Ayanna Howard was there at the start.
Back in the days before artificial intelligence was an everyday talking point, Howard was there. In the classroom. In the lab. Constructing and deconstructing robots, turning AI science fiction into reality.
So now, as AI is changing every aspect of the civil engineering industry, Howard can talk about those effects with a different perspective than most. She has three decades of cutting-edge AI research in her rearview, so you’d be hard-pressed to find someone better positioned to see clearly into what the future of AI and infrastructure looks like.
“[When I was young] I saw all the things that journalists and science fiction writers were creating and designing in their movies and books,” Howard, Ph.D., told Civil Engineering Source in a 2024 interview. “At the time, that’s really what I was drawn to.
“I always say, ‘Imagination fuels engineering,’ and engineering is now fueling imagination. So I think we have this interplay of creativity and engineering that allows us to build a better world.”
Howard has been announced as a keynote speaker at ASCE2027: The Infrastructure and Engineering Experience, March 1-5, 2027, in Philadelphia.
ASCE2027 brings together for the first time each of the Society’s institute flagship conferences. All the brightest minds in infrastructure under one roof.
It’s nearly impossible to discuss the future of infrastructure without showcasing the AI revolution. Howard is one of the industry’s foremost experts.
Dean of The Ohio State University College of Engineering, Howard was named one of the most powerful women engineers in the world by Business Insider and was honored as one of the top 50 women in tech by Forbes. Her perspectives fit perfectly with the inaugural ASCE2027, a unique opportunity to combine both discipline-specific deep dives and big-picture infrastructure thinking.
“ASCE2027 is a groundbreaking step forward for ASCE, the joining together of all disciplines representing the civil engineering industry under one roof to share ideas and solve complex problems,” said Marsha Anderson Bomar, ASCE president.
“Engineering feats are not accomplished in silos. ASCE2027 will set a new standard for shared knowledge and innovative solutions.”
Howard will serve as one of four keynotes at ASCE2027. The others will be revealed throughout 2026.
Get ready for ASCE2027
Maybe you have big ideas like the ones discussed in this podcast. Maybe you are looking for the right venue to share those big ideas. Maybe you want to get your big ideas in front of leading big thinkers from across the infrastructure space.
Maybe you should share your big ideas at ASCE2027: The Infrastructure and Engineering Experience – a first-of-its-kind event bringing together big thinkers from all across the infrastructure space, March 1-5, 2027, in Philadelphia.
The call for content is open now through March 4. Don’t wait. Get started today!
