Academia Panamericana de Ingeniería
Academia Pan-Americana de Engenharia
Pan American Academy of Engineering
Activities 2006
New Members
At the Headquarters of the Academy of Medicine of Atlanta, Georgia, USA the Solemn Ceremony of Inception of Members took place on September 18, 2006 at 10:30 a.m.
The Selection Process was initiated at the end of 2005 with the Summons the President sent to Charter Members of the Academy, the different Organizations belonging to UPADI, WFEO and the National Engineering Academies. The nominations received within the time limit, March 31, 2006, were analyzed by the Election Committee and confirmed later by means of the vote of the Charter Members. At this Ceremony two Candidates to Charter Members elected in 2004 were also incorporated. The list of new members is as follows:
Charter Members
Argentina
Eng. Alfredo Leiter
Brazil
Eng. Ruy Carlos de Camargo Vieira
Eng. Claudio Amaruy Dall'Acqua
Eng. Nelson Zuanella
United States
Dr. Patricia Galloway
Dr. Harry Armen
Dr. Neil S. Grigg
Eng. MS Lueny Morell Bobadilla
Dr. William Farris Ranson III
Dr. William J. Wepfer
Dr. Jerry Reese Yeargan
México
Dr. José de Jesús Ramos Salinas
Corresponding Members
Chile Eng. Hernán Ayarza Elorza
Brazil Eng. Jaime Rotstein
United States Eng. Daniel Darius Clinton
Dr. Luther Graef France Eng. Jean Michel
Mexico Eng. Raúl Erasmo Sánchez Rubio
Poland Dr. Wlodszmierz Miszalski
United Kingdom Eng. Tony Melville Ridley
Singapore Dr. Kai Sang Lock
Tunisia Eng. Kamel Ayadi
Anticorruptión Polícy
The text of the Anticorruption Policy (see Link “Declarations”) approved by the Board of Directors on October 13, 2005 in Aruba, was further diffused during 2006 by the President of the Academy in letters addressed to Presidents of UPADI Members, WFEO Members, Engineering Academies, Consulting Engineers Societies and Faculties and Engineering Schools. The subject continued with the consideration of the Code of Ethics for Members of the Academy.
Code of Ethics
Almost all the Organizations that unite engineers in the world have a Code of Ethics that is obligatory for its Members. Some of them have very ancient Codes of Ethics that do not contemplate restrictively violations to Ethics in cases of bribery, fraud and corruption. To make up for this lack WFEO approved in 2001 a Model Code of Ethics to be adapted and adopted by all its Member Organizations. Two years later UPADI also approved in October 2003 a Model Code of Ethics for Engineers. On the basis of this last version, the Committee created at the last Board Meeting in Aruba worked. This Committee was formed by Academicians William Carroll, Conrado Bauer and José Medem . The text was submitted at the Plenary Ordinary Session held on the afternoon of September 28, 2006 in Atlanta, where it was approved unanimously. (See Code of Ethics).
Meetings held in Atlanta – USA
The meetings of the Academy in Atlanta were held at the beginning of the week of September 18-22 simultaneously with the XXX Pan American Convention of Engineers UPADI 2006. The organization was the responsibility of the Georgia Institute of Technology – Georgia Tech with the sponsorship of UPADI, NSPE, ASCE and ASME.
Plenary Extraordinary Session (September 18 – 8:00 a.m.)
Summoned to discuss a modification of the By Laws proposed by the participants in the First Focus Session held in Aruba in 2005. The purpose of the modification was to establish a certain continuity in the Board of Directors by means of a partial renewal of authorities, every two years instead of a total renewal as established by the By Laws. Besides, also proposed was the designation of a President Elect to form part of the Board, two years before he takes over his position and the incorporation of a Past President. The motives were expressed by Secretary Eng. Ernesto G. Bendinger who was a member of the Reform Committee together with Academicians Luiz Scavarda and Gonzalo Jimenez . It was stated that the project of modification had been sent out to all the Members for consideration with time and that no comments were received thus assuming a lack of interest in making further changes to the By Laws, that were already substantially modified and ordered in 2004. Academician Leizer Lerner mentioned that any new modification implies notary registry work and new certifications in the Brazil Headquarters.
It was unanimously decided not to approve modifications at this time and to make a complete review of the By Laws so as to concentrate on a brief text of all statutory matters and pass formal aspects to a Ruling procedure.
Plenary Ordinary Session (September 18 – 14:30 p.m.)
The Process of Selection of new Charter and Corresponding Members incorporated at the Ceremony that morning was approved, with which the total membership is as follows:
Charter Members (70)
Argentina (7), Bolivia (1), Brazil (13), Colombia (2),Dominican Rep.(1), El Salvador (2), Honduras (1), Mexico (15), Panama (4), Puerto Rico (3), United States(17),Uruguay (1), Venezuela (3).
Corresponding Members (21)
Argentina (2), Brazil (2), Chile (1), China-Hong Kong (1), France (1), Malaysia (1), Mexico (5), Poland (1), Rumania (1), Singapore (1), Spain (1), Tunisia (1), United Kingdom (1), United States (2)
The following theme: election of a new Board of Directors was also decided unanimously, continue with the same authorities replacing two deceased Academicians: Ignacio Martin (PR) and Mateo Treviño Gaspari (Mx).
A new position was created: Counselor Advisor to the Board of Directors and it was decided to elect an Assistant Treasurer living in the United States and an Assistant Secretary living in Argentina.
After these changes the Board and Supporting Committees remained as follows:
Board of Directors Períod 2006-2008
see Autorities
Action Plan 2006-2008
The future activity of the Academy was discussed and the following actions were approved:
• Improved relationship with other similar organizations and international banks involving them in our activity, send them the Declarations and try to achieve financing for joint projects.
• Concentrate on a few projects without attempting to cover all engineering specialties and costly projects.
• Give preference to projects on education, ethics, social needs especially for the underdeveloped countries or regions of America.
• Opine publicly on aspects concerning engineering specialties.
• Include in the Web Site all the information and documents produced by API.
• Try to make API better known to several organizations, analyze the possibility of editing an updated brochure on API.
• Emphasize aspects related to the formation of engineers and continuing education of engineers. The change addressed to the formation by competence that is being studied in many countries is mentioned.
• Develop a data base with the availability of engineers in the Continent making known the capabilities involved in the Academicians or other engineers in each country.
• Create special Committees to study specific matters such as the following: Education, Ethics, Regional Development and Publications. It is decided to appoint an editorial group for this last subject that will analyze the papers submitted to the Academy.
• Establish budgets for each project that is developed trying to obtain financing from companies and institutions.
Simultaneously with the Plenary Session, an “Ad hoc” Committee formed by Academicians Lueny Morell, David Reyes-Guerra, Luiz Scavarda and Jerry Yeargan worked. The Committee proposed relevant themes to be developed by Task Groups that would be appointed by the Board of Directors.
FORUM: 
“ETHICS AND INTEGRITY IN PROVIDING
ENGINEERING SERVICES”
The Themes, the selection of Speakers and the coordination of the organization of the Forum were in charge of Academician Dr. Robert D. Kersten.
The Forum was held in rooms of the Westin Hotel of Atlanta during all Tuesday 19 September and continued at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday 20 with a Plenary on Global Ethics.
The Speakers at the Forum and the Themes broached are mentioned below and were preceded by words of the President of the Academy and the Coordinator.
- Roberto de Michele (USA). Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Institutional Integrity of the Inter-American Development Bank. The Structure of Integrity of the IDB.
- Eng. Carlos Julio Cuartas (Colombia). Past Dean – Faculty of Engineering – Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Ethics, Integrity and the University – 1 st part. The Colombia Case.
- Eng. Ernesto Guille rmo Bendinger (Argentina). Charter Academician of API. Past Dean – Faculty of Engineering – Universidad Argentina de la Empresa. Ethics, Integrity and the University – 2 nd Part. Application of cases in several countries. Eng. Jose Luis Nava Diaz (Mexico). Director General of Auditing of Federal Investments in México. Magnitude and consequences of bribery and other unethical and illegal practices in engineering and construction industries. Responsibility and impact on international development.
- William P. Henry P.E. PhD (USA). Past President ASCE 2005. Member Task Committee on Global Principles of Professional Conduct (ASCE). Need for openness and transparency in procurement and delivery of engineering services.
- Eng. Carlos Morelli (Peru). Consulting Engineer. Member of EICA Consultants. The way forward: A challenge for Engineering.
- Eng. Victor Sierra Corea (Honduras). INGENIERIA SHIC. Former Member of the National Congress of Honduras. Perceptions of Corruption: Development of Principles of professional conduct that will help reduce it.
- R. A. “Dick” Fletcher P.E. (Canada). Member of the Board of Directors. Canadian Council of Professional Engineers. CCPE. Promote zero tolerance for bribery and effective programs for reporting unethical behavior.
- Dr. William J. Carroll (USA). Academician API. Past President of WFEO. Do things right … do the right thing. Different cultures common values.
- Dr. Jose Medem Sanjuan (Spain). Academician API. Past President of WFEO. Competence and integrity. Codes of Ethics – towards international guidelines.
To see the papers and presentation as sent by it´s authors, follow this link: > see
Plenary on Global Ethics
Continuing with the Forum, on Wednesday September 20 a joint meeting was held with UPADI included in the program of the XXX Pan American Convention of Engineers.
This Plenary Session had one Speaker and after that a Working Session was performed by the Rapporteurs of the Forum who prepared the Conclusions and Recommendations included in the Atlanta Declaration.
11. Dr. José C. Ugaz (Perú) • Lawyer. Chief of Investigations for L.A. and the Caribbean in the Official Department of Institutional Integrity. World Bank. Professor of Criminal Law – Catholic University of Peru. Past President PROTICA. Peruvian Chapter of Transparency International. Corruption in the Construction Sector.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Members of the Academy in International Meetings
The 7 th WFEO World Congress on Engineering Education held in Budapest on March 4 to 8, 2006 with the main theme “Mobility of Engineers” was attended by several Members of the Academy, some of them as speakers: Russel Jones “Impact of Capacity Building on the Mobility of Engineers”, Miguel A. Yadarola “Mobility in the Latin American Area”, Luiz Scavarda “Engineering for the Americas”, Yee-Cheong Lee “Mobility and Brain Drain”, Leizer Lerner “Promoting mobility of engineering students”. William Butcher, Robert Kersten and Jorge Spitalnik also participates as well as other experts linked to API that were Candidates to be incorporated in the Academy in Atlanta: Prof. Jean Michel, Dr. Lueny Morell, Eng. Kamel Ayadi, Dr. Wlodzimierz Miszalski.
The X International Conference of the International Association of Continuing Education in ]Engineering IACEE was held in Vienna, Austria on April 19-21, 2006. Three Members of the Academy participated: Russel Jones, Leizer Lerner and Gerardo Ferrando Bravo who is Director of the School of Engineering of UNAM (Mexico). MSc Ferrando Bravo received an award for excellency for his paper “Strategic Vision of Continuing Education of Engineers in Mexico” and also was elected Vice President of IACEE.
Opening of an Institutional Current Acount
After several years of dealings of different natures, the intervention of Academician William S. Butcher simplified the process of opening an Institutional Current Account in the SUN TRUST BANK of Richmond Virginia, as agreed in the Plenary Ordinary Session of 2002 in Tegucigalpa. The Current Account is operating and ready to receive the contributions of the Membership Fees. (Owner of the Account: Pan American Academy of Engineering: Account Number: 1000 043 229 037. Dos Académicos recibieron el Premio Vector de Oro de UPADI
Two Academicians received the Golden Vector Award from UPADI
Academicians Miguel Angel Yadarola and David Reyes-Guerra were distinguished by UPADI with the 2006 Golden Vector Award.
This Award was instituted by UPADI “in acknowledgement of relevant contributions in the field of teaching and educational research aimed at improving engineering education”.
The award was delivered to Engineers Yadarola and Reyes-Guerra during the Opening Ceremony of the XXIII Pan American Congress on Engineering Education held at the Westin Hotel of Atlanta, as part of the meetings of the Pan American Convention of Engineers UPADI 2006.
The award was instituted during the UPADI Convention of 1988 in Havana, Cuba and delivered for the first time during the UPADI Convention of 1990 held in Washington, USA.
The Academy is honored to have among its members another five Academicians that received the Golden Vector in previous years. They are:
Eng. Hernan Ayarza (Chile). Acapulco, Mexico 1994
Eng. Mario Guzmán Urbina (El Salvador) San Jose, CR 1996
Dr. Vladimir Yackovlev (Venezuela) San Jose CR 1996
Dr. Leroy S. Fletcher (USA) Panama, Pan. 2000
Eng. Gonzalo Jiménez Escobar (Colombia) México, Mx 2004
International Roundtable held in Chicago October 2006
Organized by ASCE, together with the World Bank and the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO).
Eng. Conrado Bauer presentation “ INVESTING IN SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE WORLDWIDE ”
