Civil engineering faculty and advisory board chair named ASCE Fellows

By Peter Murphy

ASCE members elected to fellow status have made celebrated contributions and developed creative solutions that have enhanced lives. According to ASCE, it’s a prestigious honor held by just 3% of ASCE members.

Kaminski and D’Angelo are both UB alumni, and each spent a significant portion of their careers with the New York State Department of Transportation (NYS DOT). Their work with NYS DOT has impacted countless communities from Western New York to New York City, and throughout the state.

“I had the opportunity to be involved in many transformative projects while being a leader at NYS DOT, some are still evolving,” Kaminski says. “Projects like the Scajaquada corridor, tunneling the Kensington Expressway in Buffalo, and the walkable and welcoming waterfront along the Outer Harbor. I am equally proud of the myriad of smaller but meaningful improvements that created a safer facility for pedestrians, enhanced small villages, or provided relief to traffic congestion.”

Kaminski (MEng ’90, BS ’83) has been working as an engineer for 40 years, 35 of those as a professional engineer. He spent over 30 years with NYS DOT in various positions, including a few leadership roles, culminating in his time as regional director of Western New York. He joined UB in 2016, where he has helped prepare many new and aspiring engineers for the real-world challenges they will solve in the workforce.

Each project, whether it’s working on a major roadway, solving a congestion problem in a small town, or helping a student grasp different concepts, are important, according to Kaminski.

“Success can often be measured by countless accomplishments that individually and cumulatively improve the built environment,” Kaminski says. “All engineers should be diligent in ensuring that their work is always additive to the human experience, no matter the scope and scale of the effort.”

D’Angelo (BS ’83), who also serves on the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Dean’s Advisory Council, served in several senior roles in NYS DOT, including director of design and deputy chief engineer.

“I have been blessed with great mentors throughout my career. From starting out as a junior engineer in a design squad at NYS DOT in Syracuse, N.Y., to becoming a registered professional engineer, to serving as statewide director of design, each step was significant,” D’Angelo says. “I worked on several different processes of the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, including environmental analysis, design-builder procurement, and construction.”

After a successful career with NYS DOT, D’Angelo joined the scientific research and engineering firm Applied Research Associates as a principal civil engineer. He focuses on innovation deployment, risk and project management, and alternative contracting methods. He has authored several national guidance documents on those topics, and many others, including bridge and project bundling, bridge construction quality assurance and value capture.

D’Angelo recognizes the roles that collaboration and a shared drive among civil engineers played in his success.

“Most of us in civil engineering chose the profession as a way to improve society,” D’Angelo says. “It was clear to me early in my career that civil engineering related projects are a team effort. Working with a diverse group to solve problems is very rewarding. Not only do we get to see our accomplishments, but we get to observe the public benefits. There is not one person in this world who has not benefited from what civil engineers do.”