Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania honors Highmark's Alex Sciulli with prestigious engineering award

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania (ESWP) has named Alex Sciulli, chief real estate officer for Highmark Inc., its 2013 William Metcalf Award winner. Sciulli will be honored tomorrow evening at the ESWP's 129^th Annual Banquet at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. The prestigious Metcalf award is presented annually to an outstanding engineer whose accomplishments relate strongly to engineering fields important in Western Pennsylvania, including construction.

A civil engineer-turned real estate executive, Sciulli has influenced the design and construction of many important Pittsburgh landmarks during his 35-year career. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in civil engineering and his master's degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh. Sciulli is also a licensed professional engineer in five states, including Pennsylvania.

"We are especially proud to recognize Alex Sciulli as the 2013 Metcalf Award winner because he has done so much for the Pittsburgh community and for the Engineers' Society itself," said ESWP President Tom Donatelli. "Alex has worked in government and in the private sector to help transform Pittsburgh into the world-class city it is today. He has served the Engineers' Society as president and has tirelessly emphasized to young people the importance of engineers to keeping our community and our country strong and competitive in the global marketplace."

Among the most recent projects in which Sciulli is involved is Highmark's 174,000-square-foot medical mall in Wexford, Pa. Other projects to which he has contributed during his career include the light rail transit line connecting the southern suburbs to downtown Pittsburgh, the expansion and naturalization of the Pittsburgh Zoo in Pittsburgh's Highland Park, the renovation of Grant Street and the reconstruction of the Bloomfield Bridge, which serves as a gateway to West Penn Allegheny Hospital and the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

"We appreciate the Engineers' Society for recognizing Alex, who is serving Highmark in a key role," said Dr. William Winkenwerder, Highmark's CEO. "Alex is helping Highmark forge the way to a new integrated delivery system that will bring many benefits to community members, including delivering health care more efficiently and cost effectively in our communities, close to home."

Sciulli joined Highmark in February 2012 as executive vice president and chief real estate development and construction officer, where he is overseeing the development, design and construction of the company's owned and leased facilities, including corporate real estate, affiliated hospitals and medical malls. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Pennsylvania Economy League and the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance.

About the William Metcalf Award
The William Metcalf Award is presented annually by the Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania to a very outstanding engineer who is a resident of the United States and whose field of engineering accomplishment relates to those fields normally associated with Western Pennsylvania, such as steel, aluminum, power, coal, electrical equipment, chemical, glass, construction, etc. The award honors William Metcalf, a native of Pittsburgh and 1858 graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an engineer and draftsman at the Fort Pitt Foundry. It was his guiding genius which made the Fort Pitt Foundry one of the great manufacturing centers for heavy guns and projectiles for the armies of the North in the Civil War. Fort Pitt Foundry was one of the leading makers of armor plate and heavy ordnance for the Union, including the ironclad steamers built at Philadelphia. Manufacture of crucible steel was largely pioneered in the United States by Metcalf, who was one of the organizers of the Crescent Steel Company in 1889 which specialized in fine crucible steels. Metcalf was also one of the leading practical experts in the field of mechanical and heat treatment of steel during the period prior to 1900. In addition to being the first President of the Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania, Metcalf was President of the Duquesne Club (1881-2), President of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, President of the Homeopathic Hospital of Pittsburgh, and member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, British Institute of Civil Engineers and the Episcopal Church.

About the Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania
The Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania has provided a forum for the professional development and the facilities for the social interaction of its members for more than a century. The ESWP is chartered to advance the professions of engineering, architecture, and applied sciences through technical activities, public service participation and social organizations. It also supports the needs of industries, communities, and government in Western Pennsylvania. Since its founding in 1880 ESWP has continually served as a focal point for the area's engineering and technical community. At its inception, ESWP was created by a group of Pittsburgh's entrepreneurs and businessmen to promote social, technical, and business interaction in Western Pennsylvania. This vision has continued through the years as ESWP has grown and adapted to the changing technical needs of the community. The ESWP serves primarily as a catalyst to promote interaction throughout the technical community in Western Pennsylvania. Its more than 1000 members and 50 associated technical societies reflect the richness of the full spectrum of engineering and applied science disciplines.

SOURCE Highmark Inc.