蜜桃传媒

By Elizabeth Egan 

Rosenfeld came to UB with an interest in building, inspired by his grandfather who worked as a carpenter. Today, the structural engineering projects that he has contributed to over the course of his career span multiple states and range from suspension bridges and metro lines to a renovated Times Square in New York City. All are opportunities that Rosenfeld said he would not have had without UB.

He said that as a student at UB, he often questioned if he was qualified to be there. Math and science were difficult subjects for Rosenfeld, but his passion for building and structures inspired him to pursue engineering at UB, where he came to find a warm and welcoming environment to develop his skills.

Rosenfeld noted being particularly impacted by classes taught by Michael Constantinou, Samuel P. Capen Professor and SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering.

“Dr. Constantinou was very inspiring, and he really pushed me to understand structures,” said Rosenfeld. “Everything that we did in his class challenged me.”

In 2008, Rosenfeld joined ATCS as the north regional manager. He became the COO in 2021 before being named CEO in January.

Also in January, Riffel, who has been with ATCS since 2019, filled the role of COO.

Riffel grew up in Amherst with a strong interest in math, science and building. These factors made studying structural engineering at UB such a compelling choice that he did not recall applying to any other schools.

Riffel found his experiences at UB helpful in getting his career started, including becoming a member of the UB chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineer’s steel bridge team and participating in an internship with a local engineering firm through a UB course.

“Being a part of the whole process of engineering and building things really mirrored what my career is today,” said Riffel about his time on the steel bridge team, where students design and fabricate a bridge for regional and national competitions.

During his internship, Riffel had the opportunity to work on projects at the Ralph Wilson Stadium in Western New York, now Highmark Stadium, designing luxury suites and installing a jumbotron that was, at the time, the largest in the country. After graduating, he went on to contribute to projects ranging from roadways and tolling facilities to a light rail project in the Washington D.C. area. Upon completion, the rail line will span 16 miles and 20 stations, playing a vital role in connecting communities.

While Riffel was interviewing at ATCS, he encountered Rosenfeld for the first time since graduation and said that they immediately recalled memories from being in classes together 30 years prior.

The primary responsibilities for Riffel’s new role include process improvement, overseeing technology and productivity surrounding workforce management, and bringing in new staff to ensure workloads are balanced across the 11 ATCS offices. A large part of his job is also focused on managing budgets and strategies for the different offices.

“Getting to work with people is definitely one of my favorite parts of this role,” said Riffel. “I also have an entrepreneurial spirit, so I enjoy growing the business and creating profit for the company so that we can invest and grow!”

Leadership development and motivation of employees makes up a significant part of Rosenfeld’s new role.

“I enjoy engaging in dialog about our culture and the growth of our staff,” said Rosenfeld. “I often ask if people are involved in the right projects to make sure we are putting the right work in front of our employees so that they have a fulfilling career.”

While Riffel and Rosenfeld are no longer as hands on with engineering projects as they were in the beginning of their careers, they both enjoy being a part of the large projects that ATCS is involved with.

Rosenfeld said that he is excited about the creation of a bridge design group at ATCS and forming a team of people to work on bridge projects that are similar to those that he enjoyed as a young engineer.

The group is currently working on a project to design several bridges on the September 11th National Memorial Trail, a 1,300-mile-long trail that connects the Flight 93 National Memorial, the Pentagon Memorial and the September 11 Memorial and Museum.

When discussing their roles at ATCS, Riffel and Rosenfeld both emphasized their desire to create opportunities for growth and collaboration amongst employees, and, hopefully, continue the recruitment of UB alums.

“As we grow, the most important thing to me is that we maintain our culture and that our employees really embrace our caring, learning and performing environment,” said Rosenfeld. “I want an environment where people truly feel that they are contributing both to the success of ATCS and also their own careers.”