WSP Celebrates Its Project Teams and Individuals with 2023 U.S. Awards
Chin Yue Lien earns Lifetime Achievement honor; teams recognized for technical leadership and innovation on Logan Airport Terminal in Boston, Atrium Health Tower in North Carolina, many other projects.
NEW YORK — Six individuals and seven project teams were honored by WSP in the U.S. for channeling ingenuity and curiosity to create solutions to complex issues focused on technical excellence and innovation at the firm’s 2023 U.S. Awards and Recognition Program.
Among the individuals honored was Chin Yue Lien, who was recognized for his water engineering leadership with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Honored projects included Logan International Airport Terminal C to B Connector in Boston as Major Project of the Year, and Atrium Health Palmetto Bed Tower in Pineville, North Carolina as Project of the Year.
“These winners represent the technical excellence, dedication and innovation that make us all proud to work at WSP,” said Rebecca Nolan, WSP strategy and growth national director. “This annual program enriches our culture and nurtures WSP’s spirit of technical leadership and innovation, inspiring our community to reach for new heights and imagine groundbreaking approaches to better serve our clients.”
Award highlights include:
Lifetime Achievement Award
Chin Yue Lien
Lien, senior vice president and national water technical advisor at WSP, was named WSP’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner. His storied 44-year career includes more than two decades with the firm. In addition to guiding strategy, he has engaged with 300 major water resource projects, many from planning to construction completion.
Credited with growing WSP’s water business, Chin has also made an impact by helping to develop “next generation” leadership at the firm. He played an active role in mentoring and developing several notable leaders working at WSP today. He has also received the highest industry recognition – ‘Diplomate’ status – from the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers.
“I sincerely appreciate WSP’s recognition of my lifelong career achievements as a water professional,” Lien said. “It is extremely rewarding to know that, during my career, I have contributed to improvements in the quality of human life, communities and the natural environment, as well as the advancement of technical excellence in the industry.”
Prior to joining WSP, Lien spent 15 years with the Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management. Well-respected in the water industry, he embodies the guiding principles of WSP – both professionally and personally. He will be retiring at the end of the year.
“I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with many talented and resolute professionals within WSP,” Lien added. “They have inspired and challenged me every day to be a better professional and person. It is tremendously gratifying to know these next-generation leaders will continue to carry the torch in transforming the industry and growing WSP’s water business by leaps and bounds.”
Logan International Airport Terminal C to B Connector in Boston, during construction.
Major Project of the Year (Greater than $5 Million)
Logan International Airport Terminal C to B Connector
WSP provided design, bid and construction phase services to the terminal and to the airfield for the Boston Logan International Airport Terminal C to B Connector. WSP implemented innovative digital technology workflows to fast track the world-class airport connector, where the firm provided a range of services for the design and construction. Airfield work included rehabilitation of sections of Taxiway C and construction of a new stub Taxiway C1.
The terminal work included construction of a canopy structure over the departures upper-level curbside deck, along with improvements to the pick-up and drop-off areas at the Terminal C departures/arrivals plazas. WSP provided design work for the reconfiguration of the existing aircraft stand parking as part of the construction of a connector between Terminal B and Terminal C, as well as the expansion of Terminal C. The firm also determined the maximum extension line and elevation for future expansion of the Terminal.
WSP’s design work provided a Future Ready® answer for the project. A Construction Management Association of America Project of the Year winner, the project achieved LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council and was delivered ahead of schedule and under budget.
Atrium Health Palmetto Bed Tower in Pineville, North Carolina
Project of the Year (Less than $5 Million)
Atrium Health Palmetto Bed Tower - Phase 3
WSP provided mechanical-electrical-plumbing (MEP) engineering services for a new 270,000-square-foot bed tower and surgical addition to an existing 450,000-square-foot hospital campus.
The building needed to be built within a specific area on campus to accommodate patient flow and logistics with the existing building. WSP provided a thorough mechanical-electrical-plumbing engineering study and analysis of the utility consumption data to verify that expanding the footprint by 60 percent would not exceed the capacity of the existing equipment.
The owner challenged WSP to pre-fabricate approximately 25 percent of the project. The firm exceeded that goal, implementing over 32 percent of the entire project’s budget going towards pre-fabrication.
The project included an innovative approach to the patient floor. Instead of a traditional “racetrack” design, with patient rooms on the exterior and a central core for support services, this project utilized a decentralized nursing model, which resulted in a patient floorplate that had 16-foot-wide corridors.
WSP honorees also included:
Business Support “Extra Mile” Award – Diane Klug
Changemaker Award – Jonathan Becker
Commitment to Health and Safety Award – Terry I. Pruitt
Emerging Professional “Rising Star” Award – Tara Bencivenga
Inclusion and Diversity Award – Jennifer Pangborn
Commitment to Quality Award – Port of Manzanillo Master Planning Team (Alexander Bishop, team leader)
Future Ready® Award – City of Chicago’s 2022 Climate Action Plan Team (Jenny Carney, team leader)
Performance Excellence Award – Southwest Illinois Flood Protection District Levee Rehabilitation Team (Jon Omvig, team leader)
Project Leadership Award – JFK Central Terminal Area Redevelopment Team (Indhira Figuereo Blaney, team leader)
Sustainability and Environment Award – Net-Zero Goal Achievement Action Planning Team (Jeffrey Irvine, team leader)
About WSP in the U.S. WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world’s leading engineering, environment and professional services firms.Recognized on Fast Company’s Brands that Matter List for 2022 as a top Community-Minded Business, WSP in the U.S. brings together engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals who are dedicated to collaborate in the best interests of serving local communities. WSP designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With approximately 16,000 employees in 300 offices across the U.S., WSP partners with its clients to help communities prosper. wsp.com
Credited with growing WSP’s water business, Chin has also made an impact by helping to develop “next generation” leadership at the firm. He played an active role in mentoring and developing several notable leaders working at WSP today. He has also received the highest industry recognition – ‘Diplomate’ status – from the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers. 
