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David
Holman Dietz
David Holman Dietz
received the Young Civil Engineer of the Year Award.
David Deitz is the younger
of two sons born to Martha and Jerry Deitz. David was born on March
17, 1970, in LaGrange, Georgia because the town of Roanoke, Alabama,
where the family resided, was too small for a hospital. The family moved
to Somerset, Kentucky in 1978.
David graduated from Somerset High School in 1988 and entered the Civil
Engineering program at the University of Kentucky that fall. He was
awarded a Kentucky Transportation Scholarship and spent most summers
in the KYTC Division of Construction in Somerset and Lexington. During
this time, he even had the opportunity to learn how to letter with a
Leroy in the Division of Highway design in Somerset.
David completed his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree
in December of 1992, graduating with High Distinction. His career began
in the KYTC Divisions of Structural Design and Bridge Maintenance. This
initial exposure to structural engineering at KYTC gave him a desire
to continue his formal education. David decided to pursue his Master
of Science at the University of Cincinnati in the fall of 1993. David
completed this degree in December of 1995.
During his time in Cincinnati, David's friend and mentor, Dr. Issam
Harik, suggested that he apply for an Eisenhower Fellowship to pursue
his Ph.D. After being awarded the fellowship, he relocated to Lexington
and continued his education at the University of Kentucky. David's doctoral
research focused on the potential of fiber-reinforced polymer (fiberglass)
rebars as concrete reinforcement.
Prior to completing his doctoral work, David accepted a position at
Palmer Engineering as a structural engineer in the bridge design division
in March of 1998. He spent the next nine months splitting his time between
designing bridges and completing his dissertation. David received his
Ph.D. in December of 1998.
At Palmer, David has been involved in the design of bridges and other
structures in Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri and
Mississippi. He was promoted to project manager in 2001 and Deputy Director
of Structures in 2006.
Some of David's more notable
design projects include several post-tensioned spliced I-girder bridges,
Kentucky's first high performance steel plate girder bridge, and the
design of the pre-stressed concrete beams supporting concession areas
and approach ramp at the Bengals' football stadium. David is also Engineer
of Record for one of the longest bridges with a fiber reinforced polymer
deck in the country, located near Huntington, W. Va. He had been responsible
for several bridges that have received design awards from contractor
associations and departments of transportation.
David is a licensed professional engineer in six states including Kentucky
where he is also a licensed structural engineer. He is chair of the
Kentucky Section ASCE History and Heritage Committee, Co-Chair of KSPE's
MathCounts Protest Committee, and a 2006 graduate of KSPE's Leadership
PE program. He is also a member of the Pre-stressed Concrete Institute's
Bridge Committee and an associated member of ACI's FRP Committee.
On May 18, 1996, David married Amber Kaye Martin in Marietta, Georgia.
Amber is a non-practicing attorney and a stay-at-home mom. They have
been blessed with three wonderful children, Annie (age 8), Claire (5),
and Jack (2). The family enjoys being together, swimming, playing soccer,
and spending time at the beach. David spends any spare time he has training
for running events and triathlons.
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