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Geo-Congress 2026

Salt Lake City, Utah | –

Student Program

Student Professional Development Workshop

Sunday, February 25 | 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Join us for the Student Professional Development Workshop! Enhance your skills, gain valuable insights, and connect with industry experts who will share their experiences and offer advice to help you navigate your career path. 
Don't miss this opportunity to meet our panelists:

Tim Avery 
Senior Business Development Manager Keller, Inc.

Tim Avery holds a Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering (1984) and a Master of Science in Geological Engineering (1986) from the University of Arizona, College of Mines. Throughout their career, he has gained diverse experience in various roles, including Research Engineer at the Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg, MS, and Portland, OR, Staff Geotechnical Engineer at Pacific Gas & Electric in San Francisco, CA, and positions such as Grouting and Ground Improvement Specialist at ECO Geosystems in Venetia, PA, Technical Sales Specialist in Shotcrete and Grouting Systems at Master Builders Technologies in Cleveland, OH, and General Manager of Civil Construction Products at Jennmar in Pittsburgh, PA. He has also worked in business development roles at Hayward Baker in Santa Paula, CA, and is currently Senior Business Development Manager at Keller.

Dr. Lois Boxill 
Strategist of Mine Closure, Mine Impacts Specialist Ltd.

Dr. Boxill specializes in mine closure, working to boost productivity at the intersection of mining firms, indigenous governments, local communities, and government bodies. Inspired by her love for humanity, admiration for engineers' societal impact, and profound connection to nature, Dr. Boxill founded Mining Impact Specialists Limited. Her company emphasizes not only the technical aspect of projects, but also on building human understanding and trust essential for achieving outcomes that instill confidence and enduring pride. Dr. Boxill previously served as Global Manager for Tailings Technology with BASF, principal consultant with SRK Consulting in Vancouver, senior project engineer with AMEC (now WSP) in Burnaby, and as a project engineer with URS Corporation (now AECOM) in Denver, CO. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in civil engineering (geotechnical focus), a Masters of Divinity, a PhD in Mining Engineering, and most recently, an MBA focused on organizational leadership, and strategic development of bottom up/grassroots enterprises.

Dr. Susan Chang 
Geotechnical Engineering Group Supervisor, City of Seattle (SDCI)

Dr. Chang supervises the geotechnical engineering review group at the City of Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections. Prior to this role, she was an Assistant Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Washington State University (Pullman) and a Principal Engineer for Shannon & Wilson in Seattle. She received the 2022 Puget Sound Engineering Council Government Engineer of the Year Award. She is also a recent former council member for the City of Shoreline, Washington, contributing to local governance alongside her engineering commitments.

Dr. David Frost 
Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Frost studies natural and man-made disasters and their impact on infrastructure at multiple scales using digital data collection systems. He worked in the industry in Ireland and Canada on infrastructure and natural resource projects before entering academia. He has graduated 45 PhD students, published more than 200 refereed journal and conference papers, and given more than 80 invited lectures worldwide. Additionally, he is involved in a range of entrepreneurial activities, including technology commercialization and start-up companies. Dr. Frost serves as chair of the GEER Association, an NSF-sponsored organization that responds to disasters worldwide. He is also the subsurface engineering research Thrust Leader for an NSF ERC on Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics. He has been recognized for his teaching and research, including receiving the ASCE Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize, the ASTM Hogentogler Award, and the ASCE Seed Medal. He is also a registered professional engineer in the US and Canada and a Fellow of ASCE.

Dr. Kristin Sample-Lord 
Associate Professor, Villanova University

Dr. Sample-Lord is an Associate Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, USA. Her geoenvironmental research programs focus on engineered barriers, contaminant hydrology, waste re-use, and green stormwater infrastructure. She recently received a National Science Foundation CAREER award for research on coupled phenomena in bentonite barriers. She currently serves as the Secretary of TC215 of the ISSMGE, President-Elect of the North American chapter of the International Geosynthetics Society, and a Board Member of the United States Universities Council on Geotechnical Education and Research (USUCGER).

Dr. Sean Ahdi 
Engineering Seismologist AECOM

Dr. Sean Ahdi is an Engineering Seismologist at AECOM in Los Angeles, CA. His expertise lies at the intersection of a broad range of interrelated topics across the domains of civil engineering and earth sciences, including geotechnical and earthquake engineering, engineering seismology, near-surface geophysics, and geology and geological engineering. Previously, Sean served as a Research Geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, CO, developing the National Seismic Hazard Model, a product underpinning engineering design and risk assessments performed by practicing engineers to mitigate against seismic hazards nationwide. Sean earned B.S. degrees in Civil Engineering and in Geology/Engineering Geology, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, all at UCLA. Sean also has prior work experience at geophysical, civil engineering, and forensic geotechnical consulting firms. He also served a Lecturer within the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences (EPSS) at UCLA for four years.

 

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS TO PANELIST NOW

 

Geo-Challenge 2024

Monday, February 26 | 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Showcasing Your Geotechnical Engineering Skills

The Geo-Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers is hosting the Geo-Challenge 2024 at Geo-Congress 2024 in Vancouver, Canada. This competition is a great opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to showcase their geotechnical engineering skills and compete for awards and recognition.

The Geo-Challenge consists of five competitions:

 

Organizational Member/Student Career Fair

Monday, February 26 | 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Location: Exhibit Hall, next to the Geo-Wall student competition, the Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, BC.

We're excited to invite you to participate in the Organizational Member/Student Career Fair and Networking Event at Geo-Congress 2024!

This year, the Career Fair will be open to all students attending Geo-Congress 2024, including undergraduate and graduate students, as well as the 60 travel grant recipients, selected by the Organizational Member Council. The 60 travel grant recipients will be required to carry a "Career Fair Passport," which will be stamped by company representatives after each interview.

Student Travel Grant Opportunity

This grant is available to currently enrolled US or Canadian college or university students who are actively seeking employment and are interested in attending the Career Fair during the Geo-Congress 2024.

Eligibility criteria:

  • Be a currently enrolled student at a US or Canadian college or university.
  • Be a student member of the Geo-Institute.
  • Be actively seeking employment (internships, co-ops, full-time positions).
  • Be able to attend the Career Fair on Monday, February 26, 2024, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall of the Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, BC. This is a drop-in event.
  • Have a passport or alternative travel document for entry into Canada.

The deadline for submitting the Application Form is December 18, 2023, at 11:59 PM EST.

The 2024 Travel Grant application is now closed. We are no longer accepting submissions.

Participating Companies:

  • Bechtel Corporation
  • Braun Intertec Corporation
  • Burns & McDonnell
  • Condon-Johnson @ Associates, Inc.
  • Dan Brown and Associates
  • Elastizell Corporation of America
  • Exponent
  • Gannett Fleming, Inc.
  • GEI Consultants, Inc.
  • GeoEngineers Inc.
  • Geopier
  • Geosyntec Consultants
  • GRL Engineers, Inc.
  • Haley & Aldrich, Inc.
  • Jacobs
  • Keller
  • Kleinfelder
  • Schnabel Engineering
  • SME
  • WSP

 

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