It is an incredible honor to step into the role of SEI President for the 2026/2027 term.  I look forward to leading this great organization over the next year and am excited about what the future holds for SEI and structural engineering.  We are at a time of great challenges and opportunities in our profession.  Never before have we had such powerful tools for exploration and learning yet at the same time we face new threats to our profession and the high standard of care society demands of us. As we have through our history, SEI has and will continue to advance and serve the structural engineering profession to create a safer, more resilient, and sustainable world.

  • We do this through developing and updating our codes to reflect our new understanding of our climate and the world around us.  We also will continue to empower our profession to accurately use new methods on their projects so this new understanding is reflected in practice.
  • We do this by expanding the use of performance-based design to give structural engineers the freedom to innovate beyond the traditional methods and build structures that truly fit modern demands.
  • We do this through research and collaboration to improve how we train the future of structural engineering and how they will tackle the challenges of the next generation.
  • We will do this with our pledge to reduce embodied carbon through the SE2050 commitment to net zero.

Of course, none of this happens without you. As your President, I want to emphasize that you are our greatest asset as we advocate for the structural engineering profession, elevating our voice in the public eye and showing the world the vital value of what we do.  In that, I encourage you to get involved. Join a committee, your local SEI Chapter, or advocate for your profession wherever you can.  In turn, the SEI Board of Governors and I will strive to show you the value of your membership and the many benefits that come with it.

Finally, I can’t wait to connect with many of you at ASCE2027. It is going to be a fantastic opportunity to network, learn, and collaborate together as we lead the profession into the future.

Thank you for your energy, dedication, and passion. Let's make this a great year together.

Warmly,

Chad Schrand, PE, SE, M. ASCE, F. SEI

SEI President, 2026/2027