Viktoria Bogina, E.I.T., a civil engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District, was one of the USACE nominees for this year's New Faces of Engineering program. "I'm really excited for this recognition, and I couldn't be more thrilled!" said Bogina.
Each year, the National Engineers Week Foundation -- a coalition of engineering societies, major corporations and government agencies -- asks its members to nominate colleagues 30 years old and younger who have shown outstanding abilities and leadership. The program promotes the accomplishments of young engineers, highlights the impact of their engineering contributions on society and inspires students to consider engineering careers.
Bogina joined Jacksonville District in 2008, as an engineering co-op and then as an intern in the Engineering Division, Design Branch, geomatics section. In March 2012, she was hired as a civil engineer. Her nomination for the New Faces of Engineering program was based on her contributions to the success of the district modeling, mapping, and consequences (MMC) team, which supports national efforts in developing maps for emergency action plans, hydraulic models for Corps dams, consequence data, and standards for these activities.
"Viktoria is one of the most diligent civil engineers I have met," said Robert Swilley, acting chief of the geomatics section. "Her attention to detail and the speed at which she learns is simply amazing."
Bogina's involvement is unique in that she is able to perform both the mapping and the development of consequence data for the program, while also considering public safety as a key component in identifying areas of concern in certain high water events. "Due to her great work ethic and comprehension of hydraulic models, she has progressed through the ranks of the MMC program to be personally recommended as a national coordinator," said Swilley.
In October 2012 the national MMC team asked Bogina to be the national lead mapping quality assurance coordinator and reviewer for MMC maps. "As chief of her section, I couldn't be happier with her performance and can only hope that future civil engineers be mentored by someone like Viktoria," said Swilley.
Bogina has also been an integral part of Jacksonville District's deep and shallow water draft projects. Her work in performing quality assurance on dredging activities and volume computations for measurement purposes is vital to ensure proper depths are met so vessels can safely navigate the many harbors and waterways in the area.
Bogina holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of North Florida.
She is involved with the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Jacksonville Post, currently serving on both the Young Members and the Leadership and Mentoring committees. She was also named as 2012 Young Engineer of the Year.
A member of the planning team for the 2012 and 2013 Engineering Career Days, an annual event co-sponsored by SAME and Jacksonville District to encourage high school students to pursue engineering degrees, Bogina said she encourages high school students to take college preparatory courses, such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Program, as she did at Paxton School for Advanced Studies.
"Not only do these more advanced classes get you ahead in college, they also teach you time management skills and prepare you for a tough curriculum in the engineering college program," she explained.
Bogina said that she was inspired to pursue engineering by her parents, and that they served as her mentors, encouraging her and providing her with what she needed to succeed. "I love what I do!" said Bogina. "I'm so fortunate that I get to work with many engineering programs because I really enjoy technical work, especially a wide variety of it. I'm also thankful to have great leadership and co-workers that promote learning and continue to support my development as an engineer."
Information about the National Engineers Week Foundation and the New Faces of Engineering nominees can be found at www.eweek.org.
Related Links:
National Engineers Week Foundation
National Nonprofit Advancing Licensure for Engineers and Surveyors
Jacksonville District News and Information
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