Renowned author and illustrator David Macaulay has been confirmed as a keynote speaker at ASCE2027: The Infrastructure and Engineering Experience.
Macaulay is widely known for his bestselling books, most notably The Way Things Work, in which he uses illustrations to tell the story of machines and the engineering behind them. The book was such a hit when published in 1988 that it spawned a board game, a computer game, and its own television series.
Other acclaimed Macaulay works include Cathedral, Pyramid, and Unbuilding, among many others. Macaulay earned the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1991 for his book Black and White.
ASCE audiences might also remember him as the host of Building Big, a five-part PBS miniseries on engineering feats, sponsored by ASCE, that aired in 2000.
The selection of Macaulay as a keynote speaker at ASCE2027 aligns with civil engineers’ efforts to inspire a passion for infrastructure among others and shape the future of the profession. He will provide a creative perspective informed by his background in architecture and extensive career as an author.
ASCE2027 will combine all the Society’s institute flagship conferences into a new experience. The first-of-its-kind event will connect infrastructure experts from all disciplines for engaging speeches, discussions, workshops, and more, to advance infrastructure priorities across the globe.
Macaulay is the third keynote announced for ASCE2027, joining Ayanna Howard, a pioneer in artificial intelligence and dean of the Ohio State University College of Engineering, and Jake Bittle, a climate journalist at Grist and author of The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration.
What’s Your Big Idea?
Big infrastructure challenges require big infrastructure solutions, and ASCE2027 is your place for those big ideas.
ASCE2027: The Infrastructure and Engineering Experience is a first-of-its-kind event, bringing together big thinkers from all across the infrastructure space, March 1-5, 2027, in Philadelphia. Pack your big ideas and join the discussion.
