Young Professionals Program

As part of a strategic effort to welcome young professionals age 35 or younger, the Structures 2012 Congress includes two new, invitation-only, events designed exclusively for you. The Young Professionals Full Registration Package includes the following:

• Meet the Leaders Breakfast
• Opening Plenary Luncheon and Awards Program
• Young Professionals Mixer
• SEI and PCI Welcome Reception in Exhibit Hall
• CASE Breakfast
• Buffet Lunch in Exhibit Hall
• CHICAGO! Mid America Club Reception
• Closing Plenary Luncheon and Business meeting
• More than 100 technical sessions - click here to see the session matrix
• All networking breaks
• Structures 2012 Congress Proceedings

NEW:  Meet the Leaders Breakfast

Thursday, March 29, 7:00 - 8:00 a.m.

Begin the first day of the Structures 2012 Congress with a welcome breakfast!  During this invitation-only event you will meet several Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) board members and committee chairs. Learn how these SEI leaders got their start in structural engineering and how each has participated in SEI. This informal and informative breakfast will provide you unique insights to many renowned structural engineering leaders, as well as an exceptional occasion to learn about the Structures Congress and opportunities within SEI.  SEI leaders look forward to welcoming you and answering questions. We hope you be able to join us.

Ticket required; included in Young Professionals Full Registration package.

Opening Plenary Luncheon and Awards Presentation

Thursday, March 29, 12:00 - 1:45 p.m.

The Opening Luncheon gives you the opportunity to hear about the future of the structural engineering profession. The luncheon includes the presentation of ASCE/SEI Awards for outstanding achievements and contributions to the practice and advancement of structural engineering.

KEYNOTE:  STRUCTURAL ART FROM ROBERT MAILLART TO FAZLUR KHAN

PRESENTER: David P. Billington, P.E., NAE, Dist.M.ASCE, Gordon Y.S. Wu Professor of Engineering Emeritus, Princeton University

Professor Billington will illustrate the principles of Structural Art through the bridges of Robert Maillart and Christian Menn, the thin shell roofs of Felix Candela and Heinz Isler, and the urban buildings of Fazlur Khan.

NEW:  Young Professionals Mixer

Thursday, March 29, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

You are invited to this invitation-only reception hosted by the Young Professionals Committee of SEI. You’ll have the opportunity to mingle with other young professionals and introduce yourself to SEI leaders including the Board of Governors, committee chairs, and members who plan Structures Congress. These structural engineering professionals will share their experiences of how they became involved in SEI and its many committees and how participation has enriched their careers. So be sure to make time to join us for this invitation-only event prior to attending Congress Welcome Reception. Come find out how you can get involved!

Ticket required; included in Young Professionals Full Registration package.

SEI and PCI Welcome Reception in Exhibit Hall

Thursday, March 29, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

The Congress Welcome Reception is a social occasion that provides a great forum to network, mingle with friends and colleagues, and visit our exciting exhibits. There is no better way to kick off the Structures 2012 Congress than by attending the Welcome Reception. And this year’s reception boasts a spectacular Food & Wine Gala, hosted by PCI. Join us for this food lover’s cornucopia of specialty food and tempting spirits. Your first two drink tickets are on us.

Ticket required; included in Young Professionals Full Registration package.

Sponsored by

CASE Breakfast

Friday, March 30, 7:00 - 8:15 p.m.

The Council of American Structural Engineers (CASE) is a national association of structural engineering firms that operates as a coalition of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) in Washington, DC. CASE’s mission is to improve the practice of structural engineering by reducing the frequency and severity of claims.

KEYNOTE: Structural Engineering Is A Great Business

PRESENTER: Ray Messer, P.E., M.ASCE, President, Walter P Moore

Structural engineering is a great profession! The question is how do we make it a great business? A global economy has presented new challenges and created a new world order for the engineering industry. Regardless of these changes, we can control our destiny. It is up to each of us to continue to develop our business and technical skills and manage our clients in order to protect our firms and clients as we serve the public.

Buffet Lunch in Exhibit Hall

Friday, March 30, 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

This is prime time for you to check in with exhibitors to learn about their current offers to the industry. Enjoy a bite of lunch and visit with colleagues as you make your rounds of the hall. Be sure to check out the poster sessions in the Exhibit Hall.

CHICAGO! Mid America Club Reception

Friday, March 30, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Dress code: Business attire. No tennis shoes or jeans.

Government ID required.

Catch the view of the Chicago skyline, enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, and listen to Chicago-inspired blues ’n jazz for a thrilling evening at an historic Chicago landmark. Located “a step above” on the 80th floor of the Aon Center in the East Loop, the Mid America Club is the only club in Chicago that offers a 360-degree panoramic view of the city’s distinctive skyline and incomparable vistas of Lake Michigan, Millennium Park, and the Gold Coast, and is the 4th tallest building in the United States. Sleek, contemporary decor and refined touches, accentuated by a balance of simple elegance and luminescent, warm surroundings, create an inspired setting for Chicago’s most influential civic and business leaders, and now for our Congress participants!

Sponsored by

Closing Plenary Luncheon and Business Meeting

Saturday, March 31, 12:00 - 1:45 p.m.

The Closing Luncheon will include the final plenary session as well as the annual SEI business meeting, which provides an overview of recent initiative and program developments.

KEYNOTE:   DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS

PRESENTER: Glenn R. Bell, P.E., M.ASCE, CEO, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger

The future promises unprecedented opportunity and challenge in the structural engineering community. The demands of the future require more training, less specialization, and more and greater competencies. University programs are already struggling with overcrowded curricula. Agreement with ASCE Policy Statement 465, that a master’s degree or equivalent should be the baseline for professional registration, alone will not suffice.

We must ensure focus on engineering fundamentals while simultaneously moving at warp speed to develop new, unfamiliar skills that structural engineers will need to compete globally in a new world. Academia, employers, industry partners, accreditation and registration boards, and professional societies must collaborate in defining and delivering forward-looking programs. Individual engineers themselves must commit to a lifetime of continuous learning. In short, we need to work together to raise the bar and provide the training and coaching for the next generation of structural engineers to clear it.