Happy Holidays! On the eve of Thanksgiving with the end of year merriment just around the corner, we all begin to focus on family and friends – that which brings joy and how we can share of ourselves to bring happiness to others and reflect on all for which we are thankful. I count you all into my equation of who and what I am so grateful for each year. The endless generosity of SEI members who serve the profession is bottomless. Starting with the SEI Board of Governors, who work hard to set the guidance for all that we do and focus on at the Institute, through the multitude of committee members and chairs who lead them in the volunteer work they all do for our collective benefit, down to all of the members of SEI who pay dues every year and join in where it makes sense for them – this organization is successful because of your generosity and willingness to share your talents with the profession.
In briefly reflecting on the many aspects of SEI member leadership, I would like to point out a few high impact accomplishments and opportunities:
In case you missed these in previous newsletters, SEI committee members are producing amazing work:
- The 2025 Electrical Transmission and Substation Conference held in September was wildly successful and if you missed it, the proceedings are now available to learn from. Huge thanks to the SEI Overhead Powerline Structures committee which organized the conference and is already starting work on the next one where we expect even greater success as the community grows to include all stakeholders involved in OPS.
- The SEI Sustainability Committee published Prestandard for Assessing the Embodied Carbon of Structural Systems for Buildings, which is available as a free download as a result of a generous grant from the SEI Futures Fund.
Both of these along with all of the SEI Committees are open to membership – if you have an interest, we are excited to plug you in! Check out the long list of SEI committees and apply today!
In addition to accomplishments, I do want you to be aware of upcoming opportunities that are available to you:
- Free to attend, you will not want to miss the upcoming SEI’s 2nd North American Structural Engineering Sustainability Symposium scheduled for Feb. 1, from 12:00pm-3:30pm EST – check out the program and register today!
- Structures Congress 2026 is going to be in Boston this year, and it will be amazing. SEI will be celebrating our 30th anniversary and along with the expected, strong technical sessions that are waiting for you many new events such as the SE 2050 Summit will spark your interest and catapult your career. Make plans today and register before Jan. 12 for the best savings and to secure your place!
As we wind down the calendar year and look forward to year-end celebrations, I am so fortunate to be in such a position where I can witness the full impact of SEI member leadership in the profession and beyond. Thank you to all that you do for SEI, ASCE, the profession, and society. While it may feel cliché, structural engineers literally carry the weight of the world every day and we do so with little expectation for anything in return. Thank you for your contribution and continued support of SEI!
Jennifer Goupil, P.E., F.SEI, F.ASCE
Managing Director of the Structural Engineering Institute
ASCE Chief Resilience Officer