Kristina Cydzik B.S. ‘05, M.S. ‘06, Chair

Kristina Cydzik, P.E., LEED AP is a Principal at Manzanita Hydrology Consulting. Ms. Cydzik is a Civil Engineer with a focus in water resources, hydrology, and hydraulics and is a registered Professional Civil Engineer in the state of California and several other states. She has extensive experience performing forensic investigations related to natural disasters, creating natural hazard mitigation plans, and preparing infrastructure investment strategies for developing countries. Her consulting in the U.S. has included performing investigations in the context of litigation or insurance claims to assess damages related to flooding, erosion, and sedimentation. One significant component of her professional practice includes the assessment of post-wildfire flooding, erosion, and sedimentation hazards affecting public infrastructure as well as residential, agricultural, and commercial properties both in suburban and rural areas. Her expertise addressing wildfire impacts stems from the undergraduate and graduate research projects that she conducted while obtaining her B.S. and M.S. degrees at in the CEE Department at UCLA. Her international work includes strategic planning for water resources and land management and advising government entities regarding water security, international water rights negotiation, and construction of flood control infrastructure. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking and baking, studying languages, traveling, and researching her family history.

Laura Basualdo B.S. ’08, Vice Chair

Laura Basualdo moved to the US shortly after graduating from high school in Argentina. She attended Cerritos College and transferred to UCLA afterwards. In 2008 she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UCLA. In 2010 she graduated from Stanford University with a Master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a focus on Structures. She interned at Degenkolb Engineers before starting graduate school; and has been working there full time since graduating from Stanford. She is currently a Principal, and most of her projects are related to hospitals, ranging from simple equipment anchorage to design of new buildings and retrofits of existing buildings. Laura is a licensed California Structural Engineer.

Sean Ahdi B.S. ’13, M.S. ’14, Ph.D. ‘18

Sean Ahdi is a Senior Engineer in the Geotechnics, Tunneling, & Geology team at Arup in Los Angeles. His expertise lies at the intersection of a broad range of interrelated topics across the domains of civil engineering and earth sciences, including geotechnical and earthquake engineering, engineering seismology, near-surface geophysics, and geology and geological engineering. Sean earned B.S. degrees in Civil Engineering and in Geology/Engineering Geology, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, all at UCLA. Sean has prior work experience at geophysical, civil engineering, and forensic geotechnical consulting firms, and at the U.S. Geological Survey as a Research Geophysicist in Golden, Colorado. He also served as a Lecturer within the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences (EPSS) at UCLA for four years. You can often find Sean trying to explain geology, earthquakes, or tectonics to anyone interested enough to listen.

Armen Azizian B.S. ’14

Armen Azizian is currently a Technical Lead Engineer working on Satellite Propulsion at Boeing’s Satellite Development Center in El Segundo, CA, under the Boeing Defense, Space & Security branch. As technical lead engineer he serves to advise, assist, and check his fellow engineers on the satellite propulsion team in addition to developing design practices and process improvements for satellite propulsion hardware. Armen graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UCLA in 2014 with focus areas in Structural Engineering & Structural Mechanics. In 2016 he graduated with a Master’s degree in Structural Engineering from UCSD with an emphasis in Aerospace Structures, Structural Analysis, and Structural Mechanics. While at UCLA, he also served as Vice President of Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society. He looks forward to better engaging with UCLA as an alumnus. Outside of the engineering world, he enjoys all things sports related, video games, linguistics, aviation, and traveling.

Benjamin Baker B.S. ‘10

Benjamin Baker, P.E., works with GFT in Transportation, Transit and Rail. Previously, Benjamin worked with Walsh Group on the design-build delivery of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Crenshaw/LAX Corridor K Line. He has a Master’s of Science in Civil Engineering and Project Management from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UCLA. He serves on the UCLA Engineering Alumni Association Board. He has been involved with the American Society of Civil Engineers since 2006, and he has served as an ASCE at UCLA Practitioner Advisor since 2015. He was the 2022-2023 ASCE Metropolitan Los Angeles Branch President and has been Treasurer and University Outreach Chair multiple years. He serves on the ASCE Los Angeles Section Executive Board, and he is the ASCE Region 9 Awards Committee Chair.

Robert Campbell B.S. ‘07

Robert is a director in the ExpressLanes program on the Congestion Reduction team at LA Metro, where he oversees roadside operations. He previously worked as a transportation consultant whose clients included FHWA, NCHRP, Caltrans, NCHRP, and various other state and municipal government agencies. He graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering from UCLA and got his M.S. and Ph.D. from UC Berkeley’s Institute of Transportation Studies (Civil and Environmental Engineering). He has a Certificate in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) from UC Berkeley and a Certificate in Connected Vehicle Functions, Protocols, and Architecture from SAE.

Pavlo Chrysovergis B.S. ’12, M.S. ‘13

Pavlo Chrysovergis, PE graduated from UCLA with his BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering and his MS in Geotechnical Engineering. Pavlo is a Principal Engineer at SPC Engineering in Anaheim, where manages design projects and provides litigation support as an expert witness in the geotechnical and civil engineering fields. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and Geotechnical Engineer in California, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in five other states. He is also licensed by the FAA as a remote pilot.

Mr. Chrysovergis received his BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering (2012) and his MS in Geotechnical Engineering (2013) from UCLA. During his time at UCLA, he built a strong technical foundation and developed leadership skills while serving as President of the CalGeo student chapter and as an officer of the ASCE student chapter. He continues to represent UCLA in the engineering industry, having served as Chair of the ASCE Orange County Geo-Institute Chapter. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling and teaching his two young boys about landslides.

Kevin Ellis B.S. ‘14

Kevin Ellis graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a minor in Italian studies in 2014. Kevin is a Civil Engineer and Associate at KPFF, working out of the Los Angeles office since 2015. He focuses on land development and has experience in a variety of project types, including Educational Facilities, Housing, and Sports projects. As a student, Kevin was a member of ASCE and The DEN athletics student supporter organization.

William R Goodin M.S. ’71, Ph.D. ‘75

Dr William Goodin serves as alumni advisor, and previously as Practitioner Advisor, for the UCLA ASCE Chapter, where he provides guidance and support for career fairs, company info sessions, alumni career panels, scholarships, and student awards. He was honored with the ASCE MLAB Outstanding Organizational Manager in Leadership award in 2024 and the ASCE Outstanding Practitioner Advisor award from Region 9 (State of California) in 2014 and 2017.

Dr Goodin has worked at UCLA in both corporate and alumni relations for most of his career. First, at UCLA Extension presenting technical courses for industry partners around the world, and later at the UCLA School of Engineering enhancing relationships among corporate partners, faculty, students, and alumni. Prior to joining UCLA, he was a Senior Environmental Engineer at Dames & Moore (now part of AECOM), where he developed air quality simulation models for government and industrial customers in the US and abroad, testified at government hearings, and developed new business. Prior to that, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Environmental Quality Laboratory at Caltech.

He also serves as advisor for the UCLA chapters of Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and Tau Beta Pi. He is a 2023 SWE Fellow and has been recognized by SWE with the Rodney D Chipp Memorial Award in 2010 for his support of women in engineering, and by Tau Beta Pi as the 2025 Distinguished Alumnus and the McDonald Mentoring Award in 2011 for his mentorship of students. He holds a BA in applied mathematics (SJSU), MS in computer science (UCLA), and a PhD in environmental engineering (UCLA).

Christine Lee B.S. ’05, M.S. ’06, Ph.D. ‘10

Christine Lee graduated with a B.S. (2005) in Chemical Engineering and M.S. (2006) and Ph.D. (2010) in Civil and Environmental Engineering at UCLA with Professor Jenny Jay. Dr. Christine Lee is a scientist in the Water and Ecosystems Group at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where she leverages remote sensing and geospatial analysis to advance understanding of water resources and environmental systems. With over 13 years of experience working in Earth science, she has served in numerous leadership roles, including technical group supervisor for Water and Ecosystems team and the associate program manager for the NASA Water Resources Program. Dr. Lee’s research has focused on coastal and inland aquatic ecosystems, and includes studying wildfire impacts, harmful algal blooms, wastewater and aquatic or marine heatwaves, with work featured in 48 peer-reviewed publications and several NASA press releases. She is committed to scientific mentorship, having supported over 50 interns and students since 2014, along with postdocs and service on Ph.D. committees.

Christine is now a research scientist in the Terrestrial Hydrology Group at JPL, focusing on remote sensing for water resources and water quality applications.  She is also an associate program manager for the NASA Water Resources Program and the JPL lead for applications for ECOSTRESS, a thermal instrument on the International Space Station, and for an Earth mission concept, Surface Biology and Geology.

Logan McDevitt B.S. ’22

Logan McDevitt is currently a Structural Designer at Structural Focus in Gardena, California. He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from UCLA in 2022, and M.S. in Structural Engineering from UC Berkeley in 2023.

Logan is a licensed civil engineer in California and has worked on a wide range of projects including historic retrofits, commercial TI, non-ductile concrete retrofits, and studio lot projects. He serves as a co-chair of the Disaster Emergency Services Committee for the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California, where he helps lead statewide efforts to prepare for major seismic events. He is also a member of the Sustainability Committee and the Existing Buildings Committee.

He volunteers with Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Los Angeles, while also providing mentorship and professional development opportunities for students in the EWB UCLA Chapter. He has worked on EWB projects in Uganda, Colombia, and the United States.

Reza Mortezaie M.S. ’10, Ph.D. ‘12

Reza Mortezaie is currently a Senior Bridge Engineer with Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) working on various statewide transportation projects. He is also a registered Civil Engineer (P.E.) and Geotechnical Engineer (G.E.) with the State of California.

Reza received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Civil Engineering in 2000 and 2004 from Iran. Subsequently, he obtained his second Master and a Doctorate (Ph.D.) degree from UCLA in 2010 and 2012 in Civil Engineering under supervision of the late Professor Vucetic.

During Reza’s graduate studies, he established the “CalGeo Student Chapter at UCLA” in 2007 and served as its first president and graduate advisor for 3 years. Today, the chapter is one of the most active chapters at UCLA’s Civil Engineering department and has won several statewide awards. He was also voted as the Teaching Assistant (T.A.) of the Year by ASCE at UCLA in 2011-2012 and 2010-2011 academic years. Upon Reza’s graduation in 2012, he was awarded the “Engineering Achievement Awards for Student Welfare” by Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science and the prestigious “Outstanding Ph.D. Student of the Year Award” by UCLA’s Civil Engineering Department.

Dennis Nguyen B.S. ’11, M.S. ’13

Dennis Nguyen is a licensed Civil and Geotechnical Engineer, currently serving as a Geotechnical Engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Dam Safety Production Center. He is the Deputy Lead Engineer for the Whittier Narrows Dam Safety Modification Project, a major infrastructure initiative to enhance public safety and reduce flood risk for over one million residents in the Los Angeles Region. In this role, Dennis leads multidisciplinary teams in the planning, design, and implementation of complex dam safety modifications, ensuring environmental compliance, adherence to USACE engineering regulations, and effective public and interagency coordination throughout all project phases. He earned both his B.S. and M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UCLA.

Pauline Nguyen B.S. ’19

Pauline Nguyen is a Water Resources Project Engineer at Craftwater and is a registered Professional Civil Engineer in the State of California. She has delivered comprehensive stormwater management services for municipal clients across Southern California, ranging from regulatory support and strategic infrastructure planning to the design of multi-benefit stormwater systems. Her work centers on understanding and strengthening the linkages between policy frameworks and the practical aspects of infrastructure planning, design, and long-term operations and maintenance. She graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering from UCLA in 2019 and a M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University in 2021. Outside of work, Pauline enjoys traveling and exploring different countries, yoga, swimming, trying out new foods, and watching musicals.

Brianna Plancarte B.S. ’20

Brianna Plancarte is currently a Civil Engineering Associate at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), where she supports the development of resilient water infrastructure to help the City of Los Angeles adapt to climate change and future water demands. She is a registered Professional Civil Engineer in the state of California.

Brianna earned her B.S. in Civil Engineering from UCLA in 2020 and is currently pursuing her MBA at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. At LADWP, she has worked on recycled water and water distribution improvement projects aimed at expanding the city’s sustainable water supply portfolio and enhancing system reliability.

In addition to her work, Brianna is actively involved in the LADWP-SHPE Professional Chapter, the Los Angeles Society of Women Engineers (LA-SWE), and the American Society of Civil Engineers – Los Angeles Younger Member Forum (ASCE-LA YMF). She is passionate about advancing equitable, climate-resilient infrastructure and fostering inclusive leadership in the engineering community.

Melanie Rivera B.S. ’16

Melanie Rivera received her B.S. in Civil Engineering from UCLA in 2016 and M.S. in Environmental Engineering from UC Berkeley in 2017 and has more than 8 years of experience working on engineering design, planning, and research projects with a water focus throughout Southern California. Melanie has created water master plans, modeled large- and small-scale water infrastructure systems, designed water treatment systems, and analyzed water demand trends across Southern California. She enjoys planning and designing stormwater, wastewater, and drinking water systems, as she continually strives to lessen the impact of climate change to create a more resilient California.

Mahsa Sheykhsoltan B.S. ’19

Mahsa Sheykhsoltan, PE, is a transportation engineer at HNTB in Los Angeles, working on a large variety of roadway and highway projects throughout the region. She graduated from UCLA in 2019 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and minor in Urban Planning and received her M.S. in Transportation Engineering from the University of Washington. She has been involved with ASCE since her first year at UCLA and currently serves as a Practitioner Advisor for the UCLA ASCE chapter.

Kawsar Vazifdar B.S., M.S.

Kawsar Vazifdar is a Civil Engineer in the Environmental Programs Division of Los Angeles County Public Works. As an assistant head of the Planning and Policy Development section, she manages a team that develops, analyzes, and implements environmental policies related to single-use plastics, organic waste, and renewable energy. She participates on various Public Works committees including Equity in Infrastructure, the Infrastructure Collaborative, the Sustainability Council, Women’s Leadership, and STEAM Outreach. Ms. Vazifdar is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of California and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Civil Engineering from UCLA.

Melineh Zomorrodian B.S. ’08, M.S. ‘10