Welcome to The New York City Chapter of NYSSPE
A message from Chapter President Luke Martinek, P.E.:
Geetings friends and colleagues,
Welcome to the New York Chapter of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers (NYSSPE).
I’ve been asked what our society represents – both by those who want to know how we’re different from other groups and by those who wonder why societies like these even exist. My answer is simple: our purpose is to maintain the integrity and importance of the professional engineer’s license.
For those who like a quick dip into history, the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) was established in 1934 to realize a simple but vital goal, to “…create an inclusive, nontechnical organization dedicated to the interests of licensed professional engineers, regardless of practice area, that would protect engineers (and the public) from unqualified practitioners, build public recognition for the profession, and stand against unethical practices and inadequate compensation.”
I was recently contacted by a person who’d visited our website and wanted advice from a professional engineer in an area that I’m not experienced in. Thanks to this society, I was able to connect them to one of our colleagues who knows the topic well, thanks to his three decades of experience. This is more than just a story about why networking works – it also serves as a reminder of the first two fundamental cannons of the code of ethics for engineers:
- Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.
- Perform services only in the areas of their competence.
In a time where the importance of truly learned and practiced expertise is all too often disregarded for speed or reduced cost, these cannons – and societies like ours – are more important than ever. Thank you for your shared commitment to conducting ourselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully and for enhancing the honor, reputation, and usefulness of our profession.
Management Team
Luke Martinek PE
Diego Alaimo PE
Samira Ayati PE
Stephen Conenna, PE
Erich Arcement PE
Alfred Brand PE
What our members say:
Announcements
2023 Mathcounts Competition
The Mathcounts Competition is back in person!. A group of volunteers from our chapter (see photo below) helped with the grading yesterday. Competition took place at the Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Campus in Upper West Side. We hope more volunteers can join us next year.
Engineering Study
Dr. Shaista Khilji and Rachael Flores at George Washington University are conducting a survey about how people feel their identities are included among those they work with and how that inclusion leads to their level of well-being at work. This survey is not sponsored or endorsed by the New York State Society of Professional Engineers (NYSSPE).
Click in link below if you would like to know more details or if you would like to participate in the survey.
Link to Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BeingWellBeingMe
Passing of Howard Blitman, PE, F.NSPE
Courtesy of RPI
We are sad to announce the passing of our Chapter member and past president Howard Blitman PE, F.NSPE, at the age of 94.
Howard was a member of NYSSPE for nearly 60 years. He served as our Chapter President in 1974-75 and as President of NYSSPE in 1978-79. He then went on to become National President of NSPE in 2002-03.
Howard was one of the NYSSPE members who organized PIE, the Practicing Institute of Engineering, over 40 years ago. PIE was formed in anticipation of the State instituting continuing professional training requirements for engineering, which NY and many other states now have.
Howard was born in 1926. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He served in both World War II and the Korean War. After holding several post-war engineering positions, he joined the Blitman Construction Corporation, which had been founded by his father. He spent his career there, becoming President in 1970. He was licensed to practice engineering as a professional engineer in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and South Carolina. He had broad interests and also held a Master of Arts degree in political science and government.
Howard was a good friend of our Chapter. He was a New York Chapter Board member continuously until 2017. He particularly enjoyed attending our December holiday meetings which, prior to recent years, were purely social dinners with many spouses in attendance.
Howard leaves his wife, Maureen Blitman, three children and eight grandchildren. Our Chapter sends its deepest condolences to Howard’s family, friends and colleagues. He will be missed by our organization and our profession.
Passing of Ed Finfer, PE
We learned recently that our valued member Ed Finfer, PE, passed away last year at the age of 91. Ed joined our society in 1958. He spent his career working for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. Ed was a regular attendee at our monthly Chapter meetings up until the last few years.
Ed’s interest outside of work was travel. He traveled worldwide using only public transportation. I remember sitting at meetings with him where he would describe traveling in Asian countries using only local bus and rail transportation. He had an amazing adventuresome spirit which, on the surface, was incongruous with his small physical stature and mild manner.
I cherish my memories of my conversations with Ed, which enhanced our New York Chapter NYSSPE experience.
Chapter Awards Scholarships to High School Students
Encouraging students to study engineering is a primary mission of the New York City Chapter of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers (NYSSPE). To fulfil our mission we maintain a Scholar Awards program which is comprised of two different awards.
This year’s 2020 Society of Engineering and Architectural Professionals (SEAP) Award recipients are Joy Herrera of the Bronx High School of Science ($2000) and Cara Mulrooney of Loyola School ($2000). The 2020 New York Chapter of NYSSPE Scholar Award recipients are Shreya Paul of Stuyvesant High School ($2000) and William Joseph Gushee of Xavier High School ($2000).
The Society of Engineering and Architectural Professionals (SEAP) Award comes from an independent fund for education purposes which is held by the Foundation for Engineering Education (FEE) and administered by the New York Chapter of NYSSPE. The SEAP award is open to a student who lives in or attends a school in any Borough of New York City. This year two students were granted SEAP awards in the amount of $2000 each.
The second scholarship award, known as the New York Chapter Scholar Award, is a cash award funded from the chapter’s treasury. The chapter award is given to a student who either lives in or attends a school in Manhattan.
At the beginning of each calendar year the New York Chapter reaches out to a large number of public and private high schools to solicit applications from students who intend to study engineering in college. Submittals include information on the student’s academic record, an essay from the student describing their goals for the future and, if possible, a letter of recommendation from a teacher or counselor. The submittals are reviewed and evaluated by our