The University of California, San Diego, has named Albert P. "Al"Pisano dean of the Jacobs School of Engineering, effective Sept. 1. A professor of mechanical, electrical and computer engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, he also served

Pisano

as engineering dean. Pisano will replace Juan C. Lasheras, a UCSD professor who was interim dean since 2012. Pisano also will teach engineering and continue research, including development of a sensor system to predict landslides, says UCSD. As dean, Pisano succeeds Frieder Seible, who retired in April after 10 years in the role. Seible, an expert in long-span bridge design and earthquake damage mitigation, founded UCSD's structural engineering department. He now is an academic vice president and dean of engineering and information technology at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Seible also is a member of the seismic safety review panel for the $6.3-billion San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge replacement span, which faces a delayed opening until December because of broken shear bolt rods that state officials say make it seismically deficient. In July, the panel presented a short-term repair proposal that would allow the bridge to open weeks sooner, according to published reports.

 

Cathy Arnett has joined TRC Cos. Inc., Lowell, Mass., as managing principal. This follows the engineer-CM firm's July 22 acquisition of Utility Support Systems Inc., a provider of distribution engineering services and storm response. She was founder and former president of the firm, which has 280 employees and $11.5 million in 2012 revenue. Arnett remains based in Douglasville, Ga.

HNTB Corp., Kansas City, has promoted Robert J. Slimp to CEO of HNTB infrastructure, its largest business unit. Formerly president of the firm's Northeast and Southeast divisions, he now succeeds Ken Graham, who has retired. Slimp is based in Atlanta. Ed McSpedon has been elevated to CEO of the Advantage business unit, which handles the firm's design-build program. Based in Los Angeles, he remains corporate executive vice president. In his new role, McSpedon succeeds Terry Miller, who retired earlier this year. Heiner Sander also has joined the firm as vice president and tunnel practice leader in Arlington, Va. He was CEO of ILF Consultants Inc.

 

Hammond

Parsons Brinckerhoff has named Paula Hammond as senior vice president and national transportation market leader, effective in September, says the firm. She has been Transportation Secretary in Washington state since 2007. Hammond, based in Seattle, is also a former executive committee member of the Transportation Research Board and led several committees of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Andrew Bannister has joined The Louis Berger Group as vice president, Middle East director of operations and United Arab Emirates country manager, the firm says. Based in Abu Dhabi, he was operations vice president at AECOM and director of its Dubai and northern U.A.E. region.

Jan Egil Braendeland has rejoined Houston-based engineer KBR, now as president of its oil-and-gas business unit. U.K.-based, he had been senior vice president of upstream global business development at Foster Wheeler Corp. and a oil-and-gas unit senior vice president at KBR.

The Environmental Defense Fund, New York City, has named Cheryl Roberto as associate vice president for U.S. climate and energy. She was the commissioner of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and also headed the Dept. of Public Utilities in Columbus. Roberto will lead EDF's "Smart Power" campaign, which advocates efforts to modernize outdated energy infrastructure and accelerate use of clean- and renewable- energy technologies.

The American Subcontractors Association, Alexandria, Va., has named Richard Bright as chief operating officer to manage non-advocacy activities. In the role on an interim basis since April, he also was president of consultant Bright Concepts Inc. Executive Vice President E. Colette Nelson now is ASA's chief advocacy officer.

Rich Steimel and Pat Quintiliano have rejoined New York City contractor Lend Lease as senior vice president-director of operations and vice president-general superintendent, respectively, in its health-care division. Both were with Tishman Construction, Steimel as senior vice president-project executive and Quintiliano as vice president-general superintendent.

Pinnock

Burt Pinnock has rejoined Richmond, Va., architect Baskervill, now as a principal, following the firm's July 1 acquisition of BAM Architects, also based there and of which Pinnock was a founding principal. He had been a lead designer at Baskervill and a Paris-based designer for architect-engineer Santiago Calatrava.

James W. Bowley has joined Matheson Environmental Inc., Sacramento, Calif., as president. Based in Hayward, Calif., he had been vice president of industrial and environmental construction at MWH Constructors Inc.

GEI Consultants Inc., Woburn, Mass., has named Benjamin Lavon as a division vice president, following its June 28 acquisition of Feld, Kaminetzky & Cohen, New York City, of which he was president. That firm, now a GEI division, specializes in structural evaluation and rehabilitation.

John Trought, Lou Locatelli and Gary Markotich have joined Trinity Consultants, Dallas, as principal consultants in Toronto after the firm's July 9 buy of Church & Trought Inc., an industrial air-quality firm there. Trought was founder, and Locatelli and Markotich were principals.

Liberty Mutual, Boston, has named Douglas Cauti as senior vice president and chief underwriting officer in its construction practice. He had been regional president of SeaBright Insurance.