"What do you see?" has been a recurring theme throughout my SEI Presidency. And what's notable about you – our SEI members – is that as a community, you choose to see and design a better future for our world. This year brought substantial challenges: political shifts, workforce challenges, and moments that make us collectively wonder, “What can I do about this?”.

Through it all, I saw more examples than I can count that demonstrated the difference one purpose-driven structural engineer can make. I witnessed SEI members bringing our profession together to accomplish more than any of us could alone. This included:

  • Workshops with government agencies
  • Discussions to understand how academic research shapes innovation within our profession
  • Collaborations to find the best avenues to advocate for changes to the SE licensure exam
  • Events demonstrating our commitment to leading on carbon reduction, future hazards, and structural resiliency.

You proved that we don't just react to what's happening around us; we shape what happens next.

I'm writing you today because the mentors I found within SEI believed in me and encouraged me to be more than I thought I could. We each have that same power to connect and lift others. This is especially important as we build community with fellow contributors to the built environment and public health and safety. This network extends far beyond structural engineers and includes our clients, government agencies, scientists, data analysts, sociologists (as we saw during Dr. Lori Peek’s keynote at Structures Congress 2025!), and the public.

The question and my challenge to you: Will you choose to exercise that power?

The future I see for structural engineering is one where we are recognized as both technical problem-solvers and inclusive leaders, as systems-thinkers and expert communicators, as people who are essential to our project teams and to building resilient communities. That momentum continues from the updated Joint Vision for the Future of Structural Engineering, currently heading to the SEI, NCSEA, and CASE boards for approval, to the countless ways you shape tomorrow's profession today in your volunteer work.

That future only becomes reality when each of us chooses to engage, to connect, and to say, "here's what I see possible." Thank you for the extraordinary honor of serving as your president. I also want to take a moment to recognize Jennifer Goupil, SEI Managing Director and ASCE Chief Resilience Officer, who is the force behind SEI’s operations. Jennifer and her team make everything we accomplish possible, and support our 30,000 members with remarkable efficiency, energy, and dedication.

As I pass this role to President-Elect Ed Huston, I'm thinking about "what's next?" and "what do we need?" to continue to build a future that's structurally sound, sustainable, inclusive, and inspired. I’m thinking about how we continue to advocate for broader recognition of our vital role in solving global challenges, and how we inspire and encourage the next generation of leaders.

It starts with each of us choosing to engage, to connect, and to lead from exactly where we are, and the understanding that we need each other and the broader built environment community to make it happen. The future is ours to build, one structure at a time.

Stephanie Slocum, P.E.

FY25 President, Structural Engineering Institute

Founder and CEO, Engineers Rising LLC