Please join the New York State Society of Professional Engineers, Inc. in congratulating our 2018 Award Winners!
Engineer of the Year: William Gorlin, P.E.
William Gorlin is an industry recognized and world-renowned expert in the design of stages, theaters, amusement rides and theatrical effects. His expertise in structural and mechanical engineer systems relating to these elements has made him a leader in the industry. Bill is a graduate of Cornell University where he obtained both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, and he is currently Vice President and Division Chief of Entertainment Engineering at McLaren Engineering Group.
His career spans 30 years and four continents. He has worked on projects around the globe, from Macau to China to Singapore, North and South America, the Middle East and throughout Europe. His work includes the Dancing Cranes in Singapore, the world’s largest animatronic structure; the stage for Cirque du Soleil’s Ka at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas; work at all of the theme parks in Florida, including Disney World, Universal and Sea World; amusement parks in Dubai, and Moscow; and work on over 100 Broadway shows.
As Professional Engineers, one of our key core values is the protection of the public. Bill has exemplified this as he is at the fore front of his industry in promoting safety and is presently in charge of writing the industry standards for both Performer Flying and Temporary structures. Many of the projects Bill is involved with are considered temporary structure and don’t fall under the traditional building Code. Because of this Bill has worked with both international committees and the NYC Building department to develop the requirement for temporary events to insure public and performer safety.
Young Engineer of the Year: Nikhil Bodhankar, P.E.
Nikhil Bodhankar is an associate principal of SMRT Architects and Engineers with more than a decade of experience in specialized scientific research and practice in the discipline of electrical engineering. His engineering designs have been applied in a variety of public and private sector fields, including research institutions, education, utilities, transportation, healthcare, and renewable energy.
Bodhankar has worked closely with clients including the New York State Office of General Services, the New York State Department of Corrections, and the GE-Global Research Center where he made substantial contributions to the complex areas of safety electrical circuits, explosion-proof environment electrical design, machine automation, and much more.
Bodhankar’s innovative design models have been recognized by experts in the electrical engineering field, both practitioners and policymakers alike, as important advancements in their effectiveness and efficiency. He has authored several articles in professional journals and his research in developing a theoretical model for the use of smart textiles to protect U.S. military personnel in combat was presented at the 2007 Nunan Research Symposium in New York.
Active in a number of professional and technical associations, Bodhankar is currently president-elect of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers (NYSSPE) Capital District Chapter, and he is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Meritorious Service Award: James Yarmus, P.E., Ph.D
Dr. James Yarmus, F.NSP.E., F.ASCE, Ph.D has been providing outstanding service and has contributed to the goals of the Society of Professional Engineers for over 36 years. Dr. Yarmus joined the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1981. On the local chapter level, Dr. Yarmus has served on the Board of Directors in various roles including President, Secretary, and Director. Dr. Yarmus has organized and provided various lectures over the decades, and, for many of these lectures, helped to approve them for PDH credits.
He currently lectures on five courses in continuing education seminars nationwide. Dr. Yarmus has also served as President of the Hudson Valley Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers, in addition to various other civic and technical organizations. Dr. Yarmus was also one of the original founding members of the Lower Hudson Valley Engineering EXPO. He has spent decades recruiting engineers from across his local region, state, and the entire country, to not only join the National Society of Professional Engineers, but to also take active roles in leading various groups within it. Dr. Yarmus is a passionate advocate for the Society and its goals, and is individually responsible for having recruited numerous individuals who have gone on to play leadership roles within the organization on the local, state, and national levels.
On the state level, Dr. Yarmus is a Past President, current Nominating Committee member, prior Chair, and current active board member for the Professional Engineers in Construction Interest Group. On the national level, Dr. Yarmus has attended several national conferences and was a Past Chair of the Professional Engineers in Construction Interest Group. Dr. Yarmus has also been published by the NSPE magazine on subjects such as the stature of the engineering profession and his work with Rotary International and Engineers Without Borders in South America.
Dr. Yarmus has received numerous awards from the National Society of Professional Engineers over the course of his career, including, but not limited to, the Rockland County Chapter 2001 Engineer of the Year, the 2013 Chapter Engineer in Education of the Year, and the 2017 Chapter Recognition of Lifetime Achievement. Dr. Yarmus was honored as Engineering Manager of the year by NYSSPE in 1991, and he previously received the Meritorious Service award in 2006. In 2008, Dr. Yarmus was selected as the Engineer of the Year by NYSSPE. Dr. Yarmus has also been recognized as a Fellow of both the National Society of Professional Engineers and American Society of Civil Engineers.
PE’s in Government (PEG) Engineer of the Year: Kevin Winn, P.E.
Kevin Winn is a distinguished engineer with a career of over 25 years in the public works, water, and wastewater industry. Having started his career at Dynalytics Corporation working on power plants and pollution control system, he then rose to Vice President with United Water, with responsibility for general management of a water utility serving 137,000 people. Kevin later spent time with D&B engineers as well as Severn Trent Services where he acted as regional manager, overseeing over 50 public works operations in New York and New England.
Kevin is currently the Commissioner of Public Works in the Town of Bedford where he oversees the Highway Division, Water Division, and Recycling Center for the DPW. Under Kevin’s leadership, engineering expertise, and calm, direct approach, Bedford has implemented significant improvements to its public infrastructure. Such improvements include a $1.2 million per year paving program; roadway infrastructure and safety improvements; obtaining property for, designing, and construction a new recycling center; over $3 million of stormwater improvements to reduce phosphorus loading in the NYC Watershed; obtaining a NYSERDA grant for and implementing an ongoing LED streetlight upgrade program; expanding the Adams Street Highway Yard; a new award-winning $21 M water filtration plant; and a current project to provide wastewater collection and treatment to the densely populated areas of Katonah and Bedford Hills.
Kevin provides Bedford with design, construction oversight, and operations services, maintaining Grade IIA, IIB,C and D Water Treatment Operator Licenses in addition to his Professional Engineering license in New York. Kevin is active in the profession, serving as a past Chair and current committee chair of the Westchester Water Works Association. He is also a past President of the Westchester/Putnam Highway Superintendents Association, and is an active participant in the American Water Works.
PE’s in Construction (PEC) Project of the Year: The Moynihan Train Hall and Farley Building Redevelopment – Phase 1– New West End Concourse
MEP/IT Engineer: Jaros, Baum & Bolles Consulting Engineers, LLP
Developer/Owner: Moynihan Station Development Corporation
Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP
Structural Engineer: Severud Associates
Owner, Sponsor, Stakeholder: Amtrak, Infrastructure & Investment Development
Lessee/Owner and Stakeholder: Long Island Rail Road
Phase 1, the New West End Concourse, was completed and opened for full public use in June 2017. The New West End Concourse now directly connects to reconfigured entrances to the 8th Avenue Subway and a widened pedestrian corridor under 33rd Street linking to Penn Station’s existing concourses. By adding stairways, escalators and elevators to the western third of the platforms, the New West End Concourse reduces peak-hour congestion within the Penn Station complex. These new connections provide full ADA accessibility and more efficient passenger circulation between 17 of 21 tracks, Penn Station’s main concourses, two adjacent subway stations, and the surrounding neighborhood.
These improvements were created by modifying underutilized areas of the Farley Building and the train shed of Penn Station. The Farley Building, built in 1912 as the city’s main post office, was designed by McKim, Mead, and White as a companion to their masterpiece, the original Penn Station. While the magnificent historic Farley Building and its location above Penn Station’s existing tracks and platforms provided an unparalleled opportunity for adaptive reuse, those same features presented unique engineering challenges.
Phase 1, the New West End Concourse, accomplished the most technically challenging scope of work for the Moynihan Train Hall project on scheduled and on-budget. That accomplishment served as a proof of concept for major track-level work at Penn Station. In turn, its success made the Phase 2 megaproject viable as an innovative public-private partnership, with the private developer building and managing the Moynihan Train Hall with minimized risk to the public stakeholders (the same day Phase 1 opened to the public, the Phase 2 deal was executed and the major train hall construction began). The New West End Concourse is generating immediate benefits and proving popular with passengers, who praise its attractive design, diminished congestion, and reduced distance to the 8th Avenue subway and the booming Far West Side. Passenger demand has been even higher than projected, with commuters shifting their travel patterns to take advantage of the new facilities. According to surveys, nine out of ten passengers rated the New West End Concourse “excellent” overall and agree the Concourse is “A Good Model for Future Transportation Facilities in New York.” The project has set a new bar for design quality of infrastructure in the state.
The awards will be presented at the NYSSPE Annual Conference on June 15th at the Holiday Inn: 232 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
For more information, Click Here.
Note: NYSSPE facilitates posting on this blog, but the views and accounts expressed herein are those of the author(s) and not the views or accounts of NYSSPE, its officers or directors whose views and accounts may or may not be similar or identical. NYSSPE, its officers and directors do not express any opinion regarding any product or service by virtue of reference to such product or service in this blog.
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