Three Civil Engineering Alumni Recognized

Three alumni from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering have made recent headlines for their accomplishments:  Carolann Wicks (’82 BCE) was appointed Secretary of Transportation for the State of Delaware; Jeff Bross (’69 BCE) was named Delaware Engineer of the Year for 2006; and Ted Januszka (’93 BCE, ’94 MCE) was selected as Delaware’s 2006 Young Engineer of the Year.

Carolann Wicks

“This is great news for our department,” said CEE Chair Michael Chajes.  “The three are at very different stages of their careers, but they are all very talented people.  It’s wonderful to see their accomplishments recognized through important appointments and awards.”

Wicks was officially sworn in as the 8th Secretary of Transportation on Wednesday, February 1, 2006.  Her most recent positions prior to this appointment were Chief Engineer for the Department and Director of the Division of Transportation Solutions.  In addition to her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Wicks holds a master’s degree in public administration from UD.

“Carolann has spent more than 20 years with our Department of Transportation, holding a variety of leadership positions,” Gov. Minner said upon nominating Wicks for the post.  “Her vast knowledge of the department and its operations makes her uniquely qualified to lead this agency as we tackle the financial challenges ahead and deliver an efficient, high-quality transportation system to the residents of Delaware.”

In 2002, Wicks became the first female chief engineer/director for DelDOT.  In 2004, she received UD’s Presidential Citation for Outstanding Achievement, given to UD graduates of the past 20 years who “exhibit great promise in their professional and public service activities.”  During her 23 years with DelDOT, Wicks has been in charge of some of the state’s most complex and challenging transportation projects.

Jeff Bross

Bross is President of Duffield Associates, Inc., a geoscience consulting firm headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware.  The author of numerous technical articles and papers, Bross is a featured national speaker on environmental and construction issues.  He is a registered Professional Engineer in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Nebraska.

When Bross joined Duffield 25 years ago as Vice President, the firm employed five people.  He became President in 1996, when the firm’s founder, James Duffield, became Chairman of the Board.  The company now has more than 110 employees in three offices.  Under Bross’s leadership, the firm has expanded its services from geotechnical engineering to include environmental services, water resources, coastal/waterfront engineering, geographic information systems, construction services, and structural engineering.

Januszka currently serves as the Regional Transportation Manager for the Wilmington, Delaware office of Pennoni Associates, where he has worked for the past 11 years.  He has extensive experience with the design and management of transportation, highway, bridge, and infrastructure improvement projects in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland.

“Ted represents the continuation of Pennoni’s long history of excellence among its young engineers,” said C.R. “Chuck” Pennoni, Founder and Chairman of the company.  “Engineers of today must not only provide quality technical engineering work [but also] go a step further and become true advisors to their clients.  It takes real dedication to the client to be successful in today’s marketplace, and Ted is a shining example of that dedication.  He is a fantastic technical engineer who gets to know his clients personally so that he can best serve their needs.  At the same time, he … devotes much of his personal time to helping others.  I am proud to have him representing the firm and the Delaware engineering community as the 2006 Young Engineer of the Year.”

Ted Januszka

Both the Engineer of the Year and the Young Engineer of the Year are chosen by the Delaware Engineering Society (DES) based on their contributions to the engineering profession and their service to the public welfare.  DES is the Delaware affiliate of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), a recognized voice and advocate for Professional Engineers with 50,000 members.

Bross has played leadership roles in dozens of professional and non-profit organizations over the past three decades.  Januszka serves the community as a member of the Delaware Regional Advisory Board and the Property Committee for the Salvation Army.  He also volunteers his time to the Sunday Breakfast Mission, Toys for Tots, the National Leukemia Society, and Adoptions from the Heart.  Both Bross and Januszka are part of the faculty team teaching the UD Civil Engineering Senior Design Course.

“Carolann, Jeff, and Ted exemplify the excellence that we have come to expect from our graduates,” said Dean Eric W. Kaler.  “We’re delighted that they have been recognized publicly for their contributions.”

by Diane Kukich

Editor’s Note:  Press releases from DelDOT, Duffield, and Pennoni were used in preparing this article.