Government Civil Engineer Award
This award is conferred upon a subscribing member of the Texas Section, employed by a governmental organization, for meritorious service to the Texas Section and one or more of the Section’s Branches.
2026 Government Civil Engineer Award Recipient
Devarati “Dev” Rastogi PE| City of Dallas
Devarati “Dev” Rastogi assumed her position as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Dallas in July 2024, providing executive oversight of Dallas Water Utilities, Transportation & Public Works, the Office of Bond and Construction Management, the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability, and Information Technology Services, advancing technology systems that strengthen infrastructure performance, cybersecurity and service delivery. These departments carry a combined capital and operating budget of over $2 billion annually.
As a seasoned leader with expertise in transportation and infrastructure project delivery, Dev has strengthened the City’s capital delivery, organizational capacity, and cross-departmental coordination systems. Under her oversight, the City has advanced the $2.5 billion Love Field Expansion Airport Program, the $1.25 billion 2024 bond program including the Law Enforcement Training Center at UNT Dallas, infrastructure supporting the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) related mobility and governance efforts, adoption of the 2080 Long Range Water Masterplan, and implementation of the Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan (CECAP). She delivers executive briefings to City Council, emphasizing fiscal accountability, project readiness, and long-term asset management.
Dev joined the City from AECOM, a global infrastructure consulting firm, where she was a Senior Vice President, successfully delivering innovative solutions for complex infrastructure projects. Her career reflects a sustained dedication to resilient, sustainable, and customer-focused infrastructure that serves the public and advances the practice of civil engineering in government.
A licensed professional engineer in the State of Texas, she has a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Washington University. Dev is also the recipient of numerous honors, including the Texas Society of Professional Engineers Dallas Engineer of the Year and the 2026 Women in Transportation Seminar, Greater Dallas/Fort Worth Woman of the Year.
Professional Service to Students Award
The Texas Section established this award in 1999. This award is conferred upon a subscribing member of the Texas Section for meritorious service to the Texas Section through service to one or more of the ASCE Student Chapters in Texas and/or service during the Regional Student Conference.
2026 Professional Service to Students Award Recipient
Rebecca Rice PE | Terracon
Rebecca Rice is the geotechnical services manager within Terracon’s Conroe office and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Texas. She has 11 years of experience providing geotechnical engineering and consulting services for a variety of public and private projects in the greater Houston area. Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Science (2014) and a Master of Engineering (2015) both in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University.
Since graduation, she has been an active member of the ASCE Houston Branch and Texas Section, serving in various committee and board positions, and most recently served as Secretary on the Houston Branch board. As a former Steel Bridge competitor, Rebecca has enjoyed serving as a judge in the annual ASCE Frontier (Region 6) Student Symposium since 2017. Rebecca is an avid camper, and loves exploring the outdoors with her husband and nearly two-year-old son.
History & Heritage Award
This award is presented to an individual or Branch for making special contributions to recording and/or recognizing the history and heritage of civil engineering in Texas.
2026 History & Heritage Award Recipient
Angie Fealy PE | Jacobs
Angie is a senior land development engineer at Jacobs with 10 years of experience. She is a dedicated civil engineer whose passion for engineering extends far beyond the design and construction projects she supports each day. As a professional, Angie has become a champion for preserving and sharing the stories of Texas’ engineering past, helping connect today’s engineers with the innovators whose creativity and
determination shaped the world around us. Through her enthusiastic advocacy for engineering history and heritage, Angie brings to life the remarkable achievements behind historic bridges, transportation systems, water infrastructure, and other transformative projects. She believes that understanding the ingenuity, challenges, and lessons of past engineering accomplishments inspires current and future generations to think creatively and solve problems with the same spirit of innovation. Angie has devoted countless hours to researching, documenting, and communicating these stories through professional activities, educational outreach, and community engagement. Her ability to translate technical history into compelling narratives makes engineering heritage accessible and meaningful to audiences ranging from seasoned practitioners to students just beginning their careers.
Angie resides up in Fort Worth, Texas with her husband, Sidney Green, and their dogs – Pepper and Bernoulli. Whether visiting historic infrastructure, traveling to new places, or simply exploring her community, Angie has a knack for seeing the engineering story
behind what others might overlook. She delights in pointing out the practical, often ingenious solutions engineers developed to overcome site constraints, construction challenges, and operational needs, helping others appreciate how thoughtful design transforms obstacles into lasting successes.
Professional Service Award
This award is conferred upon subscribing members of the Texas Section for meritorious service to the Texas Section and to one or more of the Section’s Branches.
2026 Professional Service Award Recipient
Surya Bhandari PE, M. ASCE | AECOM
Surya has been the Civil associate Engineer at Michael Baker International, Inc. since 2017 and now works in AECOM as a Certified Project Manager, Deputy Project Manager, Schematic Task Lead, People Manager and Staff Leader. He holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Texas A&M University, College Station, and diploma in civil engineering from Tribhuvan university, Nepal. Since 2015, He has contributed significantly to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) through various leadership roles, from executive board member at Texas A&M student chapter, aiding numerous branch, section and global initiatives, including the Section’s T&DI Chair since 2021, T&DI Global council chair for students and local chapters and serving nine years on the Dallas Branch member and Board of Direction from T&DI Chair, 2 term technical director, 2 Years Texas section director, secretary, president elect, and soon to be President starting October 1st.
Surya was born and raised in Madi, Nepal, far from his Texas and USA colleagues. Life on his family’s farmland was tough, as one of five siblings, he grew up in a very poor farming family where hard work and shared responsibility were part of daily life. Growing up in a remote village with lack of infrastructure inspired Surya to become a civil engineer. Since then, Surya’s commitment to civil engineering back in Nepal and here in the USA, ASCE leadership has remained strong, impressive and always outstanding.
Residing in Bedford, Texas, Surya credits every little success to the unwavering support and patience of his wife of 18 years, Janaki Gautam. He draws inspiration from his family, particularly his daughter Amy Bhandari, who want to be a Highway design Engineer, who is on 4th grade elementary now, and his son Anmol Bhandari, Lions Club International, District 2-X1 Leo council President, 11th grade student and wants to pursue career in Marketing finance.
Service to the People Award
The Service to People Award is presented to an engineer, not necessarily a member of the Texas Section, who has distinguished themselves with special service to people. The award recognizes engineers who bring credit to the profession through community activities that are visible to the public.
2026 Service to the People Award Recipient
Cynthia Landez PE | KCI Technologies
Cynthia Landez received her BS in Civil Engineering from Texas A&I University in Kingsville in 1992. She has 30 years’ experience in delivering complex, high-value transportation projects across the state. She has been a Utility Coordinator at KCI Technologies for 7 years, committed to fostering collaboration among its stakeholders for timely resolution of utility conflicts and regulatory compliance.
For 20 years, Cynthia has been overseeing National Cooperative Highway Research Program research panels, ensuring the delivery of research for state DOTs and national transportation agencies. It bridges the gap between research and implementation, aligning technical studies with policy and operational needs.
In 2025, Cynthia became a member of the Transportation Research Board Standing Technical Committee on Utilities and Rights of Way for a term of 2 ½ years. This specialized group addresses how transportation infrastructure interacts with utility networks, land use, and environmental considerations, aiming to improve planning, design, and management practices.
Cynthia was appointed to the City of San Antonio – Streets, Bridges, and Sidewalks Advisory Board in May of 2026 for a two-year term. Her responsibility is improving and overseeing the city’s streets, bridges, and sidewalk infrastructure programs.
Cynthia has been a board member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) since 2022. She has served as VP of Membership, Treasurer, and President-Elect and currently is President of the San Antonio Chapter for the 2025-2026 term. The board ensures that the chapter provides technical guidelines and continuing education to its members.
Cynthia has been a Court Appointed Special Advocate since 2021, volunteering to support children in the foster care system who have experienced abuse or neglect. She has worked on five cases involving a total of twelve children. Her focus has been to work with sibling cases, so the children can remain together.
John A. Focht Jr. Citizen Engineer Award
This award was established by the Texas Section in 1990 to recognize the outstanding and continued dedication of a member through their leadership and service to the community, thereby becoming a better citizen engineer.
2026 John A. Focht Jr. Citizen Engineer Award Recipient
Griselda Gonzales PE | GRIS Engineering
Griselda Gonzales, P.E. is the Principal and Owner of Global Resilient Infrastructure Solutions (GRIS) Engineering. She brings 25 years of experience delivering civil engineering projects. Her background includes a balanced portfolio of both public and private sector projects. She has strategic perspectives on efficient planning, design, and implementation across diverse infrastructure projects. Griselda is committed collaborating with stakeholders to deliver projects that provide lasting community benefits. Her professional involvement with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) began through Government Affairs, driven by a passion for educating elected
officials and staff on the critical role of infrastructure investment. She most recently cochaired the release of the 2025 Infrastructure Report Card. In recognition of her community involvement and leadership in advocacy, she received the Texas ASCE Service to People Award
in 2019 and the ASCE National Outstanding Civil Engineer Advocate of the Year Award in 2021. Throughout her education and career, Ms. Gonzales and her husband of 35 years have raised four children, three of which are engineers, and enjoy 4 grandchildren.
Award of Honor
The Texas Section established the Award of Honor to present to a limited number of members. It recognizes service to the Texas Section and outstanding professional achievement in civil engineering.
2026 Award of Honor Recipient
Curtis Beitel PE | Walker Partners
Young Civil Engineer Award
This award is conferred to a subscribing member of ASCE by the Texas Section to recognize an individual’s professional contributions of Younger Members through their Section, Section Institute Chapter(s), or Section Branch(es) upon recommendations of the Honors Committee. Candidates for the Young Civil Engineer Award must demonstrate significant professional achievement, assessed through their:
- Contributions to advancing the engineering profession.
- Technical competence, exemplary character, and integrity.
- Leadership in guiding younger members.
- Contributions to public service beyond their career.
- Other meritorious evidence recognized by the Honors Committee.
2026 Young Civil Engineer Award Recipient
Kamlesh Khatri PE, PMP, ENV SP | Woolpert
Kamlesh currently serves as an Engineering Team Leader at Woolpert, where he leads a team of transportation engineers and contributes to the planning and design of complex roadway and infrastructure projects across Texas. His experience includes roadway and geometric design, traffic control planning, corridor modeling, and the development of plans, specifications, and estimates for major transportation improvements. Throughout his career, he has contributed to projects across multiple TxDOT districts, with a focus on delivering practical engineering solutions that improve safety, mobility, and the communities they serve.
He is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in Texas and Florida and holds the Project Management Professional (PMP) designation. Kamlesh earned his Master of Science in Civil Engineering from The University of Texas at Arlington and his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Gujarat Technological University.
An active member and volunteer leader with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Kamlesh has contributed to the organization through service at the local, state, and national levels. His involvement includes committee service and professional initiatives focused on advancing the civil engineering profession, strengthening the engineering community, and supporting the development of future engineering leaders.
As the only engineer in his family, Kamlesh takes great pride in the journey that has shaped his career and credits his family’s encouragement and support as an important part of his accomplishments. Outside of engineering, he enjoys traveling, volunteering, exploring new places, and spending time with family and friends. He is passionate about giving back to the profession, mentoring young engineers, and inspiring others to pursue opportunities that may once have seemed beyond their reach.
Outstanding Civil Engineering Student Award
This award is for ASCE Texas Section student members who are:
- enrolled in an ABET-accredited civil engineering program in the State of Texas;
- in good standing with their college/university; and
- a current, registered student member of ASCE
2026 Outstanding Civil Engineering Student Award Recipient
Serena Rosales | University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Serena is an Infrastructure Engineering Intern at Garver, where she supports in the design of infrastructure projects while gaining hands-on experience in the civil engineering industry. Her journey in the industry began during her senior year of high school where she attended a presentation given by Garver. Inspired by the possibilities she saw at Garver, she reached out to the team and later earned an internship.
Since then, Serena has continued to grow both professionally and academically while pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). She has been actively involved with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) through both the Student Chapter and the Rio Grande Valley Branch, allowing her to build connections, develop leadership skills, and become more involved in the engineering community. Her dedication to her education and profession has been recognized through the ASCE RGV Scholarship Award in both 2024 and 2025.
Serena credits much of her growth and success to the mentors and sister who have helped shape the person and future engineer she is today. Their continuous support, encouragement, and guidance have inspired her to pursue new opportunities, challenge herself, and continue building a meaningful career in civil engineering.
Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award
The Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award is presided over by the Student Activities Committee and recognizes faculty advisors who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and support to their ASCE Student Chapter
2026 Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award Recipient
Yongtao Dong PhD, PE | Texas State University
Dr. Yongtao Dong is an Associate Professor of Practice at Texas State University. Dr. Dong’s teaching and research are in the area of structural engineering. Dr. Dong’s professional experience included working as transportation and structural engineers at TxDOT, NMDOT, as well as with consulting firms. Dr. Dong is a registered PE in the states of Texas, New Mexico and Ohio. As the faculty advisor to the ASCE Student Chapter at Texas State University, Dr. Dong provides mentorship, guidance and support to TXST’s student chapter on their activities,
projects and career development. The chapter was able to overcome significant challenges and participated successfully in their very first Concrete Canoe Competition in April this year during the ASCE Frontier Student Symposium. The students were so encouraged through this experience and are actively preparing for next year’s competitions
