2024 ASCE MLAB Individual Awards

Civil Engineers are a vital component of what makes Los Angeles one of the best cities in the world. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Metropolitan Los Angeles Branch (MLAB) is excited to honor these Individuals for their great contributions to the Civil Engineering Community and Los Angeles.

Natalie Semersky

Natalie Semersky graduated from UCLA this spring and is an incoming Civil Analyst with Kimley-Horn at their LA office . She is most passionate about sustainability, green infrastructure, and urban development.

At UCLA, she served as the ASCE President, Environmental Design Project Manager, and Membership Chair, and also held leadership roles in the chapter’s project teams. As President, she led the chapter to receive a Certificate of Commendation given to the top 20 chapters internationally and an award for Significant Improvement. She spent her time in ASCE as part of the Environmental Design, Sustainable Solutions, and Timber-Strong Design-Build projects. Some of her proudest ASCE memories include coordinating the Pacific Southwest Student Symposium (PSWS) conference in Hawaii, this year, placing 2nd place in the Environmental Design competition at the conference, placing 2nd overall at the conference last year, and mentoring younger students.

Outside of ASCE, she was an Engineering Ambassador for the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. She was also involved in the Student Alumni Association, where she was an External Consulting Director for the Professional Development committee and the Associate Director of Bruin Spirit. Her involvement on campus earned her an Achievement of Contribution to Student Welfare this year.

From networking with industry professionals to collaborating with distinguished faculty to meeting her closest friends and roommates, Natalie is very grateful for the community ASCE allowed her to form in college. She hopes to give back by continuing to mentor younger members, and she hopes to stay involved by joining ASCE LA YMF.

Chloe Gharios Osorio, P.E.

Chloe Osorio works at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), and she is passionate about being in the public sector because she sees working directly with the community and on LA infrastructure as a true way to make an impact. She’s been working on projects that will directly influence the City’s goals of being 100% renewable by 2045. Chloe has also been part of ASCE for 11 years and has served in a multitude of roles. Through her work with LA YMF, Chloe has been able to reach thousands of students through Engineers Week, school visits, and by starting the Women in STEM camp. Finally, Chloe is passionate about the value of social media and uses it as a tool to work to break stereotypes of women in STEM. She runs a science communication page on Instagram with that exact mission, @chloetheengineer, and she founded a social media campaign called #stompingoutstereotypes that aims to show women in engineering and other areas of STEM that they belong in their fields.

As a civil engineer for LADWP, she works on a large variety of distribution engineering projects and works to find creative solutions for underground systems for projects with the Metropolitan Transit Authority, Los Angeles World Airports, Port of Los Angeles, and within LADWP. Previously, she was the lead civil engineering designer on a project known as VIC-LA Path Upgrade, which is an umbrella project for 9 upgrade projects across LADWP infrastructure to increase import capacity of about 450 MW and maximize renewable energy import.

Jose Mariano Ortuno Pineda, P.E

Jose Mariano Ortuno Pineda is a Principal Engineer with Gannett Fleming in Civil, Transit and Rail, with 17 years of experience in railroad/transit planning; and conceptual, preliminary, and detailed design. He has ample experience designing civil improvements, which include roadway, drainage, utilities, and site improvements. He understands the interfaces with track design, systems engineering, and operations., and his duties include managing the assembly of plans, specifications, and estimates. Coordinates the development of bid packages including scope of work, supporting documentation, independent cost estimates, and purchase requisitions. Assists in the planning, development, and upkeep of the project schedule. Confers with the project team on a regular basis and attends/conducts design, survey, and production meetings with each discipline involved. Has knowledge of the design criteria and requirements of local, state, and federal jurisdictions. Manages the quality control process, which includes interdisciplinary reviews, documentation, comment resolution, and conformance with quality procedures and requirements.

His past experience includes the Metro East San Fernando Valley Light Rail; Four Railroad At-Grade Crossings, Port of LA, Civil Lead Designer; Stormwater Basins Construction, City of Torrance, Project CM; Rancho Las Flores Park, City of Coachella; and Force Main Gravity Pipelines and Manhole Rehabilitation, Midway City Sanitary District. His credentials include Certified Construction Manager; Envision Sustainability Professional; Professional Engineer; and Qualified Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan Developer and Practitioner.

Minerva Rodriguez, P.E., PMP

Minerva Rodriguez, P.E., PMP, serves as the Los Angeles Area Program Director at Parsons Corporation, where she plays an essential role in advancing transportation systems. With a 27-year career at the California Department of Transportation, Minerva developed a level of mutual trust and understanding with numerous agencies along with effective relationships to ensure the efficient delivery of projects. She is also the Co-Founder of MEI Mentoring, Inc., and volunteers on the Mentorship & Programs Committee for the WTS Central California Chapter and the CMAA DEIB Committee. Additionally, she is an active member and volunteer for ASCE and SHPE organizations.

Passionate about mentoring, Minerva is dedicated to guiding her mentees to avoid the mistakes she made, focusing on building relationships and communication. She emphasizes the importance of building relationships and effective communication. Through her volunteer work and public engagement, Minerva has made significant contributions to the community. As the Co-Founder of MEI Mentoring, Inc., she helps individuals recognize their potential and achieve their goals. Her leadership as the former Programs Committee Chair for the WTS Central California Chapter led to numerous professional development events and opportunities.

Currently, Minerva is co-chairing the newly established Mentorship Committee for the WTS Central California Chapter, creating it from scratch. Her dedication to mentoring is evident in her impressive track record: over 300 mentoring sessions, assisting 40+ working professionals in earning promotions, and helping 35+ fresh graduates secure jobs. She averages about 2-3 mentoring sessions weekly.

Hank Fung, P.E., M.ASCE

Hank Fung is a senior civil engineer in the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works managing environmental planning for transportation projects in the unincorporated County of Los Angeles. Prior to that, he helped manage the County’s over $400 million in transportation funds to ensure that they were effectively used, including complying with the California Transportation Commission’s transparency requirements for project listing and expenditures, as well as ensuring that Los Angeles County received millions of dollars of Federal funds for bridge, roadway, and active transportation projects. Earlier in his career with the County, he was the primary liaison with the Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority, and helped ensure that eight grade separation projects were delivered to provide the most benefits to both the users of the new roadways as well as the surrounding community and its infrastructure.

In his personal time, he served on the Los Angeles Metro Community Advisory Council from 2016 to 2023, including as secretary from 2017-2020 and chair from 2020-2023. As chair during the pandemic, he helped facilitate discussion on fare policy, Metro bus operations, congestion pricing, public safety, and the annual budget.

As a member of ASCE, he participated in several legislative fly-ins to advocate for more funding for infrastructure. He was involved in the opposition to Proposition 6, which would have eliminated a gas tax increase necessary for improving transportation infrastructure and ensuring that electric vehicles would contribute to the road system. As the branch’s government affairs co-chair, Hank is working on a Los Angeles city council lobbying day to have ASCE members who live or work in the city of Los Angeles to advocate for better infrastructure in the city.

Felipe Vazquez, P.E., M.ASCE

Felipe Vazquez is project manager at Michael Baker International and has over 10 years of experience working as a consultant in the civil and environmental sectors. He has extensive experience working for clients in Southern California and the Mid-South (Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi). He has a reputation for his flexibility and ability to see the clients’ big-picture objectives and needs. When necessary, he acts as a liaison between his clients and the regulatory agencies to achieve clarity and understanding between the two parties. His goal is to become an expert in environmental regulations to help municipal and industrial entities minimize their environmental impact.

Felipe is committed to the civil engineering and the local youth communities, as an active member of the National Committee on Younger Members and the Los Angeles Younger Member Forum within ASCE. Through his involvement in ASCE, he is investing in the future engineers and scientists in his community. Felipe is the elected ASCE MLAB president for 2025.

Metehan Gumustekin

Metehan is an experienced Civil Engineering Professional with a demonstrated background in the field of transportation, traffic, drainage, water/wastewater, and program/construction management at TKE Engineering, Inc. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree from San Diego State University. Outside of work, Metehan holds several board positions in ASCE Los Angeles Younger Member Forum, ASCE Metropolitan Los Angeles Branch, ASCE Los Angeles Section Sustainability Committee, and Chi Epsilon.

Metehan has consistently served multiple positions in different ASCE organizations during his time and his primary focus has been to demonstrate exemplary technical skills, innovative problem-solving, and profound impact on the young professional through his work. Beyond technical involvement, Metehan has shown remarkable leadership and mentorship during his time as the Co-Chair of Professional Development in ASCE LA YMF where he assisted in organizing technical workshops, speed interviews, construction site visits, and project related webinars. During his time in ASCE, he has participated in countless volunteering opportunities, workshops, and events that helped students and young professionals in their career endeavors.

In addition to ASCE involvement, Metehan is an advocate for sustainability, and has been to local and national conferences hosted by ASCE and other engineering organizations to represent the core values of Civil Engineering. He is currently serving as the Vice President of the ASCE Metropolitan Los Angeles Branch, and the secretary of ASCE Los Angeles Younger Member Forum.

Sanjay Mohanty, Ph.D.

Dr. Sanjay Mohanty is Faculty Advisor for the ASCE student chapter at UCLA, where he has advised students on how to make the most of their experience as students.

His research covers the effect of climate change on water quality; sustainable urban development at the water-energy nexus; transport of contaminants and colloids in the subsurface and groundwater; stormwater capture, treatment, and reuse; and bioremediation.

His research broadly covered how to best design climate-resilient green infrastructures and subsurface remediation technologies to remove wide range of pollutants including PFAS, microplastics, heavy metals, and pathogens. He has a master's degree from the University of Hawaii, Manoa, where students recently participated in the ASCE 2024 Pacific Southwest Symposium. His Ph.D. is from University of Colorado, Boulder, and his bachelor's degree is from Utkal University, India. He is an associate professor teaching many classes in environmental and civil engineering.

One of Dr. Mohanty featured in news article is SoCal company faces e-waste problem head-on published in | Spectrum News 1, in September 2021.

Ben Baker, PE, M.ASCE

Ben Baker is an outstanding professional civil engineer in the private sector, having spent the past decade working on Metro Rail projects in Los Angeles. Ben works as a senior civil project engineer for Gannett Fleming, where he has been a design lead on composite utility rearrangement sheets and an LADWP electrical relocation design package for the Metro Rail East San Fernando Valley Project. He also is working on the Inglewood Transit Connector. In his early career, he worked for the California Public Utilities Commission Rail Transit and Safety Branch and for KPFF Consulting Engineers.

Ben Baker earned a BS in Civil Engineering from UCLA and a MS in Engineering and Project Management from UC Berkeley. Ben has reviewed and scored Engineering Alumni Association student group project funding request presentations several years. He has cheered on other alumni at the Samueli Awards. Ben has encouraged fellow alumni to attend the UCLA Engineering Reunion and looks forward to next year's. He currently lives close to campus with his wife, also a Bruin, and the convenient proximity facilitates visits such as when he spoke with ENGR 26 students on campus as part of an alumni group.

Ben Baker, Practitioner Advisor for the ASCE student chapter at UCLA since 2015, has been active with ASCE since he joined as a freshman in 2006. He has encouraged students at ASCE symposia, conferences, and events held throughout the year. He has presented ASCE scholarships, led professional development workshops, and given presentations. He participated in several of the chapter’s end-of-the-year banquets, alumni Rose Bowl tailgates, career fairs, and student-professor barbeques.

He served as the 2022-2023 Metropolitan Los Angeles Branch (MLAB) President of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Matthew Jacobson, EIT, ENV SP, A.M.ASCE

Matthew Jacobson is a Civil Analyst at Kimley-Horn working on active transportation projects that help bridge the gap to make transportation infrastructure that is accessible for all mode types and users. He graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona in 2021. Matthew is involved locally with ASCE LA YMF, ASCE LA Branch, and serves nationally on the ASCE Committee on Younger Members and ASCE Committee on Governing Documents with the Society-Level ASCE.

His contributions to civil engineering propagate through the workplace and his involvement in ASCE. From organizing events and programs to designing and delivering successful projects Matthew continues to redefine what can be achieved by young engineers.

In ASCE, he is involved both locally and nationally to support Younger Members and Society efforts across the board. His annual involvement involves supporting over 6 Society-Level conferences including the ASCE Convention, Legislative Fly-In, Younger Member Leadership Symposium (YMLS), and Younger Member Councils (Eastern, Central, Western). His leadership and direction locally continue to provide numerous opportunities for professional development, networking, and scholarship in the Los Angeles area.

Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano

Congresswoman Grace Flores Napolitano represents California’s 31st District. Her Los Angeles County-based district covers several cities and communities in the San Gabriel Valley – El Monte, West Covina, Covina, Baldwin Park, Azusa, Bradbury, Duarte, Irwindale, South El Monte, Industry, La Puente, Avocado Heights, West Puente Valley, Valinda, Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Monrovia.

Napolitano is the highest-ranking California member and Hispanic member of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure where she currently serves as Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, which oversees EPA’s Clean Water Act and US Army Corps of Engineers water programs.

Named a conferee to the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) House and Senate Conference Committee, Napolitano was able to secure major victories for California, which received over $26 billion to fix crumbling roads, bridges, and transit systems. $450 million per year of this funding went to the Los Angeles region for transit funding, benefiting Foothill Transit, LA Metro, and Metrolink. Funds also relieved congestion and reduced the negative impacts her district takes on as a primary shipping corridor from the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

Napolitano also serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources and is a long-time advocate for conservation, water recycling, desalination, and groundwater management as solutions to Southern California’s water needs.

Congresswoman Napolitano is perhaps best known for her groundbreaking work on mental health. Her 2001 pilot program providing mental health and suicide prevention services on-site in four schools has expanded to 35 K-12 schools throughout the San Gabriel Valley and Southeast LA County with assistance from Los Angeles County Mental Health, which now serves as a model for H.R. 721, the Mental Services for Students Act.

Steve Scauzillo

Steve Scauzillo is one of the few dedicated transportation and infrastructure reporters in the region. His daily reporting in the Southern California News Group newspapers provide vital information about projects in the Los Angeles area, and highlight underlooked infrastructure issues such as waste management and water conservation to a wider audience.

He is probably the only reporter in the region currently covering Metro closely. He also has general coverage over various infrastructure issues, including the State Route 39 extension through the San Gabriel Mountains. I think his coverage is fair, cites both agency and community perspectives, and highlights issues often overlooked such as water quality and waste management.

For coverage of transportation, water quality, and other infrastructure issues to the 11 newspapers in the Southern California News Group, reaching thousands of readers daily

Hector Bordas, P.E.

Hector Bordas revolutionized water resources planning in LA County, uniting efforts under the Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) approach. He spearheaded Measure W, addressing stormwater runoff challenges through collaborative funding mechanisms. Hector's strategic leadership and team-building skills were pivotal in navigating political hurdles. His legacy includes fostering transparent, collaborative cultures and mentoring future leaders post-retirement.

Hector influenced and convinced major water resource organizations, agencies, NGOs, and cities to work under one umbrella to strategize water resource solutions. He led and worked with a team of consultants, advisors, and influential people to convince IRWM members to consider and implement multi-benefit solutions instead of single-benefit antiquated ideas. The result was the first IRWM plan for the LA Region.

Under the auspices of the leadership and trust of ASCE Hector was able to lead and work with multiple organizations and agencies to write a paper that recommended to the County Board of Supervisors funding mechanisms to address the costly challenges. The Board moved forward with funding to give birth to what became known as Measure W, the Safe Clean Water Program.

Hector led a comprehensive team of consultants and advisors to develop a multi-layer program that became the foundation of Measure W. He and his colleagues met with practically every official and technical expert of the cities in LA County. He worked with this team to develop material, speaking points, graphics, and presentations to educate cities, communities, and many stakeholders about the challenges and solutions related to managing stormwater.

This was one of the most comprehensive and politically challenging endeavors ever taken under the direction of the County Board of Supervisors.

Kaitlin Hannon, MPA, P.E., ENV SP

Kaitlin Hannon, the 2023-2024 ASCE MLAB President, has been involved with ASCE LA YMF and ASCE MLAB for over 13 years. Over the last year, as she took on the role of president, she has made it a priority to increase ASCE involvement and promote new membership to her colleagues. This effort led to several new members joining ASCE MLAB and some even joining the board.

Ms. Hannon is also an advocate for ASCE awards and sees project recognition as a very important part of the industry. She believes that by giving recognition to innovative, sustainable and resilient projects, we raise the standards for future infrastructure. She helped plan the 2023 ASCE MLAB and LA Section Award events. She was responsible for submitting all 2023 ASCE MLAB project nominations to the LA Section, many of which won awards.

Ms. Hannon is currently a Senior Civil Engineer with Los Angeles County Public Works, and is a member of the Equity in Infrastructure Initiative team. The Equity in Infrastructure Initiative is changing the way Los Angeles County Public Works serves its communities. This Initiative is prioritizing equity in all of Public Works’ infrastructure delivery and services. Through this important work, Public Works will build a safer, more accessible, and more resilient Los Angeles County. This effort was highlighted by ASCE in their report titled, Measuring the Benefits and Burdens of Infrastructure in Disadvantaged Communities. In addition to her regular work duties, Ms. Hannon completed her term as Public Works Women’s Leadership Co-Chair in 2023, and continues to serve as a Structures Specialist on the Los Angeles County Urban Search and Rescue team.

Gurjot Kohli, P.E., ENV SP, M.ASCE

Gurjot is a Civil Engineer with Stantec in their Pasadena Office, focusing on stormwater and water/wastewater infrastructure projects. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a Masters in Environmental Engineering in May 2020 and a B.S. in Environmental Science from UCLA in June 2019. He has always been incredibly enthusiastic and passionate about environmental and water resources engineering and is a part of the Stormwater Capture and Use Subcommittee for CASQA and is part of the Water Leaders Institute for the Water Environment Federation. Gurjot is an amateur photographer, vinyl enthusiast, loyal LA foodie and eager hiker!

Gurjot works as a licensed civil engineer that specializes in stormwater management and green infrastructure planning and design at Stantec in Pasadena, CA. He has always been incredibly passionate about sustainability, environmental and water resources engineering and is a born and raised Angeleno.

Youn Sim, Ph.D., P.E.

Youn Sim is a over 25-year veteran at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works and is currently the Assistant Deputy Director overseeing Design Division. Mr. Sim was previously the Head of Strategic Planning and Sustainability Office of the Department. As the Department’s Sustainability and Innovation Officer, he led the Department’s sustainability initiatives through strategic planning, policy development and implementation, and long-range planning of sustainable infrastructure management. He has been invited to give numerous speeches at universities, and national conferences and workshops. He received a Ph.D. from University of California, Irvine, in Civil Engineering. He is the former chair of the Sustainability Committee of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He is a member of ASCE Committee on Sustainability and Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure. He has been actively serving the Korean American community as the former Southern California chapter president of Korean American Scientists and Engineers Association (KSEA). Prior to joining the County, he has 10 years of research and consulting experience in water resources protection.

Youn Sim of Los Angeles County Public Works has a strong passion for the civil engineering field and is an advocate for ASCE. He has served on many committees of ASCE and other organizations, and has shown a strong dedication to sustainability. Mr. Sim has published many articles with ASCE and is a role model for all engineers.

Evan Lovett

Evan Lovett is creator and host of L.A. in a Minute, taking the social media of Angelenos by storm as he dives into everything Los Angeles, past, present, and future. The first thing that strikes you is his native Angeleno passion in his voice, also his catch phrase “let’s get into it!” His videos are packed with the interesting fun facts and quirks that make the City of Angels so magnificent. Having only started his social media journey in 2022, he has amassed 163,000 followers and 3.8 million likes on Tiktok and 194,000 followers on Instagram. (Of course “Where does LA get its water” has over half a million views!)

In 2023, he published over 400 videos, with over 80 of them covering civil engineering and infrastructure topics, including favorites such as ‘How LA dams prevent great floods’ and ‘Major L.A. Freeway SHUT DOWN Indefinitely! Huge Fire Closes the 10!!!’ Evan also hosts a podcast ‘In a Minute with Evan Lovett’, which currently has a 4.9 star rating on Spotify and a 5.0 star rating on Apple Podcasts.

Evan truly believes that Los Angeles is the greatest city in the world, and he proves that to us Angelenos day after day.

His videos are captivating and give us insight into the city we know and love. His enthusiasm, immediately evident from his first words in every video, stem from him being a born-and-raised native Angeleno.

Evan’s rise to influencer fame is a sign of our ever changing society; people are now using social media to learn about the world and its past, present and future. Evan uses his channel to recognize the rich history of Los Angeles, while covering all the local breaking news.

Ali Shafiee, Ph.D, P.E.

Dr. Shafiee is a California Registered Civil Engineer with over 20 years of experience at the international level in the field of geotechnical earthquake engineering. He has analyzed subsurface information on a wide range of infrastructure projects, with specific emphasis on seismic hazard evaluation and mitigation for major projects such as bridges, dams, piers, buildings, roadways, tunnels, and power plants. His expertise includes characterization of subsurface material static and dynamic properties, liquefaction evaluation, seismic hazard analysis and ground motion characterization.

Dr. Shafiee has worked on some of the largest projects in California, including the High-Speed Rail (HSR), LAX Automated People Mover (APM), I-15 Express Lanes, and Pier 22.5 in the Bay Area. He has been the lead hazard analyst for the ground motion development on many performance-based high rise building projects in downtown San Diego including Union and Ash, Milano, Courthouse Commons and India and Beech. These ground motion evaluations included the selection and spectral matching of horizontal pairs of appropriate earthquake time histories, performed in accordance with the 2013 and 2016 California Building Code, ASCE 7-10, ASCE 7-16, and ASCE 61-14 requirements. He has also been involved in the liquefaction evaluation and seismic hazard analysis of the San Dieguito Double Track and Special Events Platform project.

Dr. Shafiee serves as the voting member of two ASCE 7-28 committees: TC1: Seismic Committee and TC5: Foundation and Site Characterization Committee He also serves on the Board of the American Society of Civil Engineers Los Angeles Branch Geo-Institute. He also teaches courses on Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, Advanced Foundation Engineering, Earth Slope Engineering and Embankment Dams, and Earth Retaining Walls at the Cal Poly Pomona.

David Cocke, S.E.

David Cocke founded Structural Focus in 2001 after 20 years at a previous firm. He is a registered structural engineer in California, Arizona, Nevada, and several other states, with expertise in new structural design, seismic evaluation, historic preservation, and retrofit design. David has managed a variety of project types and sizes, including large and small historic landmark building strengthening and repairs, new laboratory buildings, repair and retrofit of commercial buildings, design of new studio production facilities, evaluations of large building inventories (industrial, high-tech and film studios), and numerous university and school renovations, additions and strengthening.

David has served in many leadership roles and on numerous Boards of Directors of professional engineering organizations and preservation organizations. Recently, he served as the President of ASCE’s Structural Engineering Institute and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. Currently, David serves on the board of the Applied Technology Council and the University of California’s Seismic Advisory Board.

He is very active in the preservation of historic buildings and has made numerous presentations regarding the reuse of existing buildings as supporting sustainability principles. David co-founded and is the Managing Director of SAFEq Institute, a resource for post-disaster inspection information and providing direct services to government entities and business owners. David is a recognized expert in building business resiliency and continuity related to disaster risks. He believes that pre-planning and partnerships with cities can greatly reduce business interruption after an earthquake or other disasters.

Matthew Cristi

Matthew Cristi is a Structural Design Engineer for KPFF Los Angeles and a Civil Engineering Officer for the United States Air Force. He graduated from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and earned a Master of Science in Structural Engineering from Stanford University. He first became involved in ASCE his senior year as student chapter president for CSUN, earning the Robert Ridgeway Outstanding Chapter Award. Upon earning his master’s degree, Matthew was selected to attend Officer Training School in Alabama and commissioned to be a Second Lieutenant. He later returned to Los Angeles to serve as the professional development chair for ASCE LA YMF, organizing technical tours and presentations. Matthew also spearheaded the ASCE LA YMF 1st Annual Golf Tournament, bringing the profession together for a fun-filled day. The tournament raised funds towards student scholarships, STEM K-12 Outreach efforts, and a variety of diversity & inclusion events.

Matthew had recently been promoted to first lieutenant upon completing a tour of duty in Hawaii and Korea. His work in the United States Air Force includes structural design work for Moron Air Base in Spain as well as project management with the Pacific Air Forces Headquarters. Lt Cristi coordinated with multi-national organizations to develop $527M worth of construction projects and enabled the execution of $80M in airfield rehabilitation projects. His efforts did not go unnoticed as he’d been awarded Company Grade Officer of the Quarter. Lt Cristi utilizes his day-to-day skills at KPFF and his experience with ASCE in the United States Air Force by managing and designing projects around the world. Lt Cristi is proud to be a civil engineer in the Greater Los Angeles community while serving his country and being a role model for future generations.