Eight professionals with ties to Missouri University of Science and Technology were inducted into the Missouri S&T Academy of Civil Engineers during an induction ceremony held Thursday, April 10, in Rolla. 

The academy recognizes outstanding alumni for their professional achievement and success. It also provides support and experience to help the civil, architectural and environmental engineering department at Missouri S&T to reach its collective mission and values.

New members are:

Kevin Alexander of Carlsbad, California, deputy general manager of Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA), earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Missouri S&T in 1994. His career has exemplified continuous learning, growing and giving back to the engineering community. The projects he is most proud of include the City of Scottsdale Water Campus in Arizona, the Orange County Water District Groundwater Replenishment System in Fountain Valley, California, and the Western Corridor Program in Brisbane, Australia. Early in his career, Alexander was named vice president of SPI. In 2013, he was hired as the west region manager for Hazen and Sawyer, where he grew the region from five employees to over 260 employees and increased annual revenue from $300,000 to over $30 million. In 2024, he became deputy general manager for IEUA, an agency that provides water and wastewater services to 950,000 customers in San Bernardino County, California. Born in Clovis, New Mexico, Alexander was the first in his family to graduate from college. He was a member of S&T’s Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Tau Beta Pi and Chi Epsilon. He and his wife, Lanaya, have been married for over 11 years. Their daughter, Kendall, started college in 2023 at California Polytechnic State University. He enjoys hiking, biking, fishing and hunting. 

Amanda Derhake of St. Clair, Missouri, principal engineer and senior partner with Rocksmith Geoengineering, earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences in 1999, a master’s degree in environmental engineering in 2002 and a Ph.D. in civil engineering in 2006, all from Missouri S&T. As a student, she excelled academically, played collegiate soccer for four years and was an active member of the Eta Kappa chapter of Chi Omega. Derhake has worked in environmental consulting for 18 years and is now part-owner of Rocksmith Geoengineering, an environmental and geological engineering consulting firm. She and her husband, Bob, are busy professionals raising a family with 7-, 9- and 11-year-old children. Theyplay soccer, basketball, volleyball and football, and have the makings of budding engineers or scientists — three future Miners.

Dr. Kamal Khayat of Rolla, Missouri, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Missouri S&T, is an honorary inductee. He earned five degrees in the areas of construction materials, structural engineering, and construction engineering and management from the University of California, Berkley, between 1982 and 1990. Khayat had a successful 21-year career at the Université de Sherbrooke in Quebec where he led substantial research projects, including serving as the NSERC Industrial Research Chair, a consortium of 17 industrial partners from Canada and the U.S. In 2011, Khayat joined Missouri S&T as the Vernon and Maralee Jones Professor of Civil Engineering and director of the Center for Infrastructure Engineering Studies. He currently serves as S&T’s vice chancellor for Research and Innovation. During his career, he has secured research grants of approximately $35 million as principal investigator (PI) and $14 million as co-PI. He has mentored 33 Ph.D. students, 44 master’s students and 21 postdoctoral fellows and visiting scholars. He has co-authored over 450 peer-reviewed publications and was recognized in the top 2% of cited scientists in his field by Stanford University and Elsevier from 2018 to 2024. Most recently, he was ranked 19 out of over 43,000 scientists in the building and construction sector. Khayat and his wife, Gina, have been married for 34 years, and they have two adult sons, Michael, who holds a bachelor’s degree in ceramic engineering from S&T, and Patrick. 

Anne Lamitola of Webster Groves, Missouri, senior director of public services for the city of Ladue, earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Missouri S&T in 2000. Currently senior director of public services for the City of Ladue, she previously served as director of public works. Lamitola oversees the departments of public works, building and zoning, administration, and finance, and she serves as the mayor’s liaison to various outside entities. Lamitola donates time and leadership to community and professional organizations including in her current role as the chair of the Webster Groves School District Building Advisory Committee, and she has served as president of both the St. Louis and Missouri chapters of the American Public Works Association (APWA).  She received the Missouri Chapter of APWA’s Professional Engineer of the Year award in 2015 and the D Squared award in 2023. When not busy with her career or volunteer positions, Lamitola enjoys hiking, reading, traveling and spending time with family and friends. She resides in Webster Groves, Missouri, with her husband, Steve, who earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from S&T in 1999, and their two daughters, who are now freshmen in college.  

Mariana Rodriguez of Lima, Peru, founding member of the board of directors for the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Missouri S&T in 1980 and an MBA from the Boston School of Management in 1989. She received Missouri S&T’s highest honor in 2011 when she was named to the inaugural class of Alumni of Influence. Frank Benavides, a 1970 civil engineering graduate of S&T, nominated Rodriguez for the Academy of Civil Engineers. She co-founded two universities and two technical schools in Peru. She has served as a member and leader of several Peruvian educational organizations. The Association of Private Enterprises of Peru named her Businessperson of the Year in 2022. Rodriguez and her husband, Juan Remar, have been married for over 30 years, and she has two adult stepdaughters, Daniella and Mellissa. Rodriguez is an avid equestrian and has competed in national championships. Her three brothers, Daniel, Diego and Gonzalo, are all Missouri S&T alumni.

Sondra Rotty of Sunset Hills, Missouri, chief operating officer of St. Louis-based general contracting, construction management and design-build firm Tarlton Corp., earned a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering in 2004 and a master’s degree in engineering management in 2008, both from Missouri S&T. Rotty’s construction experience has centered around large, complicated projects completed in fast-track time frames. Her wide-ranging projects have included buildings on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis, buildings for the General Services Administration, the Saint Louis Art Museum East Building, the former Post-Dispatch building, and the Old Courthouse in St. Louis. Well-versed in sustainable construction, she has worked on numerous LEED projects, holds the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED AP BD+C accreditation and serves on the Missouri Gateway Green Building Council board of directors. Rotty is also board vice chair for the Building Division of the Associated General Contractors of Missouri and serves on the diversity committee for CREW-St. Louis (Commercial Real Estate Women). In 2024, she received CREW’s Economic Impact award for overseeing Tarlton’s construction at CityPark (now Energizer Park), home of St. Louis City SC. Rotty has received several commendations, including the “30 Under 30” and “40 Under 40” awards from the St. Louis Business Journal, and she was listed among Missouri S&T Magazine’s “30 Under 30” in 2010, and she received the Women in Construction Award from the St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers in 2023. At Missouri S&T, Rotty was named the Civil Engineering Exemplary Young Professional by the Academy of Civil Engineers in 2011, and she was inducted into both the Academy of Engineering Management and the Academy of Miner Athletics. A former runner at S&T, she is an enthusiastic participant in Tarlton athletic and philanthropic activities. Rotty and her husband, Bryan, enjoy watching their sons, Logan and Gavin, play soccer and swim competitively.

Matt Sander of St. Louis, vice president of ARCO Construction Holdings Inc., has been with ARCO for 25 years, with nearly a decade as vice president. He joined the company as a project manager in 2000 after earning a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Missouri S&T. Beyond project management, Sander is a recruiter, mentor, and key contributor to ARCO’s growth and success. He volunteers with organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House of St. Louis and Places for People. Beyond his professional and philanthropic pursuits, Sander maintains strong ties to his alma mater and visits Missouri S&T multiple times a year to mentor students, provide career development guidance and recruit top talent for ARCO. He and his wife, Christina, an S&T alumna, live in Fenton, Missouri, with their children Olivia, Jake and Will. In his free time, Sander enjoys spending time with his family, hunting and golf.

Sabin Yañez of Kansas City, Missouri, senior vice president of Cook, Flatt & Strobel Engineers, earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Missouri S&T in 1985. He began his professional career as a traffic studies engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation and progressed through many roles, ending with district engineer for Kansas City. Since 2004, Yañez has served as senior vice president for the civil engineering firm Cook, Flatt & Strobel Engineers. During his nearly 40-year career, Yañez has experienced an extensive array of projects but has also worked closely with a lengthy list of colleagues who would call him a friend and mentor. Yañez was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, and is a graduate of St. Pius X High School. He and his wife, Angel, have been married for 41 years. They have raised four children and currently have seven grandchildren and live north of the river in Kansas City, Missouri.