Celebrating industry giants and distinguished alumni
Event honors leaders for elevating communities and shaping futures
More than 150 industry leaders, faculty and alumni are expected to attend the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment’s Hall of Fame and Academy of Distinguished Alumni induction ceremony. The celebration will honor a group of outstanding inductees who are exemplars in the profession. Photographer: Erika Gronek/ASU
Four outstanding alumni and two industry leaders will be honored at the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment’s Hall of Fame and Academy of Distinguished Alumni event scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024.
More than 150 industry leaders, faculty and alumni will gather at this invitation-only reception and celebration in the school’s atrium to honor these exemplars of leadership and professional service.
“These individuals make our programs and their communities better,” says Matthew Eicher, assistant director for student success and industry outreach for the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, or SSEBE.
Celebrating milestones
This year, the event also celebrates the 15-year anniversary of the founding of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University.
The event also marks the 10th anniversary of the building in which SSEBE is housed, celebrating its place as an amazing living laboratory and learning environment, community hub for students and meeting space for industry partners, says Ram Pendyala, the school’s director.
Phoenix construction leaders inducted into Hall of Fame
Samuel F. Kitchell and Mary Jo and Paul C. Helmick are this year’s Hall of Fame inductees. They join 14 industry leaders recognized with this honor since its inception in 1990 for contributions to the advancement of the school, including its educational and research mission and preparation of the industry’s workforce.
Sam Kitchell
Samuel F. Kitchell
Samuel F. Kitchell, who passed away in 2006, introduced advanced project control systems and championed the construction management concept at Kitchell Contractors, later renamed to Kitchell Corporation, which he founded in Phoenix and led as president from 1950 to 1979. He was a key industry partner in the creation of the construction program at ASU in 1957 and remained an avid supporter of the construction programs while leading the company. Kitchell Corporation, which is now 100% employee-owned, is a respected real estate and construction firm with offices in multiple states.
Kitchell served as president of the Arizona Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America, and influenced industry standards and practices in that role. He was inducted into the Arizona Business Hall of Fame in 1992.
“My philosophy of life is to enjoy it,” Kitchell was known to say, and his community service and philanthropy reflected his values. He served as Heard Museum president, founded the Phoenix Kidney Foundation and played a significant role in supporting the Phoenix Symphony. Kitchell also contributed to the Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix Thunderbirds and multiple local hospitals. The Kitchell Employee Foundation continues to support various causes today.
Mary Jo and Paul C. Helmick
Mary Jo and Paul C. Helmick
Paul C. Helmick, who passed away in 2015, was a leader in the mining and equipment industry and owner of the Paul C. Helmick Corporation based in Phoenix. Mary Jo Helmick, who graduated from what became the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at ASU, shared with the ASU Foundation that her husband gave scholarships to people he worked with. The Helmicks thought it was important to give back to their community, said Liz Malnory, assistant director of development with Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and the ASU Foundation for A New American University.
After years of generous donations to diverse Arizona charities, Mary Jo and Paul C. Helmick decided to focus their legacy on education. They believed that the best way to alleviate most problems facing humanity was to invest in knowledge and access to excellent schools. Their financial commitment to this goal has played a significant role in attracting and retaining talented students, faculty and staff at Arizona State University.
The Helmick’s transformational gift will support student success and leadership, industry engagement and integration, faculty excellence and research and state-of-the-art learning environments in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Pendyala says.
“I am thrilled to share the great news that the College Avenue Commons building has been renamed the Paul C. Helmick Center, and the building’s signature atrium will be known as the Mary Jo and Paul C. Helmick Atrium, thanks to the generous gift that will have a transformational impact on our school,” Pendyala says.
Prominent graduates added to the Academy of Distinguished Alumni
Tim W. Anderson, Mike Godbehere, Kelvin C.P. Wang and Guy F. Wollam are this year’s inductees to the Academy of Distinguished Alumni. They join a distinguished group of 40 ASU graduates honored since the award’s inception in 1995, exemplifying the spirit of the New American University through their professional excellence and unwavering support and compassion for their communities.
Tim W. Anderson
Tim W. Anderson
Tim W. Anderson, a Professional Engineer, is executive vice president and Western operating group manager at Terracon Consultants Inc., where he oversees the safety, development, growth, client experience and financial performance of more than 1,200 employee-owners in 12 states.
He earned his Bachelor of Science in Engineering in 1987 and his Master of Science in Engineering from ASU in 1992, specializing in geotechnical engineering within the civil engineering program. He has 35 years of experience in executing complex infrastructure projects and has played key roles in executing several landmarks, including State Farm Stadium, Verrado Master Planned Community, Chandler Fashion Center, Tempe Center for the Arts and Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Spring Training Facility. His expertise in geotechnical engineering and project management has been critical to the success of these projects.
Anderson serves on the board of Sunrise Engineering Inc., completed the American Council of Engineering Companies Senior Executives Institute Class 25 Leadership Development Program and earned a Professional Certificate in Sustainability Strategy from ASU in 2021.
Mike Godbehere
Mike Godbehere
Mike Godbehere, the chief operating officer and co-founder of GCON, Inc., earned his Bachelor of Science in construction management from ASU in 1994. He has more than 35 years of experience in construction. Godbehere collaborates with diverse clients to develop custom roadmaps to achieve their goals. Under his leadership, GCON has consistently ranked as one of the fastest-growing companies in Arizona.
Godbehere serves on the Board of Directors for Leadership West and the Arizona Charter Academy, is chair of Del E. Webb School of Construction’s Executive Council and is a member of the Arizona Finance Authority.
Godbehere provides free training opportunities to nonprofits and community organizations. He has been honored as Executive of the Year by the Construction Financial Management Association, a Sun Devil 100 and Titan 100 honoree.
Kelvin C.P. Wang
Kelvin C.P. Wang
For more than 30 years, Kelvin C.P. Wang, a Professional Engineer, has led efforts to automate the surveying of pavement distresses. His work bridges the gap between academic research and industry application and forms the basis for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials standard MP 47-21 on pavement visual data.
Wang worked at the Arizona Department of Transportation, or ADOT, starting in 1989, earned a doctoral degree in civil engineering from ASU in 1992, and then began his academic career at the University of Arkansas in 1993. In 2011, he was named a chair professor at Oklahoma State University and later a regents professor. In 2023, he began working as a professor of civil engineering and director of the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University.
Wang created the first digital pavement data collection system, deployed 3D laser imaging for high-speed pavement data collection and used deep-learning techniques for automated data processing, distress evaluation and safety assessments. His research has evaluated the safety conditions of airfields, bridges, railways and other infrastructure. Wang’s technologies and artificial intelligence-based solutions are used in several countries and have influenced methodologies worldwide.
Wang received the Francis C. Turner Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers, or ASCE, was elected a Distinguished Member of the ASCE Class of 2021 and served as president of the ASCE Transportation & Development Institute. He has also been chief technology officer for WayLink Systems Corporation since its inception in 1998.
Guy F. Wollam
Guy F. Wollam
While attending ASU, Guy F. Wollam worked on concrete crews and for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After graduating from ASU’s construction engineering program in 1970, he served for seven years in the U.S. Army Reserves and worked for M.M. Sundt Construction. Later, he was an advanced project engineer on multiple projects for ADOT and worked for large construction companies in roles ranging from project engineer to vice president.
With some cash and a pickup truck, Wollam and his wife Lana started Wollam Construction, a heavy industrial civil construction company in 1986 in Sandy, Utah. Today, their family-owned business employs 200 and is led by their son, Matt Wollam, who is also a Del E. Webb School of Construction graduate.
Guy Wollam served on the board of the University of Utah’s Construction Management Program and the Associated General Contractors of Utah and as a member of the American Institute of Mining Engineers. The Wollams also support the Huntsman Cancer Institute, Tee it Up for Cancer, National Disability Center, Utah Tennis Association and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah.
“Induction into the Hall of Fame and the Academy of Distinguished Alumni is an honor reserved for those who have reached the pinnacle of their career and have made a difference in the lives of many through their work,” Pendyala says. “As we honor our Hall of Fame and distinguished alumni, we celebrate their remarkable legacy of leadership and innovation that has shaped the future of our built environment.”
“These individuals have not only excelled in their fields, but have also shown the values of the Fulton Schools of Engineering and advanced the Charter of ASU, making a lasting impact on communities that have been touched by their work,” Pendyala says of the inductees. “Their achievements remind us of the power of perseverance, vision and the endless possibilities when passion meets purpose.”
Hall of Fame and Distinguished Alumni’s names are permanently and prominently displayed on the fourth and fifth floors of the Paul C. Helmick Center, where they will undoubtedly inspire many future generations of industry leaders, Pendyala says.
