WHO: Eric Kopinski, PE
TOPIC: MoDOT I-70 Update
WHEN: Tuesday, February 17, 2025 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
WHERE: MoDOT Central District Office
Muri Room
1511 Missouri Blvd
Jefferson City, MO 65109
All members and guests are invited.
Lunch (fried chicken) FREE!!!
RSVP Requested via Registration Form
Eric Kopinski is currently the MoDOT Program Director for Improve I-70. In this role he is helping ensure the success of the 200 miles of projects. Prior to this role, he worked in various roles with MoDOT over the last 15 years. This includes working on many of MoDOT’s district and divisions. Some of his past projects include the I-270 North, Route 364 Phase 3, Champ Clark River Bridge, and MoDOT’s Consent Decree. Eric is a graduate of Missouri S&T.
MSPE Western Chapter & KSPE Eastern Chapter, Co-Sponsors
Cordially Invite You and Your Firm to join us at the
75th Annual Engineers Week Celebration
The full Registration packet can be found [HERE].
Information on overflow self-parking at the Marriott can be found HERE.
Jefferson Avenue Footbridge Rehabilitation
Nicholas Edelman, City of Springfield and John Cahill, Great River Engineering
All members and guest are invited.
Cost is $20 (included lunch) and pay upon arrival, cash, check, or credit card. Please note that students and first-time attendees do not pay. No advance registration needed.
Questions - contact Michael Martinez, Michael.Martinez@Wilsonco.com
When: February 26, 2026 Doors open at 5:30pm Where: The Schlafly Tap Room 2100 Locust Street St. Louis, MO 63102 Cost/Ticket: $75 *Includes Dinner, Drinks, & Dessert Table Sponsor (8 Tickets): $700 *Includes Dinner, Drinks, & Dessert
Registration: https://mspe.org/event-6427515
Sponsorship Opportunities Event Sponsor - $1000 Beverage Sponsor - $500 Awards Sponsor - $250
Questions can be directed to Diane Grossenheider at dngrossenheider@mccarthy.com
ENGINEER OF THE YEAR – RICH UNVERFERTH (STL MSD)
OUTSTANDING PE IN GOVERNMENT – ANNE LAMITOLA (CITY OF LADUE)
OUTSTANDING PE IN CONSTRUCTION – BILL LUTH (FRED M. LUTH & SONS)
OUTSTANDING PE IN INDUSTRY – TODD EMBREY (MO AMERICAN WATER)
OUTSTANDING PE IN PRIVATE PRACTICE – RAED ARMOUTI (CMT)
YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR – MELISSA RETTIG (HG CONSULT)
Registration will be closing on Friday, February 20.
Click HERE to go to the MSPE Discover E page.
Topic to be determined
Central Chapter- Joint Meeting with SWE
March 5, 2026 at 6:00PM
D. Rowe's Restaurant & Bar
1005 Club Village Dr, Columbia, MO 65203
Annette Kendall will speak on Neurodivergence
1 PDH
The Ozark Chapter of the Missouri Society of Professional Engineers is proud to sponsor the 37th Annual Model Bridge Contest for area students, to be held on Wednesday, March 11th, 2026 in conjunction with the Ozark Science and Engineering Fair. This year the contest will again be held at the Christopher S. Bond Learning Center at the MSU Darr Agricultural Center, located at 2401 S. Kansas Expressway, in Springfield, Missouri.
The top three finishers in the Middle School (grades 4 – 8) and High School (grades 9 – 12) Divisions will receive framed certificates as well as a cash prize to commemorate their accomplishment! Additionally, the top two finishers in the High School Division will be eligible to compete in the upcoming International Bridge Contest, to be held Saturday, April 25th in Chicago, Illinois.
For additional information, including the rules, results from previous contests, or to order bridge kits, please follow this link: Missouri Society of Professional Engineers - Model Bridge Contest. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Shannon Shank at OzarkModelBridge@gmail.com.
For further questions, please email: OzarkModelBridge@gmail.com, Shannon Shank (sshank@greatriv.com), or Stacy Bergmann (stacy.bergmann.civil.engineer@gmail.com).
As the Missouri Legislature takes its spring break, it’s the perfect time for MSPE members to evaluate the first half of the legislative session and discuss the proposals that can impact the profession. This session will cover key legislative developments, industry advocacy efforts, and a look ahead to the critical work remaining in the second half of the session.
Attendees will gain 1 PDH.
Save the Date!
More details to come
Join MSPE - Western Chapter for our March Dinner Meeting with UMKC. This will be a great opportunity for engineering students and engineering professionals to network! A taco bar will be served before the presentation of the LEAP Awards and a presentation from Dr. Mohanad Abdulazeez.
Date: Thursday, March 19th, 2026
Time:
5:30 p.m. - Registration/Networking
6:00 p.m. - Dinner
6:30 p.m. - WC MSPE Membership Meeting
6:45 p.m. - Presentation of LEAP Awards
7:00 p.m. - Presentation from Dr. Abdulazeez (1.0 PDH provided)
Location:
UMKC Flarsheim Hall - Room 531 (Toyota Room)5110 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO 64110
Menu:
Taco Bar – Ground beef/shredded chicken, tortillas, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, jalapenos, onions, sour cream, refried beans, Spanish rice, sopapillas, honey, and water.
$25 for Members and Guests
Free for UMKC and Rockhurst Students but must register
Registration closes March 17th and no refunds will be issued after this date
Parking:
Free parking available in the Rockhill Garage at 52nd and Rockhill Road. Park on Level 4 and take the walkway over 52nd street through Haag Hall to Flarsheim Hall. Take elevators to the 5th Floor.
Please include your email address in your registration and UMKC will email you with instructions to complete a parking pass form.
(See Parking Map Below for Details)
Presentation Details:
Embracing Innovative Strategies for Sustainable and Resilient Bridges
Dr. Mohanad Abdulazeez
This presentation explores innovative, experimentally and numerically validated approaches to enhance bridge resilience under extreme environmental conditions. It highlights advanced materials such as fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) and ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC), along with physics-based assessment methods and multiphysics simulations, to improve bridge performance, durability, and recovery decision-making.
Bio
Dr. Abdulazeez is an Assistant Professor in the School of Science and Engineering at the University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC). He earned his Ph.D. in Structural Engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology in 2020, with research focused on resilient infrastructure and full-scale composite bridge systems. His work centers on smart cities and advanced computational modeling of the built environment, including large-scale testing, innovative materials, and structural simulation using Ansys/LS-DYNA and Abaqus. He has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications, teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in structural and computational engineering, and is actively involved in professional organizations such as ASCE, ACI, PCI, AISC, TRB, and ASEE.
Parking Map:
The Missouri Society of Professional Engineers and Kansas Society of Professional Engineers are teaming up to launch the Government Engineers Leadership Program (GELP) in 2026. This program, exclusively offered to MSPE/KSPE members working in the government sector, is for individuals committed to developing their leadership abilities.
This program imparts specific skills and competencies utilizing highly interactive sessions taught by experts in the field of engineering, business administration, government affairs and people management in government and professional services firms. Program attendees will participate in structured professional development sessions, build their network through meaningful connections, and gain hands-on experience with guidance from industry mentors.
Please click HERE for additional information and to download the application.
Applications must be uploaded upon initial registration online. Because a number of interested applicants are waiting for their internal leadership approval, applications will continue to be accepted.
SAVE THE DATE!
Central Chapter- MSPE President Visit
May 4, 2026
Columbia, MO
Featuring MSPE President Michael Buechter, P.E.
Everyone is invited to the annual Shrimp Feed sponsored by the Ozark Chapter of the Missouri Society of Professional Engineers. The event will happen on Thursday, August 13, 2026.
This event welcomes Engineers, Surveyors, Architects, Contractors, Construction Suppliers, Students, and the public. The Shrimp Feed is the primary fundraiser for the Chapter, and the proceeds go toward funding Engineer’s Week activities, Bridge Contest, MathCounts, Ozarks Science and Engineering Fair (OSEF), and scholarships for local engineering students.
PURCHASE IS NOT DEDUCTIBLE AS A CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION.
Office: 573-636-4861Fax: 573-636-5475308 E. High St., Ste 100Jefferson City, MO 65101
Event registration sponsored by A2V Partners of Springfield, MO
