2026 ASCE Central Jersey Branch - Annual Awards Dinner

Wednesday, October 21th, 2026 - 5:30PM-9:00PM

Forsgate Country Club - 375 Forsgate Dr, Monroe Township, NJ 08831

DINNER TIMELINE

Doors Open / Social Hour: 5:30-6:15PM

Opening Remarks from CJB President Karam Choudhary: 6:15-6:20PM

ASCE Updates from Region 1 Governor Rich Cohen: 6:20-6:25PM

Executive Officers Sworn-in for 2026-2027 Calendar Year: 6:25-6:30PM

Plated Dinner: 6:30-7:15PM

Awards Presented to Winners from CJB Board Members: 7:15-8:30PM

Closing Remarks from CJB President Karam Choudhary: 8:30-8:35PM

-Cash Bar is available throughout evening. (Please tip your bartender!)

-Dessert will be passed out during award presentations.

-Photos with winners will occur following the closing remarks.

2026-2027 ASCE CENTRAL JERSEY EXECUTIVE BOARD

President: Karam Choudhary - WSP

President-Elect: Louis Truppa, EIT - JMT

Past President: Ian Walczak, PE - Colliers

Vice President: Megan Nugent, PE - Colliers

Treasurer: Amanda Trawinski, PE - GFT

Secretary: Kiera Nissen, PhD, PE - FPA

Director: Payal Thukral - Mojeski and Masters

Director: Reza Marsooli, PhD, PE - Stevens Institute

Director: Joseph Ricciani - WSP

Director: Zach Cryelson, EIT - Stantec

YMG President: Bilal Awan, EIT - Colliers

YMG Board Member: Rachel Werner, PE, CFM - T&M Associates

AWARD WINNERS

Civil Engineer of the Year: Stewart Gordon, PE, PTOE - WSP

Young Civil Engineer of the Year: Dominic Wirkijowski, PhD, PE - JMT

Educator of the Year: Vedrana Krstic, PhD, PE - The College of New Jersey

Government Engineer of the Year: John Fam - New Jersey Department of Transportation

Project of the Year (Small): Replacement of Bi-County Bridge No. 760.4-Grover's Mill Road over Millstone River - JMT, Mercer County

Project of the Year (Medium): Asbury Park Fire Department Headquarters - T&M Associates, City of Asbury Park

Project of the Year (Large): South Amboy Ferry Terminal - FPA, Colliers, City of South Amboy

BIO ABOUT THE WINNERS

Civil Engineer of the Year
Presented to an individual who has contributed substantially to the advancement of the civil engineering profession. Must be an ASCE Member in good standing with NJ Section and Central Jersey Branch. ASCE member grade of Member, Fellow, Honorary or Life.

2026 Recipient:

Stewart R. Gordon, PE, PTOE, is a Senior Vice President and Traffic Engineering Leader with WSP and has nearly 40 years of experience in transportation engineering, traffic operations, highway and bridge design, intelligent transportation systems, and transportation planning. He holds bachelor's and master’s degrees in civil engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and is a licensed Professional Engineer and Professional Traffic Operations Engineer. Throughout his career, he has led the planning, design, and delivery of major transportation infrastructure projects across New Jersey and the Northeast, serving state transportation agencies, transit authorities, counties, municipalities, and private-sector clients.

A dedicated leader within the engineering profession, Stewart has been an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) for decades. He served as UNCC’s ASCE Student Chapter President, NJASCE Younger Member Director, President of the ASCE North Jersey Branch and later as President of the ASCE New Jersey Section. During his tenure, the North Jersey Branch received national recognition from ASCE as the Outstanding Branch in Zone I for exemplary programs and activities.

Stewart's commitment to professional excellence has been recognized through numerous honors, including the North/Central Jersey Society of Professional Engineers Young Engineer of the Year Award. He has also contributed to advancing the transportation profession through research, publications, and technical presentations. His work has been published in the Transportation Research Record, and he has presented at Transportation Research Board and Institute of Transportation Engineers conferences on traffic operations, adaptive signal control systems, traffic signal design, and light rail transit integration.

Throughout his career, Stewart has been recognized as a technical leader, mentor, and advocate for transportation safety and mobility. His contributions have helped shape transportation infrastructure throughout New Jersey while supporting the growth and development of future generations of civil engineers.

Young Civil Engineer of the Year
Presented to a young civil engineer who has significantly contributed to the civil engineering profession.  Must be 35 years of age or younger as of September 1.

2026 Recipient:

Dominic is an associate and structural project engineer at JMT. He has five years of professional consulting experience and six years of research experience in bridges and transportation structures. He graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science in 2016, a Master of Science in 2019, and a Doctor of Philosophy in 2023 focusing on structural engineering. He is a practicing Professional Engineer in State of New Jersey, Texas, and Maryland.

Dominic was a graduate fellow sponsored by the National Science Foundation in the Rutgers Coastal Climate Risk & Resilience Program where his research focused on identifying characteristics of bridges vulnerable to scour failure. He also supported numerous  university research programs, most notably structural health monitoring for complex bridges, the inaugural bridge test specimen for the Bridge Evaluation and Accelerated Structural Testing (BEAST) lab facility and the use of vehicular LiDAR for community flood risk and damage assessments. 

Dominic has a wide range of expertise in performing structural design, field inspection, and load rating of transportation structures. He has extensive experience in finite element modeling for complex bridge design and load rating. His recent local contributions include serving as the engineer of record for the replacement of the Grovers Mill Road bridge over Millstone River and designing the emergency repair for the Federal City Road bridge over I-295. In addition to his technical work, he enjoys teaching and mentoring junior engineers and participates as a judge for the ASCE Student Steel Bridge Competition in the Metropolitan Section. Dominic is also an active member of the Professional Engineer Society of Mercer County, serving the board since 2024 and is currently a vice president. He is an avid outdoor hobbyist and enjoys cycling, hiking, and skiing in his spare time. 

Educator of the Year

Presented to an outstanding educator who has contributed substantially to civil engineering through knowledge and guidance or to an outstanding researcher who possess a record of recent significant contributions to the field of civil engineering and dissemination of their research through peer reviewed journal publications, conference proceedings, press releases, technical presentations and/or contributions to technical manuals and design codes.  Must be affiliated with an educational institution located in the State of New Jersey.

2026 RECIPENT:

Dr. Vedrana Krstic, Ph.D., P.E., is a faculty member at The College of New Jersey, where she has taught since 2005. Her teaching experience encompasses a broad range of civil engineering subjects, from general engineering classes to specialized geotechnical courses. She has developed several undergraduate courses and laboratory programs, introduced innovative instructional materials, and actively contributed to curriculum development. Dr. Krstic has advised numerous students, mentored senior projects, and guided the growth of Chi Epsilon, the Civil Engineering Honor Society chapter at TCNJ since its inception.

In addition to her teaching and mentoring, Dr. Krstic has maintained an active research and professional scholarship program in geotechnical engineering, civil engineering materials, foundations, and nondestructive evaluation. Her work has produced peer-reviewed publications, conference papers, and research reports that support the advancement of civil engineering practice.

Dr. Krstic's commitment to engineering education has been recognized through the Chi Epsilon James M. Robbins Excellence in Teaching Award for the Metropolitan District in 2020 and the ASCE New Jersey Central Branch Best Educator of the Year Award in 2018.

Government Engineer of the Year

Presented to an individual who has contributed substantially to the advancement of the civil engineering profession in the government sector. Must be an ASCE Member in good standing with NJ Section and Central Jersey Branch. ASCE member grade of Member, Fellow, Honorary or Life.

2026 RECIPENT:

John is the Executive Manager of NJDOT Division of Traffic Engineering (DTE) - Central Region. He is a transportation engineering leader with more than 25 years of service to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), with a career spanning traffic engineering, project management, roadway design, construction and access management. He currently serves as Manager of the Bureau of Traffic Engineering – Central, where he leads traffic engineering activities for the Central Region and provides oversight of statewide work zone traffic engineering functions.

Throughout his NJDOT career, John has progressed through increasingly responsible engineering and leadership positions, giving him a broad understanding of transportation projects from planning and design through construction and operations. His assignments have included managing traffic signal operations and timing, reviewing signal designs, signing and striping plans, work zone traffic control plans, traffic regulation orders, construction change-of-plan documents, and roadway safety improvements. He has also been responsible for ensuring compliance with the MUTCD, FHWA requirements, AASHTO guidance, NJDOT design standards, specifications, and departmental policies.

In addition to his traffic engineering responsibilities, John has significant experience in transportation project delivery and consultant management. Earlier in his career, he served in NJDOT Project Management, where he developed and monitored project schedules and budgets, coordinated consultant agreements, reviewed technical proposals, participated in consultant selection, managed project development activities, and helped advance projects through feasibility assessment, design, and construction. He later served in Roadway Design and Construction Services, gaining hands-on experience in geometric design, plans and specifications, constructability reviews, cost estimates, bid evaluations, project schedules, and construction coordination.

A significant part of John’s leadership philosophy is developing people. Throughout his career, he has mentored engineers and technical staff, provided training and technical guidance, monitored staff assignments and project delivery, and encouraged professional growth and accountability. He has also promoted innovative traffic engineering practices and operational improvements aimed at reducing crashes, improving traffic flow, and responding effectively to changing transportation needs.

John holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Ain Shams University and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He earned his Project Management Professional (PMP) certification in 2005 and has completed extensive professional training in traffic engineering, highway safety, adaptive traffic systems, ADA design, work zone safety, roadway design, project management, scheduling, risk management, and construction.

John’s career reflects a sustained commitment to public service, engineering excellence, transportation safety, and the development of the next generation of transportation professionals. His broad experience across multiple NJDOT disciplines allows him to approach transportation challenges from both a technical and organizational perspective, with a focus on delivering practical, safe, and effective solutions for the people of New Jersey.

Projects of the Year
Presented for a private or public sector project (or research project that contributes to civil engineering technology), that demonstrates sound engineering design and/or construction management and positively impacts the community, area, or region. Must be a project within the Central Jersey Branch Geographic region. The three project categories are small (<$5M), medium ($5M-$30M), and large (>$30M). Must be a project completed in 2025 or 2026.

small PROJECT 2026 Recipient:

Originally constructed in 1967, the Grover's Mill Road Bridge over the Millstone River was in poor condition and classified as "structurally deficient" due to the poor condition of the deck and substructure. The project involved the Replacement of Bi-County Bridge No. 760.4 (4-B-92), Grover's Mill Road over the Millstone River, located in West Windsor Township, Mercer County, and Plainsboro Township, Middlesex County. The existing bridge was a single-span steel beam bridge supported by reinforced concrete abutments, founded on timber piles. JMT designed a single-span steel girder bridge consisting of prefabricated bridge units (PBUs) and precast concrete deck panels, using integral abutments with steel H-piles and precast pile caps.
The proposed structure was widened to accommodate one 12'-0” lane, one 6'-0” shoulder and a 6'-0” sidewalk in each direction of travel. Two 1’-7”-wide rail parapets bookend the deck with steel 4-bar bridge railings. The new bridge is 88’-0” long, with an out-to-out width of 51’-2” and a curb-to-curb width of 36’-0”. The bridge was designed to be constructed using Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) techniques in accordance with the NJDOT Design Manual for Bridges and Structures and the NJDOT Procedures Manual using the LRFD design methodology.
The bridge was designed as a curved deck on straight girders. Due to the curved alignment and variable overhang at the fascia girders, detailed camber calculations were developed. Extensive coordination with the fabricators during construction was required to ensure proper field fit-up.
The original design consisted of six Prefabricated Bridge Units (PBUs), supported by integral abutments, which are founded on steel HP12x84 piles. The integral abutments were designed as precast pile caps with cast-in-place concrete closure pours at the girder ends.
JMT coordinated with utility companies to relocate their facilities to avoid conflicts with the proposed construction. The gas main and aerial facilities were relocated west of the bridge in advance of construction. JMT also coordinated extensively with Verizon to develop a construction sequence that made it possible for the structure to be replaced without permanently relocating the existing fiber-optic cables. The fiber optic lines were temporarily supported and replaced below the structure in a bay designed specifically to accommodate these lines.
In addition to Verizon, JMT coordinated with several utility companies to relocate their facilities in advance of construction operations to avoid conflicts. The original bridge carried a gas main that was permanently relocated west of the bridge, taking care to avoid a water main already present on that side of the structure. Aerial electric and telephone lines were also present along the east side of the structure. These facilities were also relocated to the west.
The original bridge was replaced with an accelerated construction schedule, with construction lasting under six months.
Date of Completion: 12/15/2025
Total Construction Cost: $3,744,426.51

medium PROJECT 2026 Recipient:

The $18.5 million Asbury Park Fire Department Headquarters project extended far beyond the construction of a new 32,000-sf state-of-the-art facility to replace a 9,600-sf fire station originally built in 1904. Through the application of civil engineering principles, the project delivered essential public safety infrastructure that strengthened emergency response, enhanced resiliency and sustainability, and expanded vital services for the community.

T&M Associates provided comprehensive engineering services for the new headquarters, including planning, site/civil engineering design, municipal engineering coordination, utility service, and traffic design as well as oversight and coordination for existing and new utility service connections, authority permitting, and bidding coordination.

Additionally, T&M provided construction management and owner’s representation services during construction and through project closeout. This leadership focused on the City’s interests, managing the City’s risk, and easing the administrative burden on the City’s leadership team.

The new headquarters was designed to accommodate current and future operational needs and includes:
• Eight apparatus bays
• Administrative offices
• Dormitory facilities for sixteen firefighters, a gym, a fully equipped kitchen, dining, laundry and a common living area
• Emergency management command center
• Public museum space
• Community meeting and training facilities
• Rooftop photovoltaic panels and LED energy-efficient lighting
• Sustainable and durable building materials and systems

The successful grand opening of the firehouse on August 25, 2026, is a testament to T&M’s collaboration with Shore Point Architecture to transform the City’s vision into a modern, resilient public safety facility built to accommodate the needs of a growing community. By strengthening emergency preparedness, supporting faster and more coordinated response, and expanding the Fire Department’s capacity to protect residents, businesses, and visitors, the new headquarters delivers lasting value. Its Emergency Management Command Center further enhances the City’s ability to lead a unified response to severe weather, natural disasters, and other critical events—establishing the project as an enduring investment in public safety for Asbury Park and the surrounding region.

LARGE PROJECT 2026 Recipient:

The City of South Amboy recently completed a transformative $32 million construction contract for site improvements associated with its Ferry Terminal Facility, which now accommodates commuter parking and ferry vessels for passage to lower Manhattan as well as providing links to the NJ Transit Train Station in downtown South Amboy. The project is part of a transformational redevelopment of the Raritan Bay Waterfront, with the City of South Amboy at the heart of the activities. The new facility provides a new transportation alternative for New York City commuters and relieves existing overly congested surface routes.

The project site began supporting ferry operations across Raritan Bay as early as 1684 for stagecoach lines operating between Philadelphia and New York City. Then, in 1831, the Camden and Amboy Railroad became the first operational rail service in New Jersey, with the project site being the northeasterly terminus of the rail line and offering ferry service to New York City. Thereafter, in 1871, the project site was converted to a railyard and port facility for coal and aggregate shipments. In recent years, the site became abandoned and derelict. By redeveloping the project site as a modern passenger ferry facility , the project not only revitalizes a formerly abandoned and derelict property, but also restores a transportation function that has defined the site for centuries.

The recently completed Site Improvements encompassed a plan area of approximately 20 acres and included an environmental remediation as well as the construction of waterfront improvements, access roadways, curbing, sidewalks, parking, a pavilion structure, landscaping, historical accommodations, site lighting, water, sewer, gas, electric and communication services. Waterfront improvements include bulkheads, a seawall and concrete walkways. Although originally incorporated into the project design, dredging of the entrance channel was performed concurrently under a separate contract issued by the NJDOT. The construction of a Terminal Building, new Floating Dock System and Site Security accommodations are being planned and procured under separate bids and contracts to be issued by the City of South Amboy. Project planning efforts have given special consideration to accommodating ferry boat access to the ferry terminal and commuter access, including ADA, as this interaction is critical to the sustainability of the project. The breadth of these improvements, coupled with the need to coordinate waterfront access, multimodal transportation, environmental remediation, utilities, accessibility, and future ferry operations, made the project a particularly complex redevelopment effort.

The South Amboy Ferry Terminal project is deserving of recognition for its successful integration of transportation, waterfront development, environmental improvement, climate resilience, public access, and historic preservation within a single transformative project. The project provided the City with a unique opportunity to advance passenger ferry service initiatives while enhancing environmental conditions and providing direct public access to the waterfront. With a history of ferry service and cargo port operations dating back to 1684, this project successfully re-establishes the site as a prominent transportation hub and public landmark with the construction of a first-rate ferry facility.

Congratulations to the 2026 Award Winners!

More Photos from the Project Winners