PSPE Awards Program

2024 Award Recipients

Engineer of the Year

Tony Dougherty, PE

Anthony (Tony) Dougherty, PE is Vice President at TPD, managing the firm’s Construction Services Department, a department which he founded at TPD in 2006. After spending the first half of his career on the design side of the company, he has grown the Construction Services Department from one employee to what is now, a group of 70+ Construction Managers and Inspectors working across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Mr. Dougherty has been a member of PSPE for over 20 years, holding various chapter board positions, including President and State Director. He also currently serves on an Advisory Board for a PSPE grant program designed to educate and encourage graduating engineering students to take the FE Exam and embark on the path toward professional licensure.

Throughout his 29-year career, Mr. Dougherty has developed and refined not only his technical skills, but also TPD’s reputation and expertise. He sits on the ENR Top 500 firm’s Board of Directors, helping guide TPD to success. He has developed a well-rounded set of skills, ranging from roadway engineering to construction services, project and team management, mentorship, as well as being a fierce advocate for safety and education. Several projects Mr. Dougherty has managed have been award-winning. Notably, he served as the design engineer of one of the first modern roundabouts in Pennsylvania – the East Marlborough Roundabout in Chester County, which was recognized as a Notable Engineering Achievement by PSPE and was also awarded Road and Bridge Safety Award from the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors in 2006.

In addition to PSPE, Mr. Dougherty is an active member of many advocacy organizations, including ACEC/PA, where he currently serves on the Board of Directors as Vice Chair of the Central Region. Other previous roles include Chair of the Safety Task Force (2021-2022), as well as Chair and Vice Chair of the Construction Services Committee (2015-2021). He also serves on the Associated PA Constructors (APC) Safety Committee. Additionally, he was an adjunct professor at Widener University for four years, a PennDOT District 5-0 Winter School Planning Committee member (2014-2024), and of course, a PSPE Valley Forge Chapter MATHCOUNTS and Science Fair volunteer for many years. Through these roles, Mr. Dougherty has helped shape the civil engineering industry in Pennsylvania, especially with respect to advocacy on safety, education, and the advancement of construction services business initiatives.

Mr. Dougherty received his BSCE degree from the Pennsylvania State University, his MSCE from Villanova University and is professionally licensed in five states. When not at work, you can find him cycling, volunteering at the local ski mountain, and spending time with his family. He and his wife, Christen, have been married for 26 years and have two children, Caroline and Emily (or three if you count their yellow-lab mix, Sammi).

Young Engineer of the Year

Patty Kerns, PE

Patty graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown with a Bachelors in Civil Engineering Technology in 2013. After graduation, she entered the transportation industry where she worked as a roadway engineer on large highway projects for clients such as PennDOT, the PA Turnpike Commission, and Allegheny County Airport Authority. In 2022, she accepted a Project Manager position with the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) where she is responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of approximately 615 signalized intersections. In her new position, she is able to focus on improvements that cater to all modes of transportation in the community she lives in.

President’s Dedicated Service Award

Lisa A. Peterson, PhD, PE

Lisa Peterson is a lifelong resident of Berks County. She has served and continues to serve on various local not-for-profit boards. She is past president and president-elect of the Valley Forge Chapter PSPE, a member of the PSPE education and conference planning committees, a member of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Engineering Surveying and Geologists Licensure Board, and a member of the NCEES committee on engineering licensure. Through her engineering and management career, she supported the telecommunications, defense, medical, water, and firearms industries with an eye toward process efficiency, cost reduction, and continuous improvement. Her career started with AT&T Bell Labs as an integrated circuit designer through Director, then she served as COO and VP of Engineering and Operations for two start-ups in the lasers and optics industry. She next worked for Brentwood Industries in sewage treatment and drinking water equipment design, and finally, Legendary Arms Works leading the production of precision hunting rifles. She holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University, a Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering specializing in Lasers and Optics from Cornell University, an MBA from National Technological University specializing in International Business, and a PhD in Environmental Engineering from Drexel University. Lisa’s PhD research focused on sustainability assessment of biofuels, energy, and municipal infrastructure. She holds Professional Engineering licensure in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Michigan and is a Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt. She is currently the Principal Engineer and owner of Aftan Engineering, supporting clients with process improvement, cost reduction, and corporate sustainability initiatives. As hobbies, Lisa enjoys archery hunting, fly fishing and traveling internationally to lesser-known locations.

Outstanding Program Award

Bucks County Chapter

The Bucks Chapter’s accomplishments within membership and networking highlight an admirable dedication to engineering. Their consistent meetings keep their current members engaged and attract new members. From this, they have not only seen lateral growth within their program, but the fostering of community.

Special Project Award

Philadelphia Chapter

The Philadelphia Chapter’s accomplishments within the PSPE Boot Camp reflect dedication to the engineering practice. The PSPE Boot Camp is a continuing education program that was made to assist engineers in receiving their PDHs. This low-cost three-day program helped not just PSPE members, but also engineers from Delaware, New Jersey, and other neighboring states. We thank the Philadelphia Chapter for providing a space for the education of engineers and show our appreciation with this award.

Award recipients will be presented with their awards during the PSPE Installation of Officers & Awards Ceremony on Friday, September 20, 2024, at the PSPE 2024 Conference in Pittsburgh, PA.

About Our Awards Program

PSPE Engineer of the Year and Young Engineer of the Year Award

These official PSPE awards recognize exceptional engineers. These individuals, through their efforts, are the epitome of the Professional Engineer.

PSPE Engineer of the Year

The PSPE Engineer of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding, distinguished engineer not necessarily only for their work for, or in, PSPE, but for their overall activities and achievements. Occupational and professional achievements, civic, political, and engineering affairs, and education represent the primary selection criteria for the Engineer of the Year award.

Download Application

PSPE Young Engineer of the Year

The PSPE Young Engineer of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding engineer no older than 35 as of January 1 in the year of the nomination. The evaluation criteria include collegiate achievements, professional and technical society activities, engineering experience, publications/patents, major engineering project achievements, and additional activities, such as civic, fraternal, or humanitarian endeavors.

Download Application

Winners at the state level may be nominated for the national NSPE Awards.

Chapter Awards

Chapter Awards recognize the outstanding outreach initiatives of PSPE Chapters for giving back to their communities and the various engineering disciplines. Chapter Awards are given annually to a Chapter for:

Communication (via the website, newsletter, etc.) that keeps members informed of events, meetings, and news;
Membership has substantially grown and maintained in the year;
Outstanding Program of topics/meetings throughout the year that is exceptional and educational;
Special Project(s) undertaken by the Chapter that is impactful and advances the mission of PSPE.