News

The application for the SDES Central Chapter's $900 Scholarship is now available on the Student Information and Scholarships page.  Applicants must be a high school senior and plan on pursuing an engineering career by attending either South Dakota School of Mines and Technology or South Dakota State University in the Fall Semester 2019.  Applicants must have attended a high school in the Central Chapter area. The application deadline is April 1, 2019.  

The Black Hills Chapter of SDES is currently accepting applications for two Jody Page Leadership Scholarships. Applicants must be returning, undergraduate engineering students at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology for the Fall Semester 2019. Students with a grade point average above 2.5 in an engineering major program and active in engineering societies and community organizations are encouraged to apply. Applications are due February 14, 2019. See the Student Information and Scholarships page for more information.

Applications for the SDES Eastern Chapter's $2000 Scholarship are now available on the Student Information and Scholarships page or through high school counselors.   Applicants should be high school seniors and must be planning on attending an engineering program at either South Dakota School of Mines and Technology or South Dakota State University.  Applicants must have attended a high school in the Eastern Chapter area.  The application deadline is January 16, 2019.  The scholarship recipient is presented with the award at the Chapter’s Annual Engineering Banquet, usually held in mid February.

The City of Rapid City has an opening for a Solid Waste Superintendent. The position is set to close on October 14, 2018. Find out more on our Job Openings page.

Over the last several months, the Executive Board and Board of Directors have been reviewing and updating the documents previously known as the SDES Bylaws and Constitution. At the Summer Board Meeting, the Board of Directors approved the first reading, with a few minor revisions, and voted to send the proposed documents to you, the membership, for review and comment. Comments are due to Nancy Hoines no later than September 20, 2018. Visit the Bylaws and Constitution page under the Members Only Section to view the proposed documents. 

PE Day Press Release.pdf

Pierre, South Dakota: Governor Dennis Daugaard has proclaimed August 1, 2018, as Professional Engineers Day in South Dakota. In his proclamation, Daugaard recognizes licensed professional engineers as dedicated to applying scientific knowledge, mathematics, and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical, societal, and commercial problems while holding paramount the public health, safety, and welfare.

In the proclamation of Professional Engineers Day, the Governor also recognizes the significant contributions South Dakota’s licensed professional engineers have made on a local and national scale and that South Dakota’s economy has grown, in part, because its licensed professional engineers are instrumental to South Dakota communities.

August 1, 2018 will mark the third annual Professional Engineers Day as declared by the South Dakota Engineering Society (SDES), in conjunction with the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). NSPE is an organization, founded in 1934, representing the interests of more than 31,000 licensed professional engineers and those on the path to licensure.

According to NSPE, as recent as a century ago, anyone could work as an engineer without proof of competency. In order to protect the public health, safety, and welfare, the first engineering licensure law was enacted in 1907 in Wyoming. Now every state, including South Dakota, regulates the practice of engineering to ensure public safety by granting only Professional Engineers (PEs) the authority to sign and seal engineering plans and offer their services to the public.

To become licensed, engineers must complete a four-year college degree, work under a Professional Engineer for at least four years, pass two intensive competency exams and earn a license from their state's licensure board. Then, to retain their licenses, PEs must continually maintain and improve their skills throughout their careers by fulfilling continuing education requirements.

Only a licensed engineer may prepare, sign and seal, and submit engineering plans and drawings to a public authority for approval, or seal engineering work for public and private clients. PEs shoulder the responsibility for not only their work, but also for the lives affected by that work and must hold themselves to high ethical standards of practice.

South Dakota Engineering Society President Ryan Johnson encourages anyone interested in finding out more about the state’s Professional Engineers or the process required to become licensed in South Dakota to contact the SDES Executive Director, Nancy Hoines, at sdengineeringsociety@gmail.com or visit the South Dakota Board of Technical Professions website at http://dlr.sd.gov/btp/default.aspx Professionals Engineers interested in becoming a member of SDES and NSPE should also contact Hoines or visit www.nspe.org

PE Day Press Release SF.pdf

2018-Proclamation-TenHaken.pdf

Sioux Falls, South Dakota: Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken has proclaimed August 1, 2018, as Professional Engineers Day in Sioux Falls. TenHaken joins Governor Dennis Daugaard who also proclaimed August 1 as Professional Engineers Day for the State of South Dakota. In their proclamations, both Daugaard and TenHaken recognize licensed professional engineers as dedicated to applying scientific knowledge, mathematics, and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical, societal, and commercial problems while holding paramount the public health, safety, and welfare.

In the proclamation of Professional Engineers Day, Mayor TenHaken also recognizes the significant contributions South Dakota’s licensed professional engineers have made on a local and national scale and that South Dakota’s economy has grown, in part, because its licensed professional engineers are instrumental to South Dakota communities.

August 1, 2018 will mark the third annual Professional Engineers Day as declared by the South Dakota Engineering Society (SDES), in conjunction with the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). NSPE is an organization, founded in 1934, representing the interests of more than 31,000 licensed professional engineers and those on the path to licensure.

According to NSPE, as recent as a century ago, anyone could work as an engineer without proof of competency. In order to protect the public health, safety, and welfare, the first engineering licensure law was enacted in 1907 in Wyoming. Now every state, including South Dakota, regulates the practice of engineering to ensure public safety by granting only Professional Engineers (PEs) the authority to sign and seal engineering plans and offer their services to the public.

To become licensed, engineers must complete a four-year college degree, work under a Professional Engineer for at least four years, pass two intensive competency exams and earn a license from their state's licensure board. Then, to retain their licenses, PEs must continually maintain and improve their skills throughout their careers by fulfilling continuing education requirements.

Only a licensed engineer may prepare, sign and seal, and submit engineering plans and drawings to a public authority for approval, or seal engineering work for public and private clients. PEs shoulder the responsibility for not only their work, but also for the lives affected by that work and must hold themselves to high ethical standards of practice.

South Dakota Engineering Society President Ryan Johnson encourages anyone interested in finding out more about the state’s Professional Engineers or the process required to become licensed in South Dakota to contact the SDES Executive Director, Nancy Hoines, at sdengineeringsociety@gmail.com or visit the South Dakota Board of Technical Professions website at http://dlr.sd.gov/btp/default.aspx Professionals Engineers interested in becoming a member of SDES and NSPE should also contact Hoines or visit www.nspe.org

http://www.sddot.com/news/Article.aspx?NewsId=23591

PIERRE, S.D. – Laurie Schultz from Pierre and the late Charles Lien of Rapid City have been chosen for induction into the South Dakota Transportation Hall of Honor for 2018.

The purpose of the Transportation Hall of Honor is to recognize those who have made a lasting, valuable or unique contribution to South Dakota’s air, highway or rail transportation system.

The South Dakota Transportation Hall of Honor dates back to 1972 and now includes 90 inductees.

Laurie Schultz spent 29 years with the Department of Transportation and 10 years with Brosz Engineering, Inc. Laurie was the first female engineer hired by the SDDOT and has left a legacy of accomplishments. She spent time as a bridge designer, an urban engineer, traffic engineer and twice as a program manager, most recently with the Office of Administration. Laurie has always been an advocate of finding the most cost-effective way to do a project and worked very closely with local governments to assist them in her roles with the DOT and Brosz Engineering.

Charles “Chuck” Lien was the founder, 75-year employee and Chairman of the Board for Pete Lien and Sons, Inc. Chuck worked in the mining business with his father and brother, spent time in the U.S. Army during WWII and with the S.D. National Guard during the Korean War and earned a degree in General Engineering from the University of Wyoming He worked until he was 93 to grow the family business to leave a legacy for his children and grandchildren. Chuck was well known for both his business and philanthropic contributions to Rapid City.

Banquets to honor both Schultz and Lien will be announced at a later date.

For more information, contact the Department of Transportation at 605-773-3265.

Young Engineer of the Year - Jedidiah Reimnitz, E.I.T.

Engineer of the Year - Roger L. Hall, P.E.

Project of the Year/Outstanding Engineering Achievement - I-I90/Silver Street Interchange. John Gerlach, Neil Schochenmaier, Jody Page, & Stacy Titus 

The Eastern Chapter of the South Dakota Engineering Society is now accepting presentation topics for consideration for the 2018 SDES Annual Conference, being held April 4-6 in Sioux Falls, SD. 

The Annual Conference often attracts over 200 professional engineers from across South Dakota.  The agenda often provides multiple tracks of presentations and technical tours with topics ranging across many different engineering disciplines. 

If you are interested in presenting on topics of interest to professional engineers, please contact the planning committee chairs by November 30, 2017.

Gabe Laber  gabriel.laber@dgr.com

Kurt Peppel  kpeppel@siouxfalls.org

Kari Drake  Kari.Drake@ads-pipe.com

Thank you for your consideration,

2018 SDES Annual Conference Planning Committee