John Barry (top) and Alexandra Iannitelli

(Reston, Va. – March 2, 2010) – John Barry and Alexandra Iannitelli of Thornton Tomasetti, Inc., the international engineering firm with practices in building structure, building skin and building performance, were recently named two “New Faces of Civil Engineering” by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). An integral part of ASCE’s 2010 National Engineers Week initiatives, the program promotes the achievements of young engineers by highlighting their contributions and impact on society.

John Barry’s international achievements span the globe and they are big – literally. The 28-year-old project engineer with Thornton Tomasetti in New York City designed three structures for the $8.5-billion MGM City Center in Las Vegas, including a 45,000 square foot hung glass curtain wall. City Center employs approximately 12,000 people and is the largest building in the world recognized as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold project since its opening in December 2009.

Barry has also worked on the Shanghai Tower and a tower in Shenzhen which will be recognized as the second and third tallest buildings in the world, once completed. During a six-month stay in Denmark, Barry was given the opportunity to design part of Vertigo, a new ride at Tivoli Gardens, one of the world’s oldest amusement parks.

In addition to his professional work, Barry is a member of the ACE mentoring program, advising students on engineering and architecture careers. He also builds and designs sets recreationally for various stage productions in New York City.

Barry earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a master’s degree from the University of Illinois. A licensed professional engineer in California and New York, he is a resident of New York City.

Solving the mysteries of failing infrastructure and preventing futures disasters are daily missions for Alexandra Iannitelli. As a forensic engineer, the 25-year-old investigates causes of structural failures and documents weaknesses in order to prevent future disasters. For the past two years, Iannitelli has been investigating the August 1, 2007 collapse of the Minneapolis I-35 bridge, and has developed a three-dimensional model that identifies causes of its failure. She has also investigated parking garage and pedestrian bridge collapses in Atlanta and the system failure of a building in Toronto.

Currently, Iannitelli is developing a forensic information model that will store and organize drawings, inspection findings, photographs and measurements of existing buildings that will quickly identify weaknesses in structures.

Iannitelli earned a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from Drexel University and is pursuing a master’s degree in civil engineering and engineering mechanics from Columbia University. She is a resident of New York City.

ASCE’s top five New Faces of Civil Engineering were also submitted to the national New Faces of Engineering program run by the Engineers Week Foundation. This program includes representatives from the civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, industrial and manufacturing engineering professions. Selected New Faces profiles, including the top civil engineer chosen by the Engineers Week Foundation, will be featured in a USA Today ad during Engineers Week and will be profiled on the National Engineers Week Web site at www.eweek.org, as well as at www.discoverengineering.org.

About Thornton Tomasetti (www.ThorntonTomasetti.com)
Thornton Tomasetti provides engineering services to clients worldwide on buildings of all sizes and complexity. From the tallest buildings and the longest spans, to innovative building systems and materials, the firm is committed to creating the best solutions through its technical ingenuity, pursuit of excellence, and responsiveness to client needs. Our work is in three practice areas: Building Structures, Building Skin and Building Performance. Founded in 1956 as Lev Zetlin & Associates, today Thornton Tomasetti is a 550-person organization of engineers and architects collaborating from offices across the United States and in Shanghai, Hong Kong, London, Moscow, and the Middle East.

Contact
Great Ink Communications – 212.741.2977
Roxanne Donovan/Eric Gerard/Marieka Baily

Thornton Tomasetti – 917.661.7800
James M. Kent, JKent@ThorntonTomasetti.com