New ASCE Members Making an Impact at the Branch Level

Membership in the American Society of Civil Engineers comes with plenty of benefits, but it also affords you the chance to make an impact within the civil engineering industry and your local community. This month, we’d like to highlight some Younger Members in the Texas Section who are making an impact at the Branch level!

If you want to learn more about the value of ASCE membership, check out  what some longstanding ASCE Texas Section members have to say here.

Samantha Vail – ASCE Dallas Branch Education Outreach Chair

Samantha Vail is a recent graduate of Texas A&M University and is a transportation engineer at Jacobs in Dallas. She currently serves as the Education Committee Chair and DISD Co-Champion for the ASCE Dallas Branch.

What made you first want to get involved with ASCE? Was it a specific person, or cause/initiative?

I got involved with the local ASCE Dallas Branch a few months after graduating college. I initially wanted to join ASCE to begin familiarizing myself with the civil engineering community in Dallas. I reached out to Ed Penton about getting involved with ASCE, and he sent me a list of the open leadership positions. When I saw the Education Outreach Chair and the DISD Champion positions available, I knew it was something I had to be a part of.

What do you enjoy the most about being involved with ASCE?

STEM outreach in my community is something I am passionate about. I was involved in STEM outreach for female and minority students throughout college, and I lead a STEM outreach program at my job. What I enjoy most about this position in ASCE is the impact I can have on future generations and the ability to give back to my community.

Were there any unexpected perks and/or benefits to ASCE that you were not anticipating when you first got involved?

An unexpected perk to ASCE has been collaborating and learning from all the wonderful leaders in ASCE and the free food.

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Tyler Huynh – ASCE Dallas Branch Dallas ISD Co-Champion

Tyler Huynh, E.I.T is a Design Engineer at Lina T. Ramey Associates Engineers (LTRA) headquarters in Farmers Branch, TX. He is a new graduate with a bachelor’s in environmental engineering from SMU specializing in hydrology and hydraulics. Projects that he has worked on consist of numerous TxDOT bridges, culverts, and roadway designs. Tyler is currently serving as Dallas ISD Co-Chair Champion & Dallas MATHCOUNTS Coordinator and an advocator for environmental sustainability. The best thing about his leadership is volunteering in educational events with the strong Dallas community. Some hobbies that Tyler enjoys include tending to gardens, table tennis, drawing, and photography.

When did you first get involved with ASCE at any level (student chapter, local branch, section)?

I first got involved when I was a senior participating in the Southern Methodist University (SMU) student chapter. It was an inactive student chapter, but it had its charm with free Dallas Branch meetings and a free Mentorship program. I went to the Branch meetings and was hooked on the amount of resources and networking available. I wanted to encourage the whole ASCE SMU Student Chapter to attend these very active Dallas Branch meetings. My mentor, Patrick Williams (ASCE Dallas Branch Secretary), is an amazing person who really understood my viewpoint on where I was in life and convinced me to stay in the organization and to be a leader.

What made you first want to get involved with ASCE? Was it a specific person, or cause/initiative?

I first went to one of the ASCE Student Chapter meetings at SMU because they were giving out free food (Chick-fil-a), and I was a hungry college student.  One of the speakers was Jennifer Smith – an alumna of SMU – and she talked so highly about ASCE.  Her contagious enthusiasm convinced me to go to a Branch meeting. This is where I met Patrick and many other people who helped me with my career by giving me their life stories and experiences.

What do you enjoy the most about being involved with ASCE?

I enjoy volunteering my time to teach children about civil engineering. It brings my heart joy to see the enthusiasm from my eyes spread to theirs. I realize that I can be an educator and an engineer at the same time. Tournaments are fun too.

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Christopher Lau – ASCE Houston Branch Membership Chair

My name is Christopher Lau, and I am a graduate from The University of Texas at Austin (2016) with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. I am currently working as a Civil Engineer II at AECOM in the Transportation, Highways Division in Houston, TX, my hometown. I have had the opportunity to work on numerous PS&E and Schematic projects with multiple clients including TxDOT, City of Houston, Montgomery County, and the City of League City. Ever since graduation, it has always been a goal of mine to keep myself active in professional organizations and to help other young engineers network with each other. I have held several leadership positions with organizations, such as the ASCE Houston Branch, Young Professionals in Transportation International, and the Houston International Junior Chamber.

When did you first get involved with ASCE at any level (student chapter, local branch, section)?

I first got involved with ASCE at The University of Texas at Austin. Since I was studying civil engineering as my undergraduate degree, I thought joining UT Austin ASCE Student Chapter would be a great way to get to know my classmates and develop a professional and social network with others pursuing civil engineering as well. Although I did not take up any leadership positions in the Student Chapter, I was involved with the concrete canoe team and very much enjoyed attending general meetings and volunteer events with other ASCE members. After graduating in 2016, I moved back to Houston and continued my ASCE membership with the ASCE Houston Branch, where I am the current Membership Committee Chair.

What made you first want to get involved with ASCE? Was it a specific person, or cause/initiative?

When I first entered college, I did not know very many people pursuing civil engineering as a major or even as a profession. I mainly joined the UT ASCE Student Chapter to meet new people and gain insight to see if civil engineering would be something that I would like to continue pursuing. After being welcomed in with open arms and gaining more knowledge about the industry, I felt comfortable and happy that I chose civil engineering as my undergraduate major. Having the connections with people I met in the Student Chapter acted as somewhat of a support group throughout college, and I feel that college definitely would have been more of a struggle without having that dedicated ASCE social circle of like-minded individuals who want to improve the built environment around us all.

What do you enjoy the most about being involved with ASCE?

I think the most satisfying aspect of ASCE is getting to meet people with similar interests, career paths, and backgrounds as you. I have made some meaningful friendships from ASCE, and I can see our relationships lasting for a lifetime. Other aspects of ASCE that I very much enjoy are the volunteering and community involvement events that we have, especially during Engineer’s Week. Civil engineering is an industry that affects the public so significantly, so I feel it is important and satisfying to go full circle and give back to the community that relies on us and provides opportunities for us to do our job.

Were there any unexpected perks and/or benefits to ASCE that you were not anticipating when you first got involved?

When I first started attending the ASCE Houston Branch meetings after graduating in 2016, I was surprised at just how many opportunities there were to continue your technical education. Aside from the technical sessions provided at ASCE Houston Branch general meetings, there were also technical institute luncheons that ASCE members could attend which often present about industry-specific, technically relevant information. ASCE members also get 10 free on-demand webinars, and there are always many interesting webinars to choose from. The Civil Engineering magazine is also a great benefit with many fascinating articles about our industry. I am so happy to have so many resources available to members to keep up to date with advances in our industry and innovations in civil engineering.