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Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists - Nisqually Chapter

Speaker:&nbsp;Brittany Dayley, CEG, LEG, RG Abstract:&nbsp;Emergency response to landslides and rockfall events demands rapid decision-making, often with incomplete information. And time is of the essence, as many of these events happen in areas that affect the general public. So how do you answer the important question, &quot;When is the road going to be back open?&quot; This presentation presents the March 2026 rockfall emergency at I-5 Milepost 248.5 in Whatcom County, Washington and the 26-day closure of northbound I-5 that followed. We will review how we used a multidisciplinary approach to communicate uncertainty and a multi-phased approach to stabilization. This case demonstrates that clear communication of data limitations and uncertainty, rather than false certainty, strengthens stakeholder trust and enables defensible decisions in high-stakes geohazard mitigation. About the Speaker:&nbsp;Brittany Dayley, CEG, LEG, RG is a Project Engineering Geologist at Delve Underground based out of Portland, Oregon. Brittany has over a decade of experience spanning engineering geology, underground and surface mining, geotechnical investigation, and slope hazard assessment. At Delve Underground, her focus has primarily been on subsurface characterization and field exploration, rockfall and landslide identification and mitigation, emergency response, and geotechnical investigations for tunnel and shaft projects across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Brittany earned a B.S. in Geology from the University of Oregon in 2014 and holds professional registrations as a Certified Engineering Geologist in Oregon, a Licensed Engineering Geologist in Washington State, and a Registered Geologist in Idaho. General Schedule5:50 pm - Social hour and buffet dinner6:30 pm - Talk7:30 pm - Brief question and answer

AEG Nisqually - Rockfall Emergency at I-5 in Whatcom County, Washington

Speaker:&nbsp;Paul Weaver, PG (2025-2026 AEG President) Abstract:&nbsp;This presentation will focus on the insights gained over the course of a 40+ year career spent mostly working as a geotechnical geologist working for engineering consulting companies ranging in size from under 20 employees to over 6,000 employees. Discussion highlights include how to thrive as a geologist in an engineer-dominated group, how to build up your experience resume by embracing opportunities, what will be expected of you as you advance in your career and what choices you have in the direction your career will take, how to deal with corporate B.S., and other insights to allow you to survive and thrive inside the corporate machine. About the Speaker:&nbsp;Paul retired from ESP Associates, Inc. in 2024 where he was the senior transportation geotechnical project manager in charge of all North Carolina transportation geotechnical work. Some of the many positions he held over his 40 plus year career include concrete and soil technician/soils and concrete laboratory manager, geologist/quality control manager for a limestone quarry, in-house specialist for subgrade and base stone chemical stabilization with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, drilling department manager, and geotechnical engineering department manager. Paul received his degree in geology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 1981. He has been very involved in AEG for over 25 years serving as Chair of the Carolinas Chapter for 4 years, Southeast Region Director for 2 years, Co-Chair of the 2019 AEG Annual Meeting held in Asheville, Co-Chair of the AEG Meetings Advisory Committee, and he is currently Chair of the AEG Carolinas Scholarship Committee, advisor to the Carolinas Chapter, and Treasurer for the upcoming AEG 2026 Annual Meeting to be held in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Paul lives in Greensboro, North Carolina and is a licensed geologist in North Carolina. In his free time, Paul enjoys creating unique wood crafted items such as tables, benches, wine racks, etc. General Schedule5:50 pm - Social hour and buffet dinner6:30 pm - Talk7:30 pm - Brief question and answer

AEG Nisqually - Don’t forget….It’s a Business!! – How to Survive the Corporate Machine

Talk Title:&nbsp;Detailed Image Interpretation of Thermal IT, Orthophotography, and LiDAR imagery for GIS-based Tracking of Features of Interest on Legacy Landfill Covers WITH&nbsp;Navigating a Career in Environmental and Engineering Geology &ndash; make a living and a difference to heal a hurting planet Abstract:&nbsp;Infiltration of precipitation through earthen landfill covers can generate leachate that may escape through unlined landfill boundaries. This presentation reviews the use of multi‑date and multi‑band aerial photography, airborne LiDAR, and post‑sunset thermal infrared imagery to identify cover defects such as depressions, erosion, landslides, and other features of concern. These features were detected by enhancing and comparing imagery across multiple dates and mapping them within a GIS‑based relational database for field investigation. &nbsp;The talk also explores career development in environmental and engineering geology. Because geoscientists work in fields that significantly affect public health and safety, professional licensure and ongoing continuing education are essential. Professional organizations support technical growth while also offering guidance on practical skills such as leadership, communication, and well‑being. The presentation concludes with examples of how volunteer and community engagement can provide balance and fulfillment throughout a geoscience career. About the Speaker:&nbsp;Dr. Christopher &ldquo;Chris&rdquo; Stohr, retired from the Illinois State Geological Survey at the Prairie Research Institute, has been selected as the 2025&ndash;2026 Richard Jahns Distinguished Lecturer by AEG and GSA‑EEGS. With more than 40 years of applied geology, research, and international humanitarian experience, Dr. Stohr has worked extensively across the Midwestern U.S., Africa, and South America. He holds a BS in Geology from Saint Joseph&rsquo;s College and an MS in Engineering Geology from Purdue University. His career includes early work for the Missouri Geology and Land Survey on dams, waste facilities, dye tracing, and landfill investigations, as well as fault and paleoseismic studies for a nuclear power plant project in Iran. At the Illinois State Geological Survey, he led or contributed to research in landslides, groundwater, geophysics, remote sensing, precision agriculture, coastal erosion, photogrammetry, laser scanning, archaeology, and carbon sequestration. His award‑winning work using post‑sunset thermal infrared imagery to analyze landfill cover failures became the basis of his PhD research, and he has investigated legacy landfills across the U.S., Egypt, Malawi, and Argentina. Dr. Stohr has served as a Fulbright Senior Specialist in Egypt, led humanitarian development projects in Malawi, and is licensed as a Professional Geologist and Certified Engineering Geologist in Illinois and Oregon. He has served on the Champaign County Board, the Mahomet Aquifer Council, and the Illinois Board of Licensing for Professional Geologists, and remains active in ASPRS, AEG, and GSA. General Schedule5:50 pm - Social hour and buffet dinner6:30 pm - Talk7:30 pm - Brief question and answer

AEG Nisqually - Christopher Stohr 2025-2026 Richard H Jahns Distinguished Lecturer

Please join us for the AEG Nisqually Dinner Meeting on February 18 with a talk from Nishanthi Perera. Abstract:&nbsp;This presentation will give an overview of the Transportation Pooled Fund Study TPF-5(459) Developing and Calibrating Fragmental Rockfall Models using Physics Engines. The objectives of the research are (1) To collect handheld video data to inform and develop a rockfall database that has detailed qualitative analysis of rockfall events, (2) To create a field data collection method that can accurately track rockfall trajectories in 4D so that quantitative data from rockfall events can be captured, (3) To build a user interface using the Unity physics engine to permit model self-calibration which will provide probabilistic output data (4) To calibrate the finished simulation using the rockfall data collected in #1 and #2 and (5) To document all these processes so that users can effectively use the simulation and provide all the data and simulation in an open source platform.&nbsp; About the Speaker: Nishanthi Perera is a PhD student at University of Washington studying rockfall and rockfall fragmentation under the supervision of Dr. Joseph Wartman in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. She received her bachelor&rsquo;s in Geological Engineering from South Dakota School of Mines and her master&rsquo;s degree is in Civil Engineering from University of Colorado Boulder. After working for Washington State Department of Transportation for 2 1/2 years, she decided to go back to school to pursue her PhD while continuing to work part time at WSDOT. In her limited spare time, she loves collecting rocks and baking delicious treats for her friends and colleagues.&nbsp; General Schedule5:50 pm - Social hour and buffet dinner6:30 pm - Talk7:30 pm - Brief question and answer

Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists - Nisqually Chapter

Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists - Nisqually Chapter

Past events

Past events

AEG Nisqually - Rockfall Emergency at I-5 in Whatcom County, Washington

AEG Nisqually - Don’t forget….It’s a Business!! – How to Survive the Corporate Machine

AEG Nisqually - Christopher Stohr 2025-2026 Richard H Jahns Distinguished Lecturer

AEG Nisqually - Rocks, Roads, and Reality: Modeling Fragmental Rockfall Using 3D Physics Engines

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