January 2012

GSL: Spanning the Globe

In this Issue

People

Awards and Recognition

Assignments/Details

Condolences

Remembering Our

Team Members

Retirements

New Faces

Family Pictures

Other News

Programs

Patents

Communications

Change

Save the Date

What Do You Think

Each generation goes further than the generation preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that generation. You will have opportunities beyond anything we’ve ever known. -Ronald Reagan

The Town Hall Video can be viewed on Teamlink : https://gslteamlink.erdc.usace.army.mil/index.cfm?

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Awards and Recognition

People

The ASCE selected the Kennedy Space Center’s Crawlerway System Evaluation in support of the Heavy Lift Program as the ASCE Florida’s section “2011 Project of the Year.” The

project evaluated the feasibility and compatibility of the Crawlerway system to support the Heavy-Lift Space Launch System, which included a study by GSL in evaluating the mobility

of proposed wheeled and tracked designs for the 19 million pound NASA Crawler Transporter vehicle.

Research Recognized by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

The Blue Devil Block II program has been recognized by Popular Science in their annual Best of What's New edition as one of the top 100 innovations for 2011. The drones watching over

Afghanistan and Pakistan overwhelm human analysts with terabytes of video, radar, infrared and hyperspectral data. Ideally, aircraft gathering

raw information over the battlefield would filter, tag, organize, and route. that data for quick,

efficient analysis on the ground. That’s what Blue Devil Block II is designed to do. The 370-foot airship, which can hover at 20,000 feet for

five days, functions as a network hub for drones and ground sensors and as a surveillance craft in

its own right. Built for the Air Force by the defense start-up Mav6, the blimp carries a 2,000-

core supercomputer. It is scheduled to fly in Afghanistan next year. GSL played a significant role in making the Blue Devil Block II a reality.

Blue Devil Block II recognized by Popular Science

GSL team members Jay Ehrgott, Stephen Akers, Denis Rickman, Tim Shelton and Ray Moral won the 2011 Army Modeling and Simulation Experimentation Team Award. The

award was presented on November 29, 2011 at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) in Orlando, Florida.

GSL Team Wins 2011 M&S Award

Dr. Charles Weiss recently instructed cadets in the Civil and Mechanical Engineering Department of the USMA at West Point, NY. Weiss discussed his research on the use of a

vitreous porcelain enamel coating on reinforcing steel to three sections of a civil engineering class on the design of reinforced concrete and masonry.

Weiss Invited to Speak at the US Military Academy

Dr. Paul Mlakar visited the University of Texas– Pan American for the initial evaluation of their program in civil engineering October 30—November 1, 2011.

Mlakar’s University Accreditation Visit

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Award for the Most Publications 2011: Structural Engineering Branch

(Mr. Chuck Ertle)

Award for Excellence in ERDC Partnership 2011: USACE Reachback

Operations Center (Ms. Jill Jackson, Ms. Rhonda Taylor, and Mr. Vernon

Lowery)

Award for Excellence in Administrative Support 2011: Ms. Donna Rowland

(Structural Engineering Branch)

Award for Excellence in Technical Support 2011: Mr. Quint Mason

(Airfields and Pavements Branch)

Award for Building a Culture of

Excellence - GSL Casagrande Cup:

Airfields and Pavements Branch

(Dr. Gary Anderton)

GSL Internal Awards

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And the award for Building a Culture of

Excellence goes to…

Airfields and Pavements Branch

(Dr. Gary Anderton)

GSL Internal Awards Continued

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Assignments and Details Brian Green will be the Acting Branch Chief for the Concrete and

Materials Branch for a 120 day appointment (following Chris Moore).

Danny Harrelson will be the Acting Branch Chief for the Geotechnical Engineering and

Geosciences Branch.

ERDC-NIST Materials Diagnostic Research Collaboration: Dr. Paul Allison, Concrete and Materials Branch, is currently on a 4-month developmental assignment at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in materials research. The main goal of the

assignment is to develop a method for determining fracture toughness using nano-identation without requiring the need for post-indentation crack measurement imaging.

Mr. Ray's selection was based on his engineering expertise developing mitigation measures to protect our

infrastructure, in addition to his leadership, character and community service. The ASCE Government Civil Engineer

of the Year Award was presented to Mr. Ray in October at the 2011 ASCE National Conference in Memphis, TN.

James Ray Named ASCE Government Civil Engineer of the Year

Dr. Jerry Ballard was recently recognized as a distinguished Mississippi College alum at a special awards dinner during the school’s

homecoming festivities.

Ballard Recognized by Mississippi College

Ms. Carla Roig-Silva, Ms. Lulu Edwards, Mr. Marty Boyd, Mr. Brett Williams, Dr. Chris

Goodin, Mr. Omar Flores (not in picture), Mr. Todd Rushing (coordinator), and Ms. Speler

Montgomery (co-coordinator)

Leadership Development Program, Class of 2012

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Condolences Dr. Michael Sharp, GVT, on the passing of his mother, Mrs. Doris Sharp

Rodgers Coffing, CMB, on the passing of his mother-in-law, Kathleen Ganzerla

Nicole Carson, ESMD, on the passing of her mother, Ms. Theodora Williams

Charles Carter, CMB, on the passing of his sister, Bobby Carter Smith

Remembering Our Team Members

Life’s a voyage that’s homeward bound. -Herman Melville

We wish to express our condolences to the friends and former coworkers of:

John Evans, who passed on July 5, 2011. Mr. Evans worked as an Engineering Technician

until his retirement in August 2010.

Judy Hudnall, who passed on July 17, 2011. Mrs. Hudnall worked as an Engineering

Technician for the Geotechnical and Earthquake Engineering Branch until her retirement in

2004.

James Kennedy, Sr., who passed on August 17, 2011. Mr. Kennedy worked as a Civil

Engineer in the Mobility Systems Division and retired in 1985 after 37 years of service.

Jerald Broughton, who passed on September 14, 2011. Mr. Broughton came to WES as a

US Army Service Member and completed a lengthy career as a Civilian Engineer working in

the Engineering Geology Branch, Earthquake Engineering and Geosciences Division, retiring in 1994.

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New Faces of GSL

Keith Flournoy,

Research Mechanical

Engineer, Structural

Mechanics Branch

Ron Elliston, Engineering

Technician, Structural

Engineering Branch

Ben Jones, Research

Mechanical Engineer,

Structural Mechanics

Branch

Anna Harbin, Office

Automation Clerk (STEP

Student), Executive

Office

In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: They must be fit for it. They must not do too much of it. And they must have a sense of success in it. -John Ruskin

Retirements Lillian Wakeley, Research Geologist in the Engineering Systems and Materials Division,

retired on November 30, 2011, with 27 years of service.

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Colt Barker Rowland, son of Jay and Tammy Rowland and

grandson of Donna Rowland, was born on September 27, 2011

Henry Morrison Bell, son

of Matt and Haley Bell, was

born on December 6, 2011

Katie Lauren Warnock, daughter

of Drew and

Courtney Warnock,

was born on December 8, 2011

Alex Tingle, son of Jeb and Shelley Tingle, pictured with

their dog “Buddy” dressed in his Santa suit.

Jacob, Emma and Cristina, children of Scott Waisner and Eileen Glynn, watch

TV in their new kayaks from Santa

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David McInnis and Dotti-Kate Shaw were wed April 16, 2011

Evelyn Villanueva and her daughter, Stephanie, celebrating

New Years

Bailey Anderton, daughter of Dr. Gary and Cherie Anderton, was a Junior Maid on Mississippi College’s Homecoming Court 2011.

Bailey has also been selected to participate in the Disney College Program at the Walt Disney

World® Resort! Many colleges and universities are connected to the Disney College Program, where students in certain degree programs are competitively selected to participate

in a one semester, paid internship that also provides college credits. Bailey is a junior Accounting and Marketing major at Mississippi College. Bailey is also a lifelong Disney fan, and working alongside Mickey is literally a dream come true for her!

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Charlie, Jan, and Mallory Little at the Music City Bowl in Nashville,

TN

Madeleine Gaul, daughter of Michael and Sara Gaul, at the

Vicksburg Christmas Parade

Michael and Sara Gaul celebrating Halloween

Mike Bailey, husband of Kathy Bailey, shows off his latest buck

Joel, Jan, Mallory, and Charlie Little on Christmas

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Breaking your own Glass Ceiling Guest Speaker: Dr. Jim Hearn

SES, Director Regional Business, Northwestern Division

Other News

Click the picture to play

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Click to see more pictures from the Town Hall and Birthday Celebration

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Turkey Trot

December 7, 2011

Click the picture to play

Federal Workers get Discount

at Papa John’s Pizza Papa John’s Vicksburg is giving Federal Workers 25 percent off any regular menu priced items all

day, every day!

Simply order online and enter promo code: FEDGOV25 where it says “Have a Promo

Code?”. Then, be prepared to show your Federal Government ID when you get your order. Valid for pickup or delivery.

Papa John’s Vicksburg

3046 Indiana Ave. Suite R (next to Corner Market)

To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. -Joseph Chilton Pearce

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GSL Christmas Party and Decorations

December 14, 2011

Click the picture to play

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Under the leadership of Dr. Paul Mlakar, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently published the first edition of Blast Protection of Buildings. This is the first

comprehensive guide on the complicated process of designing for blast resistance for the private sector and is expected to be used widely both in the US and internationally. The

publication is the culmination of 10 years of technical effort to coalesce diverse opinions into useful text.

Programs

Patents Bartley Durst, Pam Kinnebrew, Toney Cummins, Nick Boone, William Heard, Jason Roth, Thomas Slawson, James Davis, Carol Johnson, and others were awarded Patent No. US

8,061,257 B2 for a “Cement Based Armor Panel System.”

Bartley Durst, Pam Kinnebrew, Toney Cummins, Nick Boone, William Heard, Jason Roth, Thomas Slawson, James Davis, Carol Johnson, and others were awarded Patent No. US

8,030,377 B2 for the invention of “Self-Leveling Cementitious Composition with Controlled Rate if Strength Development and Ultra-High Compressive Strength upon Hardening and A ticles Made from Same.”

Communication The GSL will have a Peer Review 22-23 February 2012. Dr. Ed Link (University of Maryland), Mr. Mark Lister (StratTechs, Inc), and Mr. Mike Giltrude (DTRA) will be the

panel members. The purpose of the Peer Review is to have outside experts review our programs, facilities, and all aspects of our business to let us know where we might have some

challenges that we need to address.

The review will start with a session to discuss the results of the previous Peer Review, done in October 2009. We will then review the following: 4 Business Areas (Force Protection and Weapons Effects, Force Projection and Maneuver Support, Civil Works and Infrastructure,

Operational Support and Technology Transfer); 4 Big Ideas (Integrated Risk Management, Smart Materials, Standoff Assessment, and Technology Transfer); and Human Capital.

First Edition of ASCE Blast Protection of Buildings Standard

Peer Review

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Communication

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with not loss of enthusiasm. -Sir Winston Churchill

Save the Date Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting

Washington, D.C. (January 22-26, 2012)

Peer Review

February 22-23, 2012

American Concrete Institute 2012 Spring Convention—The Art of Concrete

Dallas, TX (March 18-22, 2012)

http://www.concrete.org/events/ev_conventions.htm

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Change G

reat C

are

ers

Inspiring

Environments

Pro

fessio

nal

Rela

tionsh

ips

Exc

iting

Challe

nges

Educational

Opportunites

Family

Frie

ndly

The Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is a key component of our total effort to align our team

members and ERDC for the future. It is a companion to The ERDC Way and is part of our

Human Capital Program. The EVP is designed to help all of us, and ERDC, reach our full potential.

You give ERDC your best, and we will continue building our tradition of organizational

excellence. ERDC will provide you great opportunities:

Great Careers- opportunities for advancement and expanding responsibilities, even early

in your career; competitive pay.

Stable, Inspiring Environments- job security and top notch facilities.

Collegial Professional Relationships- work with internationally known scientists and en-

gineers on motivated teams.

Exciting Challenges- dynamic work on some of our nation’s toughest problems.

Educational Opportunities- education and training opportunities abound, including our

ERDC graduate institute.

Family Friendly Environment- great people, great organization, great work-life balance.

https://erdcinfo.erdc.usace.army.mil/hcp/evp.html

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What Do You

Think

Many great captions were submitted: “Who was this Rodin anyway?”

“If I only had a brain!”

“Who will pick the M & Ms off the floor first?”

“Beavis and Butt-head—Which is which?”

“Hmm! Now where is the Statue of ‘Rocky’?”

“Should I multiply by 3 or 3.14?”

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What Do You

Think

What is your idea

for a

caption

You provide the caption and see if your caption is selected as our favorite. The winning caption will appear in the next edition of the GSLingo, and the winner

also receives an iTunes gift card!!

Pictured left to right: Dr. Gary Anderton and Dr. David Horner

Send your submissions to Shelley Tingle at Shelley.L.Tingle@usace.army.mil