ 85013). Access information about future meetings and other NSPE-AZ events here.
Date: January 20, 2023
Experts say few Arizona residents will notice any immediate change to the availability of water in their daily lives after January 1, when steep Arizona water cuts will be imposed on the amount of water the state can draw from the Colorado River.
But that does not mean they can relax. State and federal water officials expect more cuts will be required in 2023, as they struggle to keep drought-ravaged Lake Powell and Lake Mead from falling to critically low levels, AZ Big Media reports.
And it's anybody's guess as to when and how those additional cuts will take effect, they say. "If there's one thing water managers really like, it's certainty," said Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources. "And 2023 seems to be anything but." Read more.
Date: January 20, 2023
As the first school in the United States to offer three degrees in manufacturing engineering — a bachelor's degree, master’s degree, and newly launched doctoral degree — the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks (part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University) is becoming a premier destination for manufacturing engineering.
"We have completed the trifecta in manufacturing engineering education at ASU," says Binil Starly, professor and director in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, in a news release. "It is our priority to fill curriculum gaps and offer all-inclusive programming to support the American manufacturing sector. The launch of this degree proves that we are on that path, but we still have work to do."
Enrollment in the manufacturing engineering doctoral degree is now open for the fall 2023 semester. Students in the program can expect to be at the leading edge of manufacturing research, learning from research-active faculty, and leveraging the ongoing and future investments in manufacturing education and research, including more than $2 million in shared equipment and $5 million in faculty lab resources. Read more.
Date: January 20, 2023
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, January 24. Access the meeting information here. Please review the meeting agenda prior to requesting a Google Meet invite to the meeting.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
Principal Electrical Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Date: December 21, 2022
Governor Doug Ducey and ElectraMeccanica recently celebrated the start of production for the company's electric vehicles, continuing Arizona's manufacturing momentum major announcements from semiconductor and battery manufacturer.
"Arizona and our thriving manufacturing ecosystem have made quite the statement over the last six days," said Governor Ducey at the production facility commissioning event. "Arizona has long been a driving force of innovation. ElectraMeccanica, with its one-of-a-kind vehicles, is further proof of that. The company adds to a growing list of electric vehicle manufacturers and suppliers flocking to our state."
The governor toured the campus which will also be the home to the company's headquarters – officially establishing ElectraMeccanica as an American Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). ElectraMeccanica is the fifth electric vehicle manufacturing facility to open in Arizona since 2016. The electric vehicle manufacturer's Mesa production facility "went online" December 12, and will ultimately have the capacity to produce up to 20,000 vehicles per year. Read more.
Date: December 21, 2022
The Biden Administration recently updated state and territory fact sheets that highlight the nationwide impact of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the largest long-term investment infrastructure and competitiveness in nearly a century. To date, almost $3.3 billion in funding has been announced and is headed to Arizona with over 230 specific projects identified for funding. Access information about Arizona projects here.
Date: December 21, 2022
Eradicating cancer is a complex goal because of the environment in which the disease grows – the human body. "We've cured cancer in petri dishes, and we've cured cancer in mice. We haven't cured cancer in people, because people are none of those things," said University of Arizona researcher Jennifer Barton, Thomas R. Brown Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Engineering and director of the university's BIO5 Institute.
Barton is part the University of Arizona Cancer Engineering Initiative, which was awarded $10.8 million over three years through the state of Arizona's New Economy Initiative, beginning fiscal year 2022-2023, according to a news release.
The effort began with David W. Hahn, the Craig M. Berge Dean of the College of Engineering, and Joann Sweasy, the Nancy C. and Craig M. Berge Endowed Chair for the Director of the University of Arizona Cancer Center. They formed a working group around a shared vision: Merge engineering and cancer research to better account for the realities of how and where cancers grow to improve diagnosis, prevention, and precision treatments for cancer. Read more.
Date: December 21, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Thursday, January 5. Access the meeting information here. Please review the meeting agenda prior to requesting a Google Meet invite to the meeting.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
Transportation Systems Administrator
Glendale, AZ
Date: November 17, 2022
Governor Doug Ducey recently announced an historic $100 million investment in Arizona's fast-growing semiconductor industry to spur greater growth in a critical sector of the state's economy, according to a news release.
The funding will be managed by the Arizona Commerce Authority to further enhance Arizona's semiconductor infrastructure, workforce, and research capabilities. In addition, it will help maximize the state's competitive position for research and development opportunities under the CHIPS Act while spurring additional private sector investment.
Passage of the CHIPS Act earlier this year catalyzed unique opportunities for the US to attract and grow private sector investments in semiconductor equipment and materials, design, manufacturing, advanced packaging, and cutting-edge research. Read more.
Date: November 17, 2022
The AMC Water and Environment Committee has begun talks with Mexico to build a desalination plant, offering Arizona more options for water resources, according to Chamber Business News.
"Without a relationship with Mexico, our only reasonable option for desalination would be the western coast of the US, but now we have a whole host of other potential options working with neighbors to the south; we can collaborate on the art of the possible," said Jessica Pacheco, president of the Arizona-Mexico Commission and founder of Arizona-based public affairs firm, Horizon Strategies.
This is part of a greater trend of Arizona attracting foreign technology companies because of the state's welcoming environment to all incomers. Experts say that having more efficient regionalized supply chains will help the health of the state's economy.
Date: November 17, 2022
More women work in construction in Arizona than anywhere else in the country except for the District of Columbia, The Washington Post reports. In total, 15.6% of people working in construction in the state are women.
This percentage has increased nationwide since 2015, and Hispanic women make up the majority of that growth. In 2021, 32.3% of Arizona residents were Hispanic or Latino (of any race), according to the US Census Bureau. The Post cites an aging construction workforce leaving job vacancies as one reason for the increased number of women in the field, which includes management and office jobs. Also, labor groups have worked in recent years to increase the number of skilled tradeswomen and to improve support for women on jobsites. Read more.
Date: November 17, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, December 6. Access the meeting information here. Please review the meeting agenda prior to requesting a Google Meet invite to the meeting.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
System Innovation & Development Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Date: October 19, 2022
The latest Arizona Voters' Agenda survey findings demonstrate that growth is top of mind for the majority of Arizona's likely voters as they highly support investing in infrastructure for this purpose. The results indicate that majorities of voters continue to prefer the investment of surplus dollars over tax cuts. The findings also provide insight into what likely voters think about some specific investments.
A sizeable 89% of the electorate agrees with the following statement, "To keep up with growth, we need to make ongoing investments in education, our transportation system, public safety, and other critical infrastructure." This includes support among 81% of Republicans, 93% of independent/unaffiliated voters, and 96% of Democrats. Read more.
Date: October 19, 2022
An autonomous driving technology company plans to open its first Arizona location, azcentral.com reports. Pony.ai will establish operations in Tucson in partnership with Pima Community College.
The company will base its operations at the college's new Automotive Technology and Innovation Center on its downtown campus. Autonomous vehicles will be tested on Tucson roads; a licensed driver will always be behind the wheel, the company reports.
"Pony.ai’s decision to select Tucson for their new autonomous passenger vehicle testing operations is further validation that Southern Arizona is an emerging player in the autonomous vehicle industry," said Joe Snell, president and CEO of Sun Corridor Inc., an economic development agency. He said other self-driving vehicle companies are also looking to the region as a possible testing ground.
Date: October 19, 2022
Industrial space in Arizona has become much sought after by companies in manufacturing and e-commerce, and the trend is expected to continue, according to The Phoenix Business Journal.
In El Mirage, for example, the city planning commission recently approved major industrial construction proposals there, where demand from industry for development space has been high.
Proposals are on the table for new distribution and manufacturing facilities in the Valley. Companies are clamoring for space as the post-pandemic era has many re-shoring – moving operations back to the US – in order to have shorter supply chains and less logistical headaches, GLOBEST reports.
Date: October 19, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, November 1. Access the meeting information here. Please review the meeting agenda prior to requesting a Google Meet invite to the meeting.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Public Works Director
Apache Junction, AZ
Project Engineer
Scottsdale, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: September 21, 2022
Let's kick-off the 2022-2023 ASPE activities with a social! Take a break, come out and join us on Wednesday, October 5 (4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.) in a relaxed atmosphere for some much-deserved social time. Mix and mingle with other professionals, discuss what's new across the industry, and make friends and memories at the Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in downtown Phoenix. Access more event information and the registration form here.
Date: September 21, 2022
The Federal Highway Administration has approved Arizona's Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan, paving the way for the state to use funding to construct and upgrade stations, according to a KTAR News report.
The Arizona Department of Transportation will get $11.3 million immediately and another $16.3 million in October from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The plan aims to close gaps in the charging network throughout the five federal interstates throughout Arizona. It also hopes to identify potential new station locations.
Most new stations will be built in areas where infrastructure, such as truck stops, lodging, restaurants and shopping centers, are available. The plan calls for stations to be within 50 miles of each other whenever possible. Read more.
Date: September 21, 2022
Dozens of miles of the Parker-Davis Project transmission system in Arizona will be rebuilt by the Western Area Power Administration and Tucson Electric Power, according to publicpower.org. Currently, the system includes more than 1,500 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and 32 substations.
Under a new agreement, TEP will upgrade an existing 115-kilovolt (kV) WAPA line with a double-circuit 230-kV transmission line. TEP will then own and operate one 230-kV circuit and WAPA will own and operate the other circuit. The collaboration will allow for improvements to the system’s reliability without raising WAPA's transmission rates.
"This project could serve as a model for how future large-scale, public-private partnerships can help upgrade our nation's energy infrastructure," Tracey LeBeau, WAPA administrator and CEO, said in a statement. Read more.
Date: September 21, 2022
Real-time satellite monitoring technology is being tested at an Arizona military base. The goal is to provide resource managers and security personnel with improved situational awareness about what is happening in and around large military ranges, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers.
The US Army Engineer Research and Development Center Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, in partnership with Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center and industry partner Picogrid Inc., is demonstrating the use of the satellite-connected technology at the Barry M. Goldwater Range East.
The project is funded by the National Defense Center for Energy and Environment in cooperation with the 56th Range Management Office at Luke Air Force Base.
Date: September 21, 2022
Date: August 17, 2022
The Bureau of Land Management has given Revolve Renewable Power approval for a 250MW solar-and-storage project near Parker, Arizona. The project is located on approximately 1,530 acres of land managed by BLM in La Paz County and has the capacity to provide electricity to an equivalent of approximately 300,000 homes.
Wood Group, a global engineering consultancy firm with experience across the US energy sector, has been contracted by Revolve to lead the field studies required as part of the National Environmental Policy Act process, PV-Tech reports.
Date: August 17, 2022
Lucid plans to expand the surface area of its facility in Casa Grande, Arizona, from 999,000 square feet to over 5.1-million square feet by 2028, according to insideevs.com. This expansion will encompass the fourth phase of its growth plans at the location.
The luxury automaker manufactured 700 electric sedans during the first quarter of 2022 and is increasing its output each month.
Date: August 17, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Monday, August 22, starting at 9:00 a.m. at the ADEQ building ( 1110 W. Washington St. Phoenix AZ 85007). The meeting agenda and other related information can be accessed here.
Individuals can also attend the meeting virtually through Google Meet or dial: (US) +1 650-457-1480 PIN: 302 879 494# Access more phone numbers here. The board suggests reviewing any meeting agenda before requesting a Google Meet invitation.
Date: August 17, 2022
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
Electrical Engineer, PE
Chandler, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: July 20, 2022
Governor Doug Ducey recently signed legislation that makes an unprecedented $1 billion investment to secure Arizona's water future, according to a news release.
The legislation provides the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA) additional authority and tools that will empower the state to be proactive in bringing in new water sources. The state will be able to make significant investments in water conservation and innovative technologies such as desalination, as well as identify and develop new innovative long-term water sources.
WIFA will administer additional funds for water augmentation, supply development, conservation projects, and more. Through the funds, WIFA will have the ability to acquire, store and sell new imported water as well as engage in private-public partnerships to help enable these projects.
Date: July 20, 2022
The US Department of the Interior has approved construction of the Ten West Link Transmission Line project, which will facilitate increased renewable energy development and delivery in Arizona and California.
The project represents another significant milestone in efforts to lower consumers' energy costs and modernize America's power infrastructure in the West by permitting at least 25 gigawatts of solar, wind and geothermal production on public lands by 2025, according to a news release.
The Ten West Link route traverses a region with some of the highest potential for utility-scale solar photovoltaic energy development in the nation. The project will provide critical transmission infrastructure to support the development of future utility-scale solar energy resources and will boost the reliability of the bulk power system for millions of customers in Central Arizona and Southern California.
The Bureau of Land Management's Notice to Proceed authorizes Delaney Colorado River Transmission, LLC, to begin construction of the 125-mile, 500-kilovolt transmission line that will connect existing substations near Tonopah, Arizona, and Blythe, California.
Date: July 20, 2022
A large mining operation has lost the permit it was issued during the Trump Administration due to a rule reversal from the Biden Administration. Hudbay Mining had to surrender its US Army Corps of Engineers dredge-and-fill permit for the proposed $1.9 billion Rosemont Copper mine near Tucson.
President Biden recently restored rules restricting such use of federally-protected wetlands, ENRreports. A mine operation in Georgia also lost its Clean Water Act permit. The previous administration's rule had shrunk the types of lands that would be protected, and eliminated the need for consultation with affected indigenous groups.
Date: July 20, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, July 26, starting at 9:00 a.m. at the ADEQ building ( 1110 W. Washington St. Phoenix AZ 85007). The meeting agenda and other related information can be accessed here.
Individuals can also attend the meeting virtually through Google Meet or dial: (US) +1 650-457-1480 PIN: 302 879 494# Access more phone numbers here. The board suggests reviewing any meeting agenda before requesting a Google Meetup invitation.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
Assistant Director - Transportation
Surprise, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: June 16, 2022
An agenda has been set to track the progress of Arizona's electric utilities' voluntary transition to clean energy, dailyenergyinsider.com reports.
Lea Márquez Peterson, chairwoman of the Arizona Corporation Commission, has said she supports 100% clean energy by 2050. To do this, Peterson said she was developing the docket to track the progress of state utilities, including Arizona Public Service Company, Tucson Electric Power, and Salt River Project.
"With the creation of this new docket, Arizonans will have the ability to watch the progress of our utilities over time as we work to achieve our clean energy goals together," Peterson said.
The new docket, "Arizona Corporation Commission Docket for the Purpose of Tracking Arizona Investor-Owned Utilities' Progress Toward Achieving 100 Percent Clean Energy in Arizona," can be viewed by the public on ACC's website.
Date: June 16, 2022
Plans for a $12 billion semiconductor facility to be built in Phoenix have been released by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. The project represents the largest direct foreign investment in Arizona's history, according to azcentral.
The plans show a glassy, circular building on 1,129 acres of land. On the massive site, 38 cranes are nearly finished with the structural construction of the facility.
The company expects to have more than 2,000 employees working at the plant by 2023, with the facility expected to be operational the following year. The project from TSMC has drawn other semiconductor companies and suppliers to the region, as well. Read more.
Date: June 16, 2022
Lower rainfall and higher temperatures have created ideal conditions to exacerbate Arizona's longstanding drought. Entering 2022, more than half of the state remains in severe drought status and an additional 10% is enduring extreme drought, according to an ASU News report.
These conditions — including the drop in levels at crucial water sources such as Lake Mead and the Colorado River — drive the research of doctoral student Zhaocheng Wang, who is studying hydrosystems engineering in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, one of the seven Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University.
Wang's dissertation research focuses on combining modeling tools and earth observation products to better understand hydrological processes in the Southwestern United States. He has dedicated part of his dissertation research to determine the impacts the Colorado River drought will have on the people who live and work in Arizona. Read more.
Date: June 16, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, June 28, starting at 9:00 a.m. The meeting agenda and other related information can be accessed here.
Due to construction, the board meeting will take place at 1740 W Adams St Phoenix, AZ 8500. Individuals can also attend the meeting virtually through Google Meet or dial: (US) +1 650-457-1480 PIN: 302 879 494# Access more phone numbers here.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
Principal Mechanical Engineer
Tempe, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: May 18, 2022
Governor Doug Ducey signed into law a bill to put the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality in charge of implementing a program that ensures energy companies properly dispose of toxic ash from coal power plants, NBC-12 reports. Coal ash, a toxic byproduct of coal power production, contains contaminants like mercury, cadmium, and arsenic.
Critics of the move believe the duty should stay within the purview of the Environmental Protection Agency. "Our biggest concern is that the state is a little too cozy with the utilities and those are the entities they would be regulating relative to this program," said Sandy Bahr, Director of the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter. But ADEQ's director argues that when implemented by the state of Arizona, the program will be more stringent than when it was managed by the EPA.
Date: May 18, 2022
Bipartisan legislation sponsored by US Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ-9) seeks to bring more money to Arizona to use drones to inspect roads, bridges and other infrastructure, the Cronkite News reports.
House Resolution 5315, known as the Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act, would dispense about $200 million in federal funding–half for state, local, and tribal governments to purchase drones and the other half to train pilots to fly them.
Stanton said he wants inspections "done through the use of drones without any of that potential danger to that employee." Currently, inspectors have to use bucket trucks parked on the side of busy highways to inspect bridges and road services.
Stanton was joined by the Arizona Department of Transportation in March to discuss how drone technology is already in use in the state. ADOT has used drones since 2018 to examine hard-to-reach areas, such as canyons and bodies of water
"We have to traverse canyons, big, big waterways, where we're unable to cross a feature, so we'll utilize those drones to help supplement the inspection," said David Benton, assistant state bridge engineer with ADOT, which bought eight drones in 2018 through a grant from the Federal Highway Administration.
Date: May 18, 2022
Supply chain issues have resulted in concrete shortages for southern Arizona builders in recent weeks, resulting in building project delays and holdups in repair work, ABC-9 in Tucson reported. Driver shortages and other supply shortfalls have presented problems, as well.
Meanwhile, the Portland Cement Association reported the Mountain Region of the US experienced the highest growth in demand for cement in 2020 at 10%. Spiking housing demand in the state is exacerbating the problem.
Date: May 18, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, May 25, starting at 9:00 a.m. The meeting agenda and other related information can be accessed here.
The board meeting will take place on the third floor of the ADEQ building in suite 3175 (1110 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007). Individuals can also attend the meeting virtually through Google Meet or dial: (US) +1 650-457-1480 PIN: 302 879 494# Access more phone numbers here.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Senior Civil Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
Tempe, AZ
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Date: April 20, 2022
CNH Industrial has opened a new engineering center in Scottsdale that will increase its Raven precision agriculture technology business's developments in AI, autonomy, machine learning, and data science.
"Our industries are undergoing a significant tech transformation and CNH Industrial wants to attract a growing talent pool of engineers and digitally-focused professionals that will shape this future," a company spokesperson said. Read more.
Date: April 20, 2022
To address water shortages in the state, Governor Doug Ducey is proposing building a desalination plant along the Gulf of California in cooperation with Mexico. In exchange, the nation to our south would receive a larger share of water from the Colorado River, insideclimatenews.org reports. Four potential sites have been identified.
Last month, the water level in Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the country, dropped so low that the ability of Glen Canyon Dam to generate electricity for about six million customers was in danger. The US Bureau of Reclamation also announced in March that the reservoir in the Upper Colorado River Basin had fallen below its safety zone, putting at risk the ability to turn the dam's turbines. The water level is expected to recover by May, but its supply of water will still be dangerously low.
The proposed desalination plants are among solutions that could be developed by the water authority agency the governor announced in February.
Date: April 20, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Monday, April 25 starting at 9:00 a.m. The meeting agenda and other related information can be accessed here.
Due to construction, the board meeting will take place on the third floor in conference room 3175 at 1110 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007. Individuals can also attend the meeting virtually through Google Meet or dial: (US) +1 650-457-1480 PIN: 302 879 494# Access more phone numbers here.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
City Engineer
Surprise, AZ
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
Tempe, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: March 14, 2022
Governor Doug Ducey has created the Arizona Water Authority in an effort to secure water for the state for 100 years, ABC 15 reports. It will consist of a nine-member board that will administer the governor's $1 billion investment in water security.
The authority will identify and develop innovative long-term water sources, including possibilities like ocean desalination and hauling water from other states. It will also have the power to acquire, own, and sell water on behalf of the state, ABC reports.
Date: March 14, 2022
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s new Arizona chip-making plant has run into construction delays, according to a new report from Nikkei Asia. The report notes that work has fallen three to six months behind schedule due to a mixture of labor shortages, COVID-19 surges, and complexities in obtaining construction licenses.
TSMC faces intense competition for workers in Arizona, especially from semiconductor producer Intel, the report states. Construction on the US plant started last June, and is the company's most advanced chip facility outside of Asia. After chip-making equipment is installed, it normally takes a year for operations to begin. The company expects production at the plant to start in the first quarter of 2024.
Date: March 14, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, March 22 starting at 9 a.m. The meeting agenda and other related information can be accessed here.
Individuals interested in attending the meeting virtually should contact Kurt Winter
via email. Attendees can access the meeting through
Google Meet or by phone: (US) +1 414-909-5163 PIN: 441 427 157#
Date: February 16, 2022
Governor Doug Ducey joined innovators and entrepreneurs who help drive Arizona's technology and innovation ecosystem at the CONVERGE Tech Summit on February 9, according to a news release.
Arizona's technology sector is one of the state's fastest growing in the economy. Recent successes include bringing companies like ElectraMeccanica, KORE Power, Lucid Motors, and TSMC to Arizona.
Date: February 16, 2022
The nation's first fully-automated trucking route, which is between Phoenix and Tucson, will haul freight for the Union Pacific Railroad. It's one of the first significant plans for the autonomous "Driver Out" semi-truck, azfamily.com reports.
The company TuSimple will run the route between the two metro areas. TuSimple conducted its first no-human road test along the route successfully in December.
Date: February 16, 2022
A new facility on the Navajo Nation reservation Kayenta will provide solar power to an Arizona utility, the AP reports. The agreement is between the Salt River Project and the Nation, which together have already partnered on two other solar facilities that send power to 28,500 homes and businesses on the reservation.
The new facility will produce 200 megawatts of energy for SRP. Construction is expected to start this month. The project will employ 400 people and individuals who are Navajo will be given preference.
Date: February 16, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, February 22 starting at 9 a.m. The meeting agenda and other related information can be accessed here.
Individuals interested in attending the meeting virtually should contact Kurt Winter via email. Attendees can access the meeting through Google Meet or by phone: (US) +1 414-909-5163 PIN: 441 427 157#
Date: February 16, 2022
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
Director of Transportation & Mobility
Tucson, AZ
Geotechnical Engineer (P.E.)
Mesa, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: January 19, 2022
Governor Doug Ducey recently announced a plan to invest $1 billion to secure Arizona's water future for the next 100 years, according to a news release.
The investment, which will be further detailed in the governor's budget proposal, seeks to make Arizona more resilient to drought, secure a sustainable water future, and allow for continued growth by:
- Building upon last year's investment to the drought mitigation fund with an additional $1 billion general fund investment over the next three years;
- Laying the groundwork for new large scale water augmentation projects;
- Encouraging further reuse and efficiency with current supplies; and
- Leading to the further integration of latest technologies, including desalination, into Arizona's water portfolio.
Date: January 19, 2022
In December, the Arizona Corporation Commission adopted a comprehensive transportation electrification plan for the state. The bipartisan plan calls for putting approximately 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. The Commission comprises Arizona Public Service Company, Tucson Electric Power Company, and UNS Electric Inc.
The statewide electrification plan aims to encourage adoption of electric vehicles across all vehicle classes, including light duty vehicles, medium duty parcel delivery trucks, transit buses, and school buses. Also, the intent is to increase the continued build-out of charging infrastructure. The plan will focus on working collaboratively with local and state government entities, community stakeholders, and manufacturers to achieve increased transportation electrification in Arizona.
Date: January 19, 2022
On the heels of announcing a new large-scale, solar-powered battery storage project, Salt River Project has also announced it is contracting with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources to purchase the energy from a 161-megawatt (MW) wind resource, "Babbitt Ranch Energy Center," to be built on Babbitt Ranch's property in Coconino County. The project, which will be located north of Flagstaff, is scheduled to begin delivering clean energy onto SRP's power grid by December 2023.
"Nearly 50% of the energy delivered to SRP customers by 2025 will be carbon-free," said Kelly Barr, SRP's chief strategy, corporate services and sustainability executive. "Wind power from this project will bring more diversity to our resource mix which is growing rapidly in clean energy generation."
The center represents SRP's newest wind contract and will produce enough energy to power about 40,000 typical residential homes.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
Geotechnical Engineer (P.E.)
Mesa, AZ
Senior Fire Alarm Design Supervisor
Phoenix, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: December 15, 2021
NSPE-AZ will host its next Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, December 16 starting at 11:30 a.m. (MT).
Access the NSPE-AZ website for information on upcoming events.
Gilbert Public Safety Training Facility Tour Recap
Members of NSPE-AZ recently took a tour of the Gilbert Public Safety Training Facility. The Gilbert Public Safety Training Facility (located at 6860 S Power Road) is a 50-acre multi-use joint police and fire training facility designed to meet the current and future specialized training needs of public safety personnel. The tour was hosted by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Arizona. Access photos of the tour here.
Date: December 15, 2021
A recent report that evaluated hundreds of US metro areas ranked Phoenix No. 22 and Tucson No. 39 in clean technology innovation, the Business Journals reported. The Cleantech Innovation Hubs Survey was done by Colorado venture capital and research firm Saoradh Enterprise Partners, which ranked the nation's top 40 cities on their involvement in clean technology solutions that "improve environmental sustainability related to aggregate human welfare and functioning natural ecosystems."
The national drive toward clean tech has consistently gained traction in recent years due to lawmakers' push to fight climate change.
Date: December 15, 2021
Extreme drought could impact an Arizona dam's ability to create electricity in coming years, according to the Associated Press. Federal officials have said there is a 34% chance that the Glen Canyon Dam on the Arizona-Utah border won't be able to generate energy in 2023 if current weather conditions persist.
Compared to last year, the total amount of hydropower produced in the US is expected to decline by 14% in 2021, the Energy Information Administration recently reported. Most hydropower is produced in southwestern states and in the Pacific Northwest. A decline in hydropower will strain the already overwhelmed electric grid in the Southwest.
Date: December 15, 2021
The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will pay to repair and rebuild roads and bridges in Arizona with a focus on climate change mitigation, resilience, equity, and safety for all users, including cyclists and pedestrians.
There are 132 bridges and over 3,193 miles of highway in poor condition in Arizona, according to the US Department of Transportation. Since 2011, commute times have increased by 11.1% in Arizona, and on average, each driver pays $614 per year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair. The state is expected to receive approximately $5.3 billion over five years in federal highway formula funding for highways and bridges.
In addition, the state will receive about $903 million over five years to improve public transportation options. Funding will also cover modernization of freight rail, increased EV charging options, airport improvements, and other infrastructure updates.
Date: December 15, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
Senior Civil Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: November 17, 2021
NSPE-AZ will host its next Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, November 18 starting at 11:30 a.m. (MT).
Access the NSPE-AZ website for information on upcoming events.
Date: November 17, 2021
In August, drought conditions and low reservoir levels led the federal government to make the first-ever shortage declaration for the Colorado River. This declaration didn't come as a surprise to professional engineers who are working on solutions for life with less water.
In the latest PE cover feature, Troy Hayes, P.E., director of the Phoenix Water Services Department, discusses how the department is managing water resources and infrastructure to improve water delivery. If there's one thing that Arizonans understand, says Hayes, it's the great value of water. "Because water in everybody's community is the foundation of public health, economic opportunity, and the quality of life, we took it upon ourselves to make sure that we [maintain] a reliable water delivery system."
Read more.
Date: November 17, 2021
Chandler-based Local Motors has created an interactive, self-driving car that can carry up to 12 people. The sustainable vehicle contains some 3D-printed parts and can be summoned to a person's location using an app, techaz.org reports. Olli is the first vehicle to use the cloud-based cognitive computing capability of IBM Watson IoT to synthesize and use large amounts of transportation data.
"Olli," as the car is called, could be used to help people avoid the Arizona summer heat by driving them from home to a bus stop, or across large parking lots at places like amusement parks. "Olli solves the first and last mile problem of transportation," Local Motors Public Relations Manager Jacqueline Keidel told TechAZ.
Date: November 17, 2021
Construction of a new 504-MW DC solar project in Arizona will begin in early 2022, according to Renewables Now. Moss Solar is acting as the engineering, procurement, and construction contractor for the project, and solar tracking systems maker FTC Solar will provide necessary equipment.
The solar and energy storage project will be located in Maricopa County, and will have a capacity of up to 504 megawatts DC of clean, renewable, solar power, combined with 260 megawatts AC of energy storage. It represents a significant capital investment in Arizona beyond PV panels and batteries. The complex is planned to enter commercial operations in 2023.
Date: November 17, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration held meetings on October 21 and November 2. The meeting agendas and audio can be accessed here. The board will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, December 7.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance and are advised to read the meeting agenda prior to making a request. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you're interested in attending remotely.
Date: November 17, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Assistant City Engineer
Mesa, AZ
Northern Regional Transportation Engineer (P.E.)
Prescott Valley, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: October 20, 2021
Join members of NSPE-AZ on a tour of the Gilbert Public Safety Training Facility on Thursday, October 21. The tour, hosted by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Arizona, will take place 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (MT) and will include a boxed lunch for attendees. Register now.
The Gilbert Public Safety Training Facility, located at 6860 S Power Road, is a 50-acre multi-use joint police and fire training facility designed to meet the current and future specialized training needs of public safety personnel.
Access the NSPE-AZ website for information on upcoming events.
Date: October 20, 2021
Electrical contracting company Helix Electric has outgrown its facilities in California and plans to build a manufacturing plant in Goodyear, Arizona. The project should create 100 jobs, areadevelopment.com reports.
The 112,000-square-foot facility will house the manufacture of building components for electrical construction. The fabricated parts will be shipped around the country. Helix focuses on design-build and highly complex electrical projects.
In Arizona, the manufacturing sector has grown by about 2% since March of 2021, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Date: October 20, 2021
The Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke testified recently before the US Senate's Subcommittee on Water and Power, describing Arizona's long history of water conservation and groundwater management while also illustrating the drought-related challenges currently facing the Colorado River states. In particular, he focused on those challenges affecting Lake Mead and Lake Powell, which are experiencing historic drops in surface levels.
"The cause of the decline is over-allocation of the river and drought-induced reductions in the annual average flow of the river," Buschatzke told the panel, a subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources. "This trend is one that water managers must take into account as we plan for the future of the Colorado River," he said. His full testimony can be found here.
Date: October 20, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration held a meeting on Tuesday, September 28. The meeting agenda and audio can be accessed here. The board will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, November 2.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance and are advised to read the meeting agenda prior to making a request. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you're interested in attending remotely.
Date: October 20, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Transportation Director
Glendale, AZ
Executive Director
Phoenix, AZ
Senior Civil Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: September 15, 2021
Twenty years later, engineering students continue to learn from the structural factors that contributed to the collapse of World Trade Center buildings following the airplane impacts on 9/11, according to ASU News.
"The World Trade Center was a brilliant design," said Barzin Mobasher, an Arizona State University civil engineering professor who includes a section on the collapse as a learning tool in his upper-level undergraduate course in design of steel structures.
"It was a marvel given the resources, boldness, confidence and optimism of the engineers who designed and built it. The building worked." Mobasher said. "It was the pride of New York, and rightfully so."
But engineers aren't prescient, and designing around a possible terrorist attack by commercial airliners wasn't built into the WTC safety package. Acknowledging that design engineers can't predict every possible scenario that could have impact on any structure, Mobasher asserts that future engineers need to assess possible derivations and consider possible failures at each point in the design process.
"We study the lessons we learned in terms of the design of structures," Mobasher said of his course content. "The forensic analyses from the WTC are a window to the importance of evaluating all potential modes of failure."
Read more.
Date: September 15, 2021
Desert Mountain Energy, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, plans to drill for helium in northeastern Arizona, according to the Journal of Petroleum Technology. Helium, used for wide-ranging processes including welding, the cooling of MRI machines, microchip manufacturing, and rocket launches, is expensive and supplies are dwindling.
Arizona's Holbrook Basin historically has been a significant source for the element, and Desert Mountain has found promising signs of reserves there. In March, the company purchased 40 acres in the central part of the basin, where it plans to build a helium processing facility in late 2021, in addition to a solar plant for green power generation.
Date: September 15, 2021
A company that builds car electrification kits plans to install a new head office and production center in Gilbert. Zero Electric Vehicles, currently based in Tempe, says the move to Gilbert will bring 300 EV jobs to the area, according to ABC-15.
The new 103,000-square-foot production space will facilitate the creation of EV conversion kits for vehicles that currently run on gasoline, the station reports. The company also plans to eventually build its own electric vehicles. EV advocates in Phoenix hope the metro area will become a hub for electric vehicle production.
Date: September 15, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, September 28. The meeting agenda can be accessed here.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance and are advised to read the meeting agenda prior to making a request. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you're interested in attending remotely.
Date: September 15, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Assistant Town Engineer
Fountain Hills, AZ
Supervising Engineer
Mesa, AZ
Senior Engineer – Signal Systems
Chandler, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: August 18, 2021
NSPE-AZ members recently celebrated the contributions of the profession during the sixth annual PE Day. But don't wait until next year's national event to show off this commitment to the profession. NSPE President Rick Guerra, P.E., F.NSPE, believes that proud members of the NSPE community can do so in the following ways all year round:
- Introduce yourselves as Licensed Professional Engineers
- Get to know your fellow PEs
- Use #ProudPE in your communications and social media posts
US Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema released statements following the Senate's passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to highlight the investments that will benefit Arizona.
The following are some of the investments that are featured in the legislation
- $110 billion to repair bridges and roads and for major highway projects.
- $65 billion to expand affordable, high-speed internet access, with at least $100 million expected to go to Arizona.
- $55 billion for drinking and wastewater infrastructure, with key funding for Arizona programs and projects.
- $8.3 billion for western water infrastructure, with specific funds going towards repairing aging dams in Arizona and funding the Drought Contingency Plan (among other things).
- $65 billion to improve grid reliability and resiliency and allow for the increased use of renewables, as well as a bill to expand the use of energy management initiatives.
- $39.2 billion for public transit and $66 billion for passenger and freight rail, $884.3 million of which will go to Arizona transit systems.
- $8.25 billion for wildfire management, including increasing firefighter pay and a bill to study and recommend wildland fire prevention, suppression, management, and rehabilitation policies.
- $3.85 billion for land ports of entry, including $147 million for the San Luis Port of Entry, $216 million for the new Douglas Port of Entry, and $184 million for rehabilitation at the current Douglas Port of Entry.
Date: August 18, 2021
The federal government on Monday declared a first-ever water shortage on the Colorado River, announcing mandatory cutbacks next year that will bring major challenges for Arizona farmers and reduce the water allotments of Nevada and Mexico.
The declaration of a shortage by the US Bureau of Reclamation has been anticipated for months and was triggered by the spiraling decline of Lake Mead, which stores water used by Arizona, Nevada, California, and Mexico, according to an AZCentral.com article.
The reservoir near Las Vegas has fallen to its lowest level since the Hoover Dam was built in the 1930s and is continuing to drop after years of chronic overuse and drought intensified by climate change. It now stands at just 35% of full capacity. To try to prevent Lake Mead from falling to critically low levels, state officials from Arizona, California and Nevada announced that they've begun meeting to discuss potential additional steps, which could include more water cuts.
Federal water managers said the first shortage declaration shows how severe the drought has become and how climate change is having serious effects on the river, which provides water for about 40 million people.
Read more.
Date: August 18, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, August 24 (9 a.m.). The meeting agenda can be accessed here.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance and are advised to read the meeting agenda prior to making a request. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you're interested in attending remotely.
Date: August 18, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Deputy Director, Capital Programs
Phoenix, AZ
Traffic Engineer
Prescott, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: July 21, 2021
The State Transportation Board approved the 2022-2026 Five-Year Program, which will allow the Arizona Department of Transportation to reach its goal of allocating $320 million per year for rehabilitation of bridges and roadways throughout the state highway system.
These rehabilitation projects through the Five-Year Program will include repaving and repairing highways, along with repairing or reconstructing bridges.The plan also includes $407 million over five years for projects that improve highway safety, efficiency and functionality, such as smart technology or addition of shoulders.
The State Transportation Board's approval of the program followed a call for public comment in March and four virtual public hearings. In general, major projects begin as part of the agency's long-range visioning process, move into a six-to10-year development program and then become part of the Five-Year Program. The program is developed by working closely with local and regional planning organizations and community leaders to identify projects that are ready to build or design.
Funding for the Five-Year Program is generated by the users of transportation services, primarily through gasoline and diesel fuel taxes and the vehicle license tax. Both the Maricopa and Pima County regions have independent revenue streams established through voter-approved sales taxes that allow for more expansion projects to take place in those areas.
Read more.
Date: July 21, 2021
Construction of the University of Arizona's new $85 million Applied Research Building (ARB) is in full swing. The ARB will house research that advances applied physical sciences and engineering and is expected to be completed in January 2023.
The three-story, 89,000-square-foot facility building will provide new research capabilities with state-of-the-art equipment and technology, and will bring together several interdisciplinary university programs in one location.
The ARB will connect faculty across four colleges and eight departments: the College of Engineering (Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering); the College of Science (Department of Astronomy and the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory); the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences; and the College of Medicine–Tucson.
The ARB will be dedicated specifically to research programs related to the "Grand Challenges" pillar of the university's strategic plan. Those grand challenges fall under areas such as space exploration, artificial intelligence, the environment and disease prevention. Although no classes will be taught in the ARB, students will be able to access the building's facilities to conduct undergraduate and graduate research.
Read more.
Date: July 21, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, July 27. The meeting agenda can be accessed here.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance and are advised to read the meeting agenda prior to making a request. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you're interested in attending remotely.
Date: July 21, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Director of Engineering
Yuma, AZ
Civil Engineer/Project Manager
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Mechanical Engineer A/E/C
Tempe, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: June 16, 2021
Infrastructure for industry took on new importance in 2021. Natural gas, electricity, drinking water and waste removal, often taken for granted, got noticed this year. Unprecedented spring freezes changed the anonymity as vast swaths of the nation went cold and dark.
Even young Arizona, the third-youngest US state, sees its cities replacing century-old pipes under the streets in the original city cores.
"We started investing in the infrastructure of the future about 10 years ago," said Bill Jabjiniak, economic development director for Mesa. "It was a controversial move at the time putting in fiber, improving roads and getting power, sewer and water to an essentially undeveloped area. Now, new construction is starting all the time along Elliott Road because it's 'shovel ready.'"
Mesa is not alone. Torn-up streets across the Valley mean cities and private utilities are updating underground infrastructure. The electric companies are consistently adding lines to power Arizona’s growing and expanding industries.
"Whether it's infrastructure or energy, businesses are looking for reliability," said Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. "Arizona was recently ranked as having the second most reliable energy grid in the country. When you pair that with our abundant renewable energy and modern highways, airports, rail, ports of entry and public transportation, Arizona stands out as an ideal location for doing business in the global economy."
Read more in the Phoenix Journal.
Date: June 16, 2021
The Arizona Technology Council applauds the state's fiscal year 2022 budget package proposal. This budget invests dollars and directs policy that will support economic success and growth for many programs of immense importance to Arizona's technology sector.
"Arizona is growing at an incredibly fast pace, especially in technology-related fields, and this budget will ensure Arizona maintains and accelerates its competitiveness on a global scale while making substantial payments towards the state's debt and giving Arizonans a tax cut," said Steven G. Zylstra, the council's president and CEO, in a statement. "The Arizona Technology Council thanks Governor Ducey and the Legislature for including the council's key education, infrastructure and tech-focused priorities in this proposal, and encourages members to support these provisions in the final budget package."
Key council priorities funded in this budget package proposal are
- Increased funding for universities, including $130 million in new higher-education investments.
- Restoration of fourth-year Career Technical Education District (CTED) funding.
- An additional $50 million appropriation for the Arizona Competes Fund.
- $2.5 million for a Dark Skies Discovery Center.
- $140 million dedicated funding for broadband infrastructure across the state, with an emphasis on rural Arizona.
- Reduction in the Class 1 commercial property tax assessment ratio from 18% to 17% over two years.
- Investment in Arizona's highway infrastructure to support commerce.
- K-12 education investments, including new school construction, a building renewal fund, full funding for district and charter assistance, and the provision of gap funding for schools and students to address school budget issues that arose during the pandemic.
Date: June 16, 2021
University of Arizona associate professor Erin Ratcliff was fascinated by the work she did as a faculty fellow at the Naval Research Lab in 2017 and again, remotely, in 2020. She wanted her engineering students to see the possibilities of similar positions.
"NRL has cutting-edge, amazing equipment and capabilities, and they have a lot of it," said Ratcliff, an associate professor of chemical and environmental engineering in the UArizona College of Engineering. "They're doing all kinds of highly classified science and technology development–from fundamental concepts to things that almost seem like science fiction."
Ratcliff and a team of engineering researchers have created a unique program at the university that builds a bridge between students and government research jobs.
EMPOWER STEM, funded by $748,000 from the Office of Naval Research, creates connections between Navy scientists and UArizona students and faculty. The program gives students opportunities to learn about the engineering behind the latest technologies in the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy. In return, government labs gain access to a well-prepared, diverse pool of potential employees.
Read more.
Date: June 16, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Manager, Engineering and Design
Phoenix, AZ
Engineer
Chandler, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: May 18, 2021
On May 10, Governor Doug Ducey signed legislation (H.B. 2596) that allows private broadband providers to install, operate and maintain telecommunications equipment within the Arizona Department of Transportation's (ADOT) rights-of-way. It also allows ADOT to grant access to its own broadband conduit to private telecommunications companies in a non-exclusive and non-discriminatory manner—reducing the cost of installing rural broadband infrastructure.
Additionally, the legislation creates the "Smart Highway Trust Fund" to deposit leasing revenues generated from the use of ADOT rights-of-way, which are to be used for operation and maintenance of telecommunications facilities within ADOT's rights-of-way.
Read more.
Date: May 18, 2021
Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers publishes a Report Card for America's Infrastructure. This comprehensive assessment evaluates the performance and capacity of our national road network, rail system, bridges, ports, drinking water, wastewater and other key resources.
Results are consistently gloomy. For more than two decades, the United States has averaged "D" grades on these engineering report cards. The 2021 report shows a "C-minus," which indicates improvement. But the ASCE notes that our national infrastructure still suffers grave shortcomings that represent risks to America's economy, security and public health.
"Funding infrastructure is a significant problem in part because we've let deficiencies accumulate over time. We spend only when we have to fix something," said Brad Allenby, a President's Professor of civil, environmental and sustainable engineering in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University.
"Of course, that is a very expensive way to manage infrastructure. It means that we're always tackling significant problems, whether it's roads that become essentially impassable because of potholes or fragmentation of the power grid, the consequences of which Texas suffered very recently," Allenby said. "We continually 'fix' our infrastructure systems, but we don’t invest to bring them up to necessary standards. That needs to change."
Read more.
Date: May 18, 2021
A new report identifies 22 shovel ready, high-voltage transmission projects—including three in Arizona—that, if constructed, would create approximately 1,240,000 American jobs and lead to 60,000 megawatts of new renewable energy capacity, increasing America's wind and solar generation by nearly 50%. The report outlines how these projects could begin construction soon if more workable transmission policies are enacted.
These regional and interregional transmission lines would not only bring quality wind and solar resources to areas with high demand but also increase economic development and grid resilience as well as provide cost-savings for consumers.
Read more
Date: May 18, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, May 25. The meeting agenda can be accessed here.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you're interested in attending remotely.
Date: May 18, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Water/Wastewater Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Beavers-Ames Lecturer (all ranks) in Heavy/Civil Construction
Tempe, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: April 21, 2021
On April 19, NSPE’s Government Relations staff announced the Top Advocates for April, who are being recognized for their March advocacy activity.
NSPE-AZ member Scott Wertel, P.E., and seven other NSPE members achieved this top status by consistently participating in the NSPE Advocacy Center campaigns during the month of March.
Each NSPE Advocacy Center campaign is worth a certain number of points. The more campaigns a member participates in, the more points he or she earns. At the end of each month, staff tabulates the total number of points each participating member has accumulated. The top point-earners are recognized the following month.
As a thank you for their high level of engagement and commitment to the profession, all top performers have been invited to an exclusive online event with NSPE and state society staff.
Date: April 21, 2021
Just over a year ago, governments around the world issued stay-at-home orders, significantly changing day-to-day lives in an instant. Working from home, postponing travel, having groceries delivered to front doors and ordering "to go" at restaurants are just a few ways many habits have changed. But which of these changes are likely to be maintained in a post-COVID-19 world?
Researchers from Arizona State University (alongside colleagues from the University of Illinois Chicago) conducted a nationwide survey to measure the potential for lasting changes and what they could mean for our cities, according to an ASU News report.
"Many observers have put forth ideas about how the pandemic will change how we live for the long term, but nobody that we've seen has concrete evidence to support or refute these predictions," said Deborah Salon, associate professor in ASU's School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning and co-principal investigator of the COVIDFuture Survey. "We collected the data in order to provide this evidence, and we are sharing it so that it can be used to help plan for what's next."
The COVIDFuture research team—which also includes Sybil Derrible, co-principal investigator and associate professor from the University of Illinois Chicago, and Ram Pendyala, professor with ASU's School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment— collected online survey responses from over 8,700 adults across the US and weighted the dataset to be representative of the US adult population, according to the report.
The group is now releasing the full de-identified Wave 1 dataset to be used by city planners, businesses, researchers, and others interested in understanding how people's choices in the US have evolved during the pandemic and their expectations for the future. The data include information about travel-related behaviors and attitudes.
Read more.
Date: April 21, 2021
Major mining operations worldwide are becoming safer and more sustainable with the use of new and emerging technologies designed specifically for the sector, according to an AZ Biz Media report. Leading the way? Arizona companies and University of Arizona researchers who are making the industry safer, sustainable—and profitable.
Climate change is inspiring these companies and researchers to find solutions, said Claudio Cossio, project manager for Stantec Mining, a global mining technologies firm headquartered in Chandler that provides technology solutions focused on sustainability for every stage of operation, from mine exploration to closure and reclamation.
Investors are also demanding it. They want to see a positive return, not just on financial performance, but on keeping the planet safe, Cossio said.
"Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is becoming like safety in the mining industry. Right now, it's still a priority, but it's becoming more ingrained as a core value as part of our culture. A lot of the major mining corporations are setting pretty high goals to get to net-zero emissions by 2030 or 2040, depending on the mining company," he said.
Read more.
Date: April 21, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, April 27. The meeting agenda can be accessed here.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you’re interested in attending remotely.
Date: April 21, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Traffic Design Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Civil Engineer PE
Avondale, AZ
Engineer for the Town of Carefree
Carefree, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: March 17, 2021
Arizona state officials said $230 million has been proposed for a series of transportation investments, including support for Interstate10 Gila River Bridge construction and varied road repaving projects, according to a Transportation Today article.
“Despite the pandemic, Arizona’s economy is strong and families and businesses continue to relocate here in record numbers,” Governor Doug Ducey said during the recent announcement with Arizona Department of Transportation personnel. “Now is the right time to use our state and federal dollars to make investments that create jobs, modernize our infrastructure and improve highway safety.”
The funding allotment would involve $33 million to rebuild and widen the Gila River Bridge on I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson, paving the way for a full expansion of I-10 between the two cities; $41 million to widen US Route 93 north of Wickenburg; $40 million to add capacity to Interstate 17 north of metro Phoenix; and $117 million to improve more than 600 highway lane-miles statewide.
The funding plan is in partnership with ADOT and follows prior formal action by ADOT’s Priority Planning Advisory Committee. The proposal is slated to be presented to the State Transportation Board for consideration.
Read more.
Date: March 17, 2021
When many school children started staying home when the pandemic hit last year, the Arizona Department of Transportation launched a new outreach campaign called “ADOT Kids,” which seeks to educate children on transportation through videos, games and activities geared for them.
With National Engineers Week, ADOT Kids launched new content to get children interested in engineering as a career, including videos and activities to help kids learn about different areas of engineering. Part of the content includes Joselyn Valero, a development engineer with ADOT, who shares her story in a video to encourage kids to pursue engineering careers. “I always loved math and I wanted to be where math is a big part of it. The idea of building a bridge or a skyscraper fascinated me,” Valero said.
The program was recognized by the National Academies for Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Transportation Research Board at its annual meeting in January. It also won the 14th Annual Communicating Concepts with John and Jane Q. Public Competition which showcases creative and fresh ways of communicating technical transportation issues with a general audience.
Read more.
Date: March 17, 2021
Grand Canyon University, Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, the University of Phoenix, and Maricopa Community Colleges are a sampling of another growing list—a catalog of higher education institutions that are supplying talented, forward-thinking and dynamic graduates to fuel innovation and entice new businesses to the state, according to an AZ Big Media article.
“After infrastructure, the labor supply and labor production of a market is its second most critical ingredient,” says Chris Camacho, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. “What I’ve observed in the last decade with the manifestation of our engineering capacity within ASU, UArizona, GCU, University of Phoenix, and a lot of the regional university systems and community colleges, is we’re constantly iterating and modernizing the way that we induce curriculum to meet industry needs.”
The local markets for which Camacho refers range from healthcare and bioscience to software and cybersecurity to advanced business services and financial services to startups and advanced manufacture, to a host of operations-based industries — and then some. And, to ensure these business sectors and others receive the talent they require, higher education leaders are remaining attuned to the pulse of growing industries.
Read more.
Date: March 17, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, March 23. The meeting agenda can be accessed here.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you’re interested in attending remotely.
Date: March 17, 2021
NSPE’s Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today’s top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Transportation Project Manager
Phoenix, AZ
Structural Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the
NSPE Job Board.
Date: February 17, 2021
Engineers Week is a time to celebrate the important work of engineers and engage the next generation of innovators. Even with social distancing, you can make a difference. Here are a few activities that will be of interest to NSPE-AZ members.
Future of Engineering
Join NSPE leaders Tricia Hatley, P.E., F.NSPE and Rick Guerra, P.E., F.NSPE, as they discuss the future of engineering and how our changing world will impact the profession during a free webinar on Monday, February 22 (1 p.m.-2p.m. ET/10 a.m.-11 a.m. PT). Webinar participants can earn one professional development hour.
2021 NSPE Federal Engineer of the Year Award Webcast
NSPE celebrates the 2021 federal agency winners, the Top 10 Finalists, and announces the 2021 NSPE Federal Engineer of the Year via pre-recorded webcast on Wednesday, February 24 at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT on the NSPE website and YouTube channel.
NSPE Trivia Hour
Cap off your Engineers Week with some Friday fun. Join your peers for a lively game of trivia on Friday, February 26 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. The cost is just $15 for members or $25 for non-members. Sign up to show off your trivia knowledge—or just to play a fun game with new friends.
Date: February 17, 2021
In order to increase safety and mobility in highway work zones, the Arizona Department of Transportation is studying a “smart work zone” at an existing I-40 bridge project located between Flagstaff and Winslow.
A smart work zone is a traffic management system that can be controlled remotely through computer networks, portable message boards and sensor technology to provide motorists with real-time traffic information as they approach construction work zones. This project utilizes a dynamic merge system, which is a specific type of smart work zone.
The dynamic merge system is designed to mitigate the potential hazards of lane closures by altering the time to merge based on the current level of traffic. When traffic is light, electronic signs placed well ahead of the work zone encourage drivers to merge into the open lane prior to the lane closure. When traffic is heavy, the system will encourage drivers to remain in the closed lane for as long as possible in what is known as a zipper merge.
Read more.
Date: February 17, 2021
Researchers at the University of Arizona are developing a COVID-19 testing method that uses a smartphone microscope to analyze saliva samples and deliver results in about 10 minutes.
The university research team, led by biomedical engineering professor Jeong-Yeol Yoon, aims to combine the speed of existing nasal swab antigen tests with the high accuracy of nasal swab PCR, or polymerase chain reaction, tests. The researchers are adapting an inexpensive method that they originally created to detect norovirus–the microbe famous for spreading on cruise ships–using a smartphone microscope.
They plan to use the method in conjunction with a saline swish-gargle test developed by Michael Worobey, head of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and associate director of the University of Arizona BIO5 Institute.
Read more.
Date: February 17, 2021
The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying is accepting registrations for the pencil-and-paper April 2021 PE exams until March 4 (3 p.m. ET).
The exam administration will take place over two days—Thursday, April 22 and Friday, April 23. Registration for the computer-based FE and PE exams will remain open year-round.
According to NCEES, every effort will be made to accommodate all registered examinees in a manner that protects the health and safety of everyone involved. All sites for the April 2021 exam administration must operate in compliance with capacity and social distancing requirements. In most cases, this will reduce the number of examinees that can be accommodated at an exam site.
Access information for registering.
Date: February 17, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold meetings on Thursday, February 18 and Tuesday, February 23. The meeting agendas can be accessed here.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you’re interested in attending remotely.
Date: February 17, 2021
Do you know of engineering news in Arizona that would be great for this newsletter? Maybe it’s a project you or your firm is working on, or perhaps you read some interesting engineering news in your local newspaper. Or maybe you know of a fellow PE or student who deserves a little recognition. If so, we want to hear from you. Email your ideas to pemagazine@nspe.org.
Date: February 17, 2021
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Engineer for the Town of Carefree
Carefree, AZ
Senior Electrical Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: January 27, 2021
Last November, Arizona’s Court of Appeals issued a memorandum decision analyzing Arizona’s Prompt Pay Act. Though the decision was not published and is not binding authority, it does guide the construction industry and practitioners as to how this court analyzed Prompt Pay Act enforcement, according to a JDSupra analysis.
To set the table, Shea Connelly Dev. LLC v. Ariz. Registrar of Contrs. was limited to a payment dispute between the general contractor Shea Connelly, and its subcontractor, Revive. The project owners effectively had no role in the dispute.
Critically for Shea Connelly’s arguments, Revive was hired to provide framing work on two separate Arizona projects, one in Glendale, and one in Fountain Hills called Park Place. The Glendale subcontract included a cross-default term providing that if Revive defaulted on any subcontract with Shea Connelly, it would be deemed to have defaulted on all of its subcontracts with Shea Connelly.
On the Glendale project, Revive never did any work. It’s not clear from the record why, but it appears that Revive was paid nearly $60,000 without doing any work on the Glendale Project. However unfair it may be, this fact had no impact on the court’s Prompt Pay Act analysis.
Read more.
Date: January 27, 2021
The University of Arizona has been awarded a four-year grant to encourage and support Diné College students to transfer to the university to pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering, agriculture, and math majors, according to an Arizona Public Media report.
The Advancing Postsecondary Attainment and Research in STEAM for Tribal Students project aims to increase the number of Native American students in STEAM majors through mentorship and other forms of institutional assistance. (The “A” in STEAM is commonly used elsewhere to refer to “arts.” )
These are the fields where some communities in tribal lands could use more experts. During the pandemic the lack of running water, electricity, food, access to health care or communication infrastructure in some Indigenous towns in Arizona have made national news.
Read more.
Date: January 27, 2021
A new report released by The Western Way, an environmental advocacy organization, and the Arizona Technology Council reveals that Arizona is on track to continue building on its booming carbon-free energy sector, according to a Chamber Business News article.
Beyond recording Arizona’s progress to this point, the report outlines recommendations that the groups hope lawmakers and policymakers will implement in order to “incorporate the energy innovation sector into Arizona’s economic recovery plan.”
According to the report authors, the innovation sector at-large is the most significant nexus between good business and good environmental stewardship.
Read more.
Date: January 27, 2021
From consumer goods to crafting American icons to operating power plants and sustaining green energy, the demand for copper is growing at greater rates than ever, according to a recent AZ Big Media article.
Recent reports demonstrate that the global need for copper is anticipated to rise by as much as 50% over the next two decades. And, guess which corner of the world holds 27.1% of the global market size in copper? The United States. Zooming in closer, you’ll see that Arizona accounts for 75% of the copper mined in the US.
So, the million-dollar question — or perhaps, more appropriately, the 28-million-tonnes question (28 million tons is the annual amount of copper in demand) is—will Arizona rise to meet the growing demand for copper? Arizona’s mining experts collectively say, “yes.”
Read more.
Date: January 27, 2021
NSPE’s Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today’s top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Beavers-Ames Lecturer in Heavy/Civil Construction
Tempe, ZA
Project Manager
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the
NSPE Job Board.
Date: December 16, 2020
Customers of Arizona Public Service Company (APS) will soon power their homes and businesses with more clean energy. Earlier this year, APS [agreed] to deliver 100% clean, carbon-free electricity to customers by 2050. By the end of 2021, APS will harness the power of Leeward Renewable Energy’s advanced GE wind turbine technology to help meet Arizona’s growing energy demands, according to a Daily Independent article.
Arizona Public Service has entered into a power purchase agreement with Leeward Renewable Energy to purchase 200 megawatts of wind energy output from their two New Mexican Aragonne Wind facilities. Leeward’s advanced GE wind turbine technology enables APS to provide renewable energy to customers and advance its bold energy commitment to deliver 100% clean, carbon-free electricity by 2050.
Read more.
Date: December 16, 2020
Four rural communities across Arizona will be getting much-needed modernization projects for aging drinking water and wastewater infrastructure to improve their drinking water quality and supply and make water usage more efficient in the era of climate change.
The US Department of Agriculture is investing $891 million to modernize rural drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in 43 states including Arizona, according to a Chamber Business News report. A total of 220 projects will help improve rural water infrastructure for 787,000 residents in communities with populations of 10,000 or less.
In Arizona, aged and failing water systems will be updated in Pine-Strawberry, Mammoth, Bouse and Aguila. The projects are being funded through the federal Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program. The program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and stormwater drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas.
Read more.
Date: December 16, 2020
Arizona’s highway system ranks 23rd in the nation in overall cost-effectiveness and condition, according to the Annual Highway Report by the Reason Foundation. This is a six-spot improvement from the previous report, where Arizona ranked 29th.
Arizona’s best rankings, according to the report, are structurally deficient bridges, maintenance disbursements per mile, urban interstate pavement condition, and urban arterial pavement condition.
In safety and performance categories, Arizona ranks 47th in overall fatality rate, 3rd in structurally deficient bridges, 31st in traffic congestion, 10th in urban interstate pavement condition, and 37th in rural interstate pavement condition. On spending, Arizona ranks 17th in total spending per mile and 26th in capital and bridge costs per mile.
The foundation’s Annual Highway Report measures the condition and cost-effectiveness of state-controlled highways in 13 categories, including pavement condition, traffic congestion, structurally deficient bridges, traffic fatalities, and spending (capital, maintenance, administrative, overall) per mile.
Access the full report.
Date: December 16, 2020
NSPE’s Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today’s top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Engineer – Traffic Studies
Phoenix, AZ
Beavers-Ames Lecturer in Heavy/Civil Construction
Tempe, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: November 18, 2020
Tempe, Arizona was recognized as a 2020 Top STEM City for being a community showcasing exceptional dedication to science, technology, engineering, and math education and careers.
The data science team at Insurify (an insurance quotes comparison site) analyzed both proprietary and publicly accessible data to determine the top STEM city in each state. The team identified cities with the highest proportion of residents in STEM-based careers and compiled data from Niche on the colleges and graduate schools with the best programs in STEM, as well as the best cities for women in tech.
Read more.
Date: November 18, 2020
To accommodate as many pencil-and-paper examinees as safely as possible, NCEES has added a regional exam administration on January 26, 2021, for PE Civil examinees only. Phoenix, Arizona will serve as a host city.
Registration for the regional PE Civil exam administration opened on November 1, 2020, and closes on December 14, 2020, at 3 p.m. EST. The exam will be administered in Phoenix and the following cities: Pomona, CA; Denver, CO; Groton, CT; Orlando, FL; Topeka, KS; Louisville, KY; Minneapolis, MN; Raleigh, NC; Las Vegas, NV; Cleveland, OH; Salem, OR; Houston, TX; Salt Lake City, UT; and Seattle, WA.
Additional cities may be added. Visit the NCEES website for details.
Date: November 18, 2020
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, December 8 (9 a.m.). The meeting agenda and audio can be accessed here.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance. The board uses Google Meetups for its remote meetings, which requires the meeting host to invite members to participate. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you’re interested in attending remotely.
Date: November 18, 2020
The Arizona Department of Transportation is seeking community input from residents on the proposed Sonoran Corridor. The roadway would connect I-10 and I-19 near the Tucson International Airport.
According to a Pima County report, the corridor would stimulate economic growth in southern Arizona and would create an economic impact of $32 billion along with 200,000 jobs in the area.
Read more from KGUN9.
Date: November 18, 2020
Among ways being explored to combine biology and engineering to remedy a range of growing global environmental problems, algae-based solutions look especially promising.
The encouraging viewpoint stems from progress in research that is revealing how the properties of algae can be harnessed to become the driving force for a slew of productive biotechnological pursuits, according to an ASU Now article.
Some of the research findings have been the result of efforts based at the Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation, or AzCATI, embedded in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University.
Algae is an abundant and widely varied group of aquatic organisms capable of producing oxygen through photosynthesis and thereby harvesting energy from sunlight to grow and produce a range of biochemicals.
That capability and related characteristics can make algae a useful component in the development of advanced systems for effectively treating wastewater, producing cleaner energy and new biofuels, reducing harmful carbon dioxide emissions, and improving decontamination and pollution control techniques.
Read more.
Date: November 18, 2020
NSPE’s Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today’s top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Engineer–Capital Improvement Projects
Chandler, AZ
Project Manager/Senior Engineers
Tucson, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the
NSPE Job Board.
Date: October 28, 2020
The national business group Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) released results of a report that quantified significant economic benefits associated with investments in advanced clean energy deployment for the state of Arizona, according to a Solar Power World article.
The report, which was produced by international economics consultant Analysis Group for AEE, used an industry-standard modeling tool to estimate the impact of investing potential federal stimulus funds in advanced energy technologies, products, and services to boost economic activity in the wake of the COVID-19 slowdown.
“As Arizona, like the rest of the nation, looks to recover from the economic impacts of the coronavirus health crisis, this report shows investment in advanced energy delivers huge returns to the state’s economy, creating in-state jobs and adding much-needed tax revenues,” said J.R. Tolbert, managing director at Advanced Energy Economy. “Such public stimulus also attracts billions of dollars in private investment and saves consumers — commercial and retail alike — billions annually.”
“By investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, while accelerating the shift to zero-emission transportation, we can generate significant economic activity in the state’s hardest hit communities while also helping Arizona move toward an advanced energy future,” added Tolbert.
Read more.
Date: October 28, 2020
Long lines of passengers waiting to go through Transportation Security Administration screenings at airports can be a source of dread. The time it takes to complete the security process varies, and this can add extra stress for both passengers wanting to get to their flights and TSA officials wanting to provide a smooth and secure operation.
The Center for Accelerating Operational Efficiency (CAOE), a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence led by the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, is tackling the challenge of ensuring that TSA screenings are maximizing the efficiency of their resources, according to an October 23 ASU Now article.
Researchers at the CAOE have been developing decision-support tools to simulate, optimize, and visualize TSA security screening checkpoint operations with ever-changing passenger demands.
Read more.
Date: October 28, 2020
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration held a meeting on Tuesday, October 27. The meeting agenda and audio can be accessed here. The board will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, December 8.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance. The board uses Google Meetups for its remote meetings, which requires the meeting host to invite members to participate. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you’re interested in attending remotely.
Date: October 28, 2020
NSPE’s Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today’s top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
Senior Civil Engineer Phoenix, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.