Vermont may be known for its bridges, but when two of them became far too deteriorated in Middlebury, it was time for an upgrade to a rail tunnel. It was an ambitious project, but no match for the ambitions of Jonathan Griffin, P.E., ‘10 a distinguished alumnus of the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS) at UVM. His years of work on the Middlebury Bridge and Rail Tunnel Project recently earned him the honor of being named Vermont’s 2021 Young Engineer of the Year.
“Success for one group may be on time delivery, and another group would mean mitigating impacts to resources, and to another group mean maintaining mobility, and to another group reducing impact to community members and businesses,” says Griffin, who worked on the design phase of the project before assuming the role of resident engineer, overseeing the successful construction of this exceedingly complex $82 million project, including budget, staffing, contract amendments, public engagement, and the completely unexpected necessities associated with COVID -19 compliance.
“I worked hard to try and keep all perspectives in mind and do the best that I could to remember who the client was—the taxpayers and community members—and ensure that project decisions kept those goals in mind,” adds Griffin.
Griffin is to receive the award on February 25 at the annual Engineers Week celebration, which is sponsored by the state’s engineering societies. The Vermont Young Engineer of the Year award is presented to a licensed professional engineer or registered engineering intern in Vermont. Selection of the award winner is made by a committee of the five most recent winners of the Vermont Engineer of the Year award.
“I was honored when the ASCE Vermont Chapter asked me if I would accept their nomination to compete for this award,” he says. “I know there are a lot of great engineers in the State of Vermont doing amazing things and wasn’t sure how I would stack up against the ‘competition.’ Once I was informed that I had actually been selected to receive the award, I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment, pride, appreciation and thankfulness.”
Jim Gish, the community liaison for the Middlebury Rail and Tunnel Project, commended Griffin’s leadership and collaboration. Griffin inherited “a highly visible project with complex engineering and construction challenges in a community on edge about the project’s impact on its economic, social, and cultural vitality,” wrote Gish in a letter of reference included in the nomination package. He explained how Griffin “has proved himself a good communicator and a smart strategic thinker who is able to resolve issues and concerns that inevitably crop up in the complex relationships with community stakeholders and within the project team.”
Griffin is now an expert consultant in the manufactured housing industry, assisting retailers, installers, lenders, realtors, and homeowners to comply with the federal code of regulations. He has become a licensed property inspector in Vermont and prides himself on being an affordable and knowledgeable resource for his customers. Griffin is also proud of his studies at CEMS.
“I believe that the experiences and opportunities provided to me by my years enrolled at CEMS certainly helped to shape me both personally and professionally,” he says. “I was probably an average or even below average student academically when measured by my GPA; however, I learned more than my final examination scores might have reflected. Those lessons were valuable in becoming a contributing member of the engineering community.”