PEOPLE & COMPANIES K.P. Pradeep (KP) , editor-in-chief of The Masterbuilder, died on June 11, 2016, at age 55. Conceived and f i r s t published in 1996 by Pradeep, The Masterbuilder is India’s leading construction engineering maga- zine, which has been inspiring interaction among civil engineers through award- winning coverage for over two decades. According to Theresa Engler, executive director of DFI, “Pradeep was a great friend to DFI through his collaboration with us in promoting the efforts of DFI of India and its annual conferences, and in helping to advance the deep foundations industry in India.” Pradeep is survived by his wife, Renza Pradeep, and son, Nigel Narayan. Professor Amy Cerato, P.E., was awarded the 2015 Prize for Excellence in Teaching of Geotechnical Engineering by the Shamsher Prakash Foundation. Cerato is the R a p p F o u n d a t i o n Presidential Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. She researches and consults in geotechnical engineering, specifically focusing on soil stabilization, expansive soil mitigation and foundation design in problematic soils. Cerato is a member of the DFI Helical Piles and Tiebacks Committee and the ASCE Geo- Institute Committee of Engineering Geo- logy and Site Characterization. Aldridge Construction announced the acquisition of Magco Drilling, a foundation contractor based in Azusa, Calif. With this acquisition, Aldridge adds capabilities including drilled shaft foundations, micropiles, anchors, displacement piles, grouting, earth retention and shoring. Along with expanded services, Aldridge acquired a diverse equipment fleet and many skilled and focused people. GeoStructures announced three new employees. Jeff Rickard, P.E., joined GeoS t ruc tur e s a s a design-build sales engi- neer. Previously, Rickard worked as a construction executive for the Depart- ment of State, senior project manager for Wiles Mensch Corporation and regional manager for Contech Bridge Solutions. He obtained a degree in civil engineering from the Virginia Military Institute. Juan Salinas, EIT, joined GeoStructures as a design engineer. Before joining the company, Salinas worked in consulting for three years at Geo-Technology Associates. He obtained his B.S. in civil and environmental engineering from Virginia Tech in 2012. Curtis Kanewske, EIT, joined GeoConstructors (GeoStructures’ sister company) as an assistant project manager. Prior to joining GeoConstructors, Kanewske interned as an engineering technician with Hillis-Carnes Engineering, and upon graduation, worked at Triad Engineering as a staff engineer performing geotechnical inves- tigations and monitoring field construc- tion. He received his B.S. in geotechnical and environmental engineering from Virginia Tech in May 2014. Hydro-Ram located in Broussard, La., became IHC IQIP America. The Louisiana facility supports a large rental fleet that includes pile driving equipment and internal lifting tools, along with other product lines for offshore installation and decommissioning. Skanska USA announced the promotion of Mel Jones to national director of diversity & inclusion (D&I ) . Jones joined Skanska in 2010 as diversity manager for the company’s Northwest region where he created and oversaw the award-winning Boost Program, a Mentor Protégé initiative. In addition to his role at Skanska, Jones is a past member of the board of directors of Vantage Point, an organization that helps fill the need of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) part icipat ion in commerce, and a current community organizer for the Black Citizen’s Coalition of Por t land Neighborhoods . Hi s professional career includes nearly 20 years of experience in land use and civil design, most recently as owner of Rucker LDC, a land development consulting firm. GRL Engineers is celebrating 40 years of serving the deep foundations industry. It was founded in March of 1976 to provide testing pile services using the High Strain Dynamic Pile T e s t i n g method. The c o m p a n y , which started wi th jus t 3 engineers, now has 34. Over the course of 40 years, GRL added many other services to its offerings, notably Thermal Integrity Profiling and Cross-Hole Sonic Logging of drilled shafts, Pulse Echo Pile Integrity Testing, GRLWEAP Wave Equation Analysis of Piles and static load tests. GRL also announced that Joel Pierazek, E. I . , joined its Pennsylvania office. Pierazek has a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of North Florida and is currently working towards an M.S. in civil engineering. DEEP FOUNDATIONS • JULY/AUG 2016 • 109
