About the awards
Each year the faculty and staff of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment honors select individuals with the Academy of Distinguished Alumni or Hall of Fame awards. Each person is honored for exemplifying the values and traditions of Arizona State University and the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering through significant research, professional achievements or community service.
Academy of Distinguished Alumni awards recognize outstanding alumni that embody the spirit of the New American University and who show excellence in their professional work as well as compassion and support for their communities. Individual awards are granted to alumni of the Del E. Webb School of Construction and the Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering program.
Civil Engineering Alumni Awardees
Year Inducted | Name | Bio | |
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2023 | Edward Bouwer, PhD ’77 BSE | Edward Bouwer was a distinguished professor and chair of environmental engineering at Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering for more than 34 years. He was an internationally recognized leader in the fields of environmental microbiology and biotechnology. He received several honors for his research and was a devoted mentor and colleague. He advised 26 doctoral students and countless undergraduates with care and enthusiasm and was widely respected by his peers. | |
2023 | Mark Kramer, PE ‘89 BSE | Mark Kramer is the CEO and Chairman of the Board of SME, a civil engineering and environmental services consulting firm that operates in the Great Lakes region of Michigan. He is the owner and second-generation leader of the employee-owned company, which has 15 offices and over 380 staff. He has led SME since 2002 and has grown it to become one of the top 500 design firms in the US. He has held leadership positions with ACEC Michigan and served on their Board of Directors. | |
2023 | Chidambaram Gnanasambanthan (CG), PE, SE ’86 MS | CG, the founder of Premier Engineering Corporation (Premier), has 40 years of civil engineering-related structural engineering, project management and entrepreneurial experience. By providing innovative and cost-effective solutions, Premier soon became one of the top engineering firms in the Phoenix region and was acquired by Olsson. CG provided leadership to the profession through his tenure as a board member of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of AZ for more than 11 years. | |
2019 | Douglas J. Nicholls, PE, BS, '94 | Mr. Nicholls is serving his second term as Mayor for the City of Yuma and Principal of Core Engineering Group, PLLC. In his role as mayor, he spearheads many efforts to elevate the community and its constituents. Mayor Nicholls’ actions are a demonstration of his beliefs that providing opportunities for success to all people through a strong economy with quality jobs, superior education and a robust quality of life is valuable service. | |
2019 | John W. Nicklow, PE, PhD, '98 | Dr. Nicklow was appointed President of the University of New Orleans in March 2016. His priorities focus on enrollment growth and student success, strengthening the campus’ research enterprise, and building partnerships with alumni, the community and regional business leaders. President Nicklow has more than two decades of higher education experience with accomplishments in research, enrollment management, student success initiatives, fundraising, campus-wide collaborations and academic program innovation. | |
2018 | Major George J. "Jim" Geiser, (ret.), PE, '77 | Mr. Geiser continues to be an influence on the civil engineering program as retired principal of Prelude Engineering. His participation in Friends of Civil Engineering and establishment of a scholarship is a demonstration of his passion to help students develop into young professionals. Retired from the United States Marine Corps, he recently helped create a recognition wall for all of the ASU Alumni who died on active duty in the U.S. Military. | |
2018 | Geza E. Kmetty, PE, '65 | Mr. Kmetty has more than 40 years of civil engineering design and business management experience in transportation and urban infrastructure development. He has taught numerous courses at ASU, and continues to support the School and impact students through mentoring and as an adjunct faculty member. | |
2018 | Debra Larson, PhD, PE, '94 | Dr. Larson is provost and vice president for academic affairs at California State University, Chico. She is an educational leader with a decade of experience as a civil engineer in the private sector. She has received significant recognition during her career, most notably the Excellence in Civil Engineering Education Leadership Award from the American Society of Civil Engineering. | |
2017 | Kent M. Dibble, PE, '75 | Mr. Dibble serves as President of Dibble Engineering, an engineering firm that has served clients for 54 years. Mr. Dibble is a founding member of Friends of Civil Engineering at ASU and is on the Steering Committee. Recognized for his commitment and service to the industry he was presented with the AzSCE's John C. Park Outstanding Civil Engineer Award in 2016. | |
2017 | Enamul Hoque, PE, '85 | Mr. Hoque has over 40 years civil engineering experience in three continents. In 1997, he started Hoque & Associates, Inc. and provides innovative and cost-effective engineering and sustainable solutions to Arizona’s projects. Mr. Hoque is a recipient of numerous awards including the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Ira Fulton College of Engineering at ASU and also served as Adjunct Faculty. | |
2017 | Hisham H. Mahmoud, PhD, PE, '89 Master of Science, Civil Engineering; '91 Doctorate, Civil Engineering | Dr. Hisham is the President & CEO of Golder Associates, a global engineering and consulting firm as their first externally appointed CEO in the company’s 60-year history. Dr. Mahmoud has had a successful career leading engineering, consulting and construction businesses of regional and global scale and has developed particular skill and a strong reputation in the industry for building and turning around businesses. |
Construction Alumni Awardees
Year Inducted | Name | Bio | |
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2023 | Paul Von Berg, BS, '68 | Paul Von Berg is a retired executive vice president of Brutoco Engineering and Construction Inc., a company that specializes in heavy civil construction projects. He has over 40 years of experience in the industry, working on various projects such as water treatment plants, bridges, railroads, dams, tunnels, power plants, and transit systems. He also served on the board of directors of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, a national transportation trade association. | |
2023 | James Murphy, BS, '98 | James Murphy is the CEO of Willmeng Construction, a local general contracting company that was founded in 1977. He joined the company in 1999 as a young DEWSC graduate. He learned every aspect of the business from Jack Willmeng, the founder, and became the owner and president in 2006. Under his leadership, Willmeng Construction has grown to become one of Arizona’s largest privately held construction companies, with more than 350 employees and nearly $1 billion in revenue. | |
2019 | Stephen C. DeTommaso, BS, '75 | Mr. DeTommaso is the former owner, CEO and President of Torrent Resources, Inc. In his 43-year tenure with Torrent he grew the organization from a small, local contractor with seven employees specializing in on-site wastewater disposal and drilled foundations to a regional stormwater management, disposal and recharge business that operates in eight states with over 120 employees. He actively represented the industry serving on numerous state and business committees to support the industry. | |
2019 | Paul D. Henry, BS, '82 | Mr. Henry is a Senior Executive, with over 36 years of international construction, engineering, operations and enterprise management expertise. He is currently the Regional Director Europe, Middle East and Africa for Data Center Construction And Delivery at Google in Ireland. He has provided leadership, oversight and management direction throughout his career while overseeing large workforces and budgets, also while working for a Three-Star Admiral in the United Kingdom Royal Navy and at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. | |
2019 | Janaka Ruwanpura, PhD, P.Eng., MS, '97 | Dr. Ruwanpura has developed many best practices and tools that have been successfully implemented in the construction industry for productivity improvement, project management, project planning, construction management, risk management, decision analysis and sustainability. He has published over 180 technical papers in refereed journals and conference proceedings. He has also been recognized with many national and international awards for teaching, research, service, graduate education and internationalization. | |
2018 | LeRoy C. Hanneman Jr., '69 | Mr. Hanneman is a 35-year veteran of the housing industry and former president, chief operating and executive officer of Del Webb Corporation. He established numerous scholarships for construction students at ASU and provided corporate support for student events for many years while at Del Webb and Element Homes. | |
2018 | Valerie S. Roberts, '87 | Ms. Roberts is the senior vice president Global Field Services at Jacobs Engineering. Her impact on the industry is seen through more than 25 years of project, program and enterprise management experience including her tenure as principal deputy for National Ignition Facility & Photon Science Directorate, the largest laser facility built in 2016. | |
2018 | Michael D. Roy, '79 | Mr. Roy serves as executive vice president of Bragg Companies, Inc. He is a continuous and passionate supporter of the Del E. Webb School of Construction. His help to establish connections with alumni and professional associations in southern California during the Block 12 Building fundraising campaign helped ensure its success. | |
2017 | Stephen A. Basila, '77 | Mr. Basila has over 39 years of heavy civil infrastructure construction experience. He is the AGC Arizona Chapter Chairman and Lifetime Director. Mr. Basila is the Owner and Manager of Infrastructure Mavens LLC which provides executive management support and advisory services to support transportation infrastructure. He served as a Faculty Associate for seven years at Del E. Webb School of Construction. | |
2017 | Michael W. Fann, '80 | Mr. Fann is the President of Fann Contracting, a heavy construction contractor company established in 1960. Mr. Fann is a respected leader in the Prescott, AZ community for his impact and philanthropic efforts. The company has received many awards such as the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) for Quality in Construction Award for excellence in construction of an asphalt pavement. | |
2010 | Jefferson L. Begay, '74 | ||
2009 | William G. Dorey, '67 | ||
2009 | Susan L. McCullough, '84 | ||
2009 | Frank C. Rivera, '68 | ||
2008 | Ronald M. Fedrick, '73 | ||
2008 | Jimmie R. Sneed, '61 | ||
2007 | Jeffrey H. Ehret, '76 | ||
2006 | Robert A. Glenn, '75 | ||
2005 | John Hobbs, '73 | ||
2004 | George J. "Jay" Graef, Jr., '70 | ||
2003 | Daniel L. Withers, '74 | ||
2002 | Steven M. Padilla, '72 | ||
2001 | Michael F. Markham, Sr., '73 | ||
2000 | Anthony A. "Tony" Rojas, '76 | ||
1999 | C. Dean Rasmussen, '69 | ||
1998 | Gary R. Linthicum, '64 | ||
1997 | Jed S. Billings, '70 | ||
1996 | Ronald R. Rodgers, '77 | ||
1995 | Robert J. Wheeler, '63 |
Established in 1990, the Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have contributed to the advancement of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, its educational and research mission and preparation of the industry’s workforce.
Year Inducted | Name | Bio | |
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2023 | G. Edward Gibson, PhD, PE, Dist.M.ASCE, NAC | Dr. Gibson is the President and CEO of the National Academy of Construction (NAC). He has a rich background in organizational leadership and management, with experience in the U.S. Army, industry, and academia. He was a professor at ASU for 13 years and served as chair of the Del E. Webb School of Construction and the Director of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment during a decade of rapid growth in enrollment and research. | |
2023 | Sandra Houston, PhD | Sandra Houston is Professor Emerita at ASU, where she taught and conducted research in geotechnical engineering for 36 years. She served as Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering for 10 years, presiding over a period of rapid growth. She is an expert in unsaturated soil mechanics and received several awards for her contributions to the field including the ASCE Terzaghi Award and the William H. Wisely Award. She also served as president of the ASCE Geo-Institute. | |
2019 | Mark Minter | Mark Minter retired from Arizona Builder’s Alliance after 40 years of service to the commercial and industrial construction industries. He has been a consistent supporter of construction education for ASU. His involvement in the early 2000s was instrumental in aligning funding from industry partners and from the Arizona State Legislature. His coordination helped save the funding effort to keep the Block 12 project viable. He was a steadfast partner until his retirement and has always been a gracious advocate for the Del E. Webb School of Construction. | |
2019 | Thomas G. Schmitt, PE | Thomas G. Schmitt spent his career in service to the state of Arizona in many engineering and transportation roles. During his tenure, he helped established a legacy of support for the civil engineering program and students as one of the co-creators of the Friends of Civil Engineering group in the 2000s. For over a decade, he served as the Chair of FOCE where he has been a constant advocate and champion bringing industry and academics together. | |
2018 | Charles E. O'Bannon, PhD (posthumous) | Dr. O’Bannon retired from Arizona State University in 1997 after 33 years as a professor, including seven years serving as chair of the Civil Engineering Department. During his tenure, he established a legacy of inspiring hundreds of leaders in civil engineering and construction. O’Bannon’s energy, intellect, humor and his quest for living in spite of physical challenges were an inspiration to his family, friends, students and all the “strangers he never met.” Posthumous award | |
2018 | Bo Calbert | Mr. Calbert’s contributions and leadership to the Del E. Webb School of Construction have been substantial. His work with the Alliance for Construction Excellence and the Construction Industry Advisory Council made a significant impact on strategic direction and vision for the school, including development of the construction engineering program. His commitment to the Block 12 Building fundraising campaign was instrumental in helping construct College Avenue Commons. | |
2017 | Paul C. Johnson, PhD, PE | Dr. Johnson is the President of the Colorado School Mines and holds the title of emeritus faculty for his service as the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering associate dean for research, executive dean, and dean in addition to his role as professor. He has received numerous awards for his work and his career reflects his strong passion for innovation, education and student success. | |
2017 | Eric H. Hedlund, PE | Mr. Hedlund serves as Senior Vice President and District Manager for Sundt’s Texas offices overseeing the company’s Texas area building projects. Mr. Hedlund served as past president and is currently a life director of the Arizona Builder’s Alliance and he served as the Past Chairman of the Executive Advisory Board for the Del E. Webb School of Construction at Arizona State University. | |
2010 | Col. William W. "Bill" Badger, PhD, PE, NAC | William (Bill) Badger is an Emeritus Professor with the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at Arizona State University. He retired from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering in 2011. Badger has served as professor in the Del E. Webb School of Construction for 25 years, including 17 years as the school’s director. His vision and commitment has helped ASU garner recognition as one of the top construction programs in the nation. | |
2007 | J. Doug Pruitt | ||
1997 | Robert H. Johnson | ||
1993 | Colonel Vernon L. Hastings, (ret.) | ||
1992 | William A. “Wink” Ames | ||
1990 | Daniel S. Mardian, Sr. |