Wilfried Laufs, Ph.D., has joined Thornton Tomasetti, Inc., as vice president, bringing experience in the engineering of innovative special structures and structural glass design of buildings in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. He will be based in New York. Laufs, formerly executive vice president at Werner Sobek Engineering & Design, is recognized for his research in glass and building envelope engineering, and for his designs, including the double curtain wall façade for the redevelopment of the BBC Broadcast House in London, the New Bangkok International Airport, and the LG Electronics Research Headquarters in Seoul. He is an adjunct assistant professor in the Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics department at Columbia University in New York. Laufs holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture, and master’s and doctoral degrees in civil engineering, all from the Technical University of Aachen, Germany.

The Portland Cement Association has appointed Lawrence C. Novak, S.E., SECB, LEED AP, as manager, buildings and special structures. He and his staff will consult with engineers, architects, and contractors to directly promote the use of concrete and cement for buildings, stadiums, environmental, and other structures throughout the United States. Novak has more than 20 years of experience as a structural engineer; most recently he was an associate partner with Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill LLP. Novak currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois where he chairs the Publication Committee. He is the founding Board of Director of the Illinois Engineering Hall of Fame and is a voting member of ACI-209, Creep and Shrinkage, ACI-445-A on Strut and Tie, and the American Institute of Steel Construction’s Seismic Connections Committee. He received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science civil engineering degrees from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Schneider & Associates, a Tucson, Ariz.-based structural engineering firm, announces the promotion of its newest principal. W. David Bixler, P.E., S.E., will manage the firm’s newest branch office in Phoenix. Bixler brings more than 12 years of structural design engineering experience, as well as 11 additional years in the construction industry. His diverse portfolio includes mid-rise, cast-in-place concrete; post-tensioned concrete structures; as well as multistory masonry, wood, and steel-framed structures. Bixler specializes in hotels, educational facilities, mixed-use buildings, retail, office, and multi-family projects.

Halcrow Yolles, a global consulting firm, is pleased to announce the appointment of Terry McDonnell, P.E., S.E., as principal following the opening of its new Chicago office. In this position, he will be responsible for managing the development of the firm’s business in the Midwest and for developing client relationships throughout the United States.

Cary Kopczynski & Company, a Bellevue, Wash.-based structural engineering firm, has announced the addition of Waleed Khalid, P.E., S.E., senior engineer. Khalid has more than nine years of structural engineering experience and is currently working on the Lincoln Square Expansion project in Bellevue.