Drexel alumni are consistently being recognized as leaders in the field of engineering. In March, Kerianne Chen (BS ‘20) was named a 2023 New Face of Civil Engineering by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Archibald S. Filshill, MS civil engineering ‘95, PhD civil engineering ‘10, chief executive officer of Aero Aggregates of North America, was elected as the 2023 Delaware Valley Engineer of the Year in February by the Engineers’ Club of Philadelphia.
Chen, who is genderqueer and goes by she/ they pronouns, was a leader in the Society of Women Engineers and worked to champion voices that are often unheard in STEM fields. Currently, she’s working as a highway design specialist with Traffic Planning Design, Inc and also serves as the K-12 outreach chair for the ASCE Philadelphia Sector YMF. Chen was awarded by ASCE as a 2023 New Face of Civil Engineering for their ongoing advocacy for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as well as STEM outreach.
“I want to share my experiences as an engineer in a way that makes it seem like an attainable goal,” Chen said. “Engineering should not be considered something beyond [students’] reach, but instead an option for them if they are interested in infrastructure.”
Filshill is the founder and chief executive officer of Aero Aggregates, the first North American company to convert used glass into ultra-lightweight construction material. Aero Aggregates has played an important role in the rapid acceptance of foamed glass aggregate as a construction material in the United States and within five years, it has shipped from coast to coast and has been approved by more than 20 State Departments of Transportation.
After earning his bachelor’s degree at Temple, Filshill went on to Drexel for his graduate degrees. He has since served as a member of Drexel University’s Engineering Advisory Board and Temple University’s Engineering School Industrial Advisory Board. He spends time educating future engineers by teaching, speaking and mentoring students.
“To receive this award from the Engineers’ Club of Philadelphia is a tremendous honor,” Filshill said in response to being elected the 2023 Delaware Valley Engineer of the Year. “To be recognized in this group makes it super special for me because I hold the engineers of the Delaware Valley area in such high regard.”