A MESSAGE FROM
JOSEPH W. MARSH, P.E.
Western Chapter MSPE President
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January Western Chapter President’s Message
2010 - A New Start!
Based on my own feelings and the postings of many
friends and colleagues on LinkedIn® and Facebook, as a
society (both professional and more generally) we are more than
ready for a new year. One of the comforting aspects of our approach
to recording and managing time is the opportunity to mentally put
behind us those experiences that were less than satisfying, take a
deep breath, and decide to look forward and work toward a better
future.
To its credit, 2009 provided many positive
engineering experiences for the Kansas City engineering community.
We hosted several great national engineering conferences, including
the ASCE Annual conference in October. Several young engineers sat
for and passed their P.E. exams in April and October.
As we begin a new year, and a new decade, practicing
engineers know all too well that the challenges we faced before the
economic recession began have not gone away. There remains an
immense need for infrastructure investment and technical solutions
to be developed and implemented. We march one year closer to the
eventual retirement of many Baby Boomers with the commensurate need
to backfill with a new generation of bright talent. The increased
drive toward sustainable engineering solutions will remain a part of
new project specifications.
These needs require that we continue to develop our
technical skills as experienced engineers and remain engaged in the
political processes that drive much of our practice. At the same
time, we must continue to increase ways for aspiring students to
discover engineering and become our own replacements in the
profession.
MSPE is a great vehicle to achieve these important
goals. The Western Chapter offers numerous technical presentations
throughout the year to build our technical understanding across a
wide spectrum of engineering. We promote engineering to students by
sponsoring hands-on learning opportunities like Model Bridge
Building and MATHCOUNTS. We offer scholarships to students enrolling
in engineering curriculum. At the state level, MSPE monitors
legislation and programs that are key to the vitality and health of
our profession.
Save the date now for the annual Engineer’s week
luncheon downtown at the Marriott Hotel on February 18th.
It is one of the two largest annual engineering events for the
Kansas City engineering community – one where we come together to
celebrate our profession, share a meal and an engaging presentation,
and recognize accomplishments of young students and professionals.
I encourage you to "wipe the slate clean" of 2009, take a deep
breath to regroup, and fully engage with MSPE in 2010 as we continue
to build a future for ourselves and generations to come.
Joseph
W. Marsh, P. E.,
President
Western Chapter, MSPE
(913) 492-7777
"The future is not a result of choices among alternative paths
offered by the present, but a place that is created – created first
in mind and will, created next in activity. The future is not some
place we are going to, but one we are creating. The paths to it are
not found but made, and this activity of making them changes both
the maker and the destination."
John Schaar
Links to Membership Documents
Links to E-Week Photographs
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MSPE AUXILIARY
Calendar for 2009-2010
2nd Tuesday of the month
(except Monday – March 10th)
Social Hour – 11:30 AM
Luncheon – 12:00
Noon
Reservations and cancellations firm deadline is the Wednesday the
week before the Tuesday meeting – no shows are responsible for the
cost of their meal.
March 9, 2010
Program to be
announced
Hereford House
5001 Town Center Dr
Leawood, KS
April 13, 2010
Scholarships/Projects
Bonefish Grill
5021 W 135th St
Overland Park, KS
May 11, 2010
"JOCO Master
Gardener" - Jim Crest
Smokehouse BBQ
7121 W 135th St
Overland Park, KS
The
MSPE Western Chapter Auxiliary is open to anyone in the immediate
family of a member of the MSPE Western Chapter or KSPE Eastern
Chapter. Contact Membership Chairman Mary Thompson -
816-358-8205 for further information.
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MSPE WESTERN CHAPTER
JOINT PDH SESSION AND DINNER MEETING WITH ASCET
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DATE: |
Tuesday,
March 16, 2010 |
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TIME: |
4:00 pm PDH Session
5:00 pm Registration
6:00 pm Dinner and Presentation |
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PLACE: |
UMKC -Flarsheim Hall
Room 557
5100 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO 64110
See www.umkc.edu/maps
(Volker Campus)
Building location and parking lots |
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MENU: |
Parmesan-garlic
boneless chicken breast, meat loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy,
green been casserole, dinner roll, brownies and soft drinks. |
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COST: |
$20.00 for Members and Guests $10.00
for Student Members & Members displaced by economy Parking
the responsibility of the attendee
Suggest use of parking meters |
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RSVP: |
Clint Mason by Thursday, March
11th
(Indicate meal
choice when reserving)
E-Mail:cmason@hcbridges.com
Tel 816-421-8386
No-Shows will be billed |
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March 16,
2010
JOINT
MSPEPDH SESSION
AND DINNER
MEETING WITH
ASCET
PDH Session
Ganesh Thiagarajan, Ph.D P.E.
Associate Professor and Director of Graduate
Programs (CME) Civil Engineering
UMKC

Ganesh has been with UMKC on the structural
engineering faculty since 2002. He finished his Ph.D at Louisiana
State University and has worked at LSU and the University of
Illinois at Urbana Champaign in the past. He has been teaching,
for the past sixteen years, structural engineering and mechanics
courses such as Seismic Design, Advanced Steel, Advanced Concrete
and has collaborated with industry professionals to develop a new
course in Design of Structures for Blast and Fire. These are
offered at UMKC on a two year rotation basis.
His research interests include various areas of
structural engineering some of which will be presented in the
seminar. He has also been active in the area of biomechanics in
which he studies the behavior of bones and in particular the human
knee using finite element method, to understand the stress and
strain behavior of the knee under different motions.
Program
Structural
Engineering Research at UMKC Current Applied Research Areas
Dr. Thiagarajan will discuss the focus areas of
research now underway at UMKC Civil Engineering Department,
including the seismic modeling of 4 story steel moment frame, a
project that stood first in a world wide blind prediction contest.
He will also discuss two other structural projects of interest.
The first one was an optimization study to reduce the structural
costs of Table Top foundations for steam turbines performed for
Black and Veatch and another study being undertaken for MoDOT to
reduce the costs of bridge approach slabs. These examples
illustrate how UMKC is collaborating with local state and
corporate entities to help reduce their operating costs.
Missouri Society of Professional Engineers –
Western Chapter;
Leadership Excellence Achievement Program:
"LEAP" 2009 – 2010
Student members of the UMKC
Student Chapter of MSPE (Missouri Society of Professional
Engineers) and Computing and Engineering faculty are
eligible annually for recognition from Missouri Society of
Professional Engineers – Western Chapter, for demonstrating skills
needed to become a professional engineer including; vision,
professionalism, ethical lifestyle, and leadership abilities.
Students participating in Computing and Engineering disciplines
may become members of the UMKC Student Chapter of MSPE.
Two students will be
recognized each year. The UMKC Student Chapter of MSPE will
nominate candidates, and carry-out final candidate selections. The
top four students names will be forwarded to the Dean, along with
a 300 - 1,000 word essay on engineering ethics from each
candidate, and the Dean plus an engineering faculty committee
appointed by the Dean will make the final selections.
Recognition for faculty
members will be based upon demonstrated mentoring abilities that
encourage students to seek leadership excellence in the
engineering profession. One faculty member will be recognized each
year. Nominations from the UMKC Student Chapter MSPE Board for at
least two faculty candidates should be sent to the Dean during
February. The Dean will make the final selection, and will notify
Western Chapter.
About the Keynote Speaker and
Program
Mr. Tom Mackin, P.E.
Iatan Plant Manager
Kansas City Power and
Light

Tom Mackin has more than 30 years of Power Plant
experience. As Plant Manager, Mr. Mackin is responsible for the
operation of Unit 1 as well as supporting the startup and
commissioning of Unit 2.
Mr. Mackin has a bachelor’s degree in electrical
engineering from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri
and a Masters Degree in Engineering Management from the University
of Kansas. He is a registered professional engineer in the state
of Missouri.
Upon graduation, Mr. Mackin worked for Burns &
McDonnell for 9 years. Most of the time was spent as a field
engineer on power plant construction sites. Mr. Mackin has been
with Kansas City Power & Light over 24 years. He started in the
central engineering department and has spent most of his time in
different positions at the KCP&L power plants. He has been the
plant manager at Iatan the past 5 years.
Program
Iatan 2 Construction
Mr. Mackin will be discussing the challenges that
go along with the construction of a large coal fired power plant.
Pictures will be provided along with explanations and descriptions
of the construction process. Currently, the plant is
scheduled for commercial operation this coming June and is a
critical and important part of KCPL's Comprehensive Energy Plan.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
FUTURE WC MSPE
MEETINGS
March 25, 2010 -
Board of Directors Meeting
Date: March 25, 2010
Topic: Regular Board Meeting
Location: KCPL - 1200 Main, KCMO
April 22, 2010-
Joint Dinner Meeting with KSPE
Sustaining Member
Life Member Recognition
Date: April 22, 2010
Topic: TBD
Speaker: TBD
Location: TBD
May 20, 2010
Date: May 20, 2010
Topic: TBD
Speaker: TBD
Location: TBD
June 25, 2010 -
Royals Night Out with ASCE
Date: June 25, 2010
Topic: Royals Baseball
Speaker: Bats of the Royals
Location: Kauffman Stadium
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MSPE NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Mitch Krysa, P.E.
Kansas City Power & Light
1200 Main
Kansas City, MO 64105
PO Box 418679
Kansas City, MO 64106
816-556-2674
816-654-1830 fax
Mitch.krysa@kcpl.com
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