Zulma Stella Pardo Vargas, MSc, CEng, F.SEI, F.ASCE, principal engineer of ZJ Ingenieros Estructurales SAS and second vice president of the Pan American Academy of Engineering (PAE), has been named a fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction.
Vargas, for more than 25 years, has combined engineering practice, education, and professional leadership to advance structural engineering throughout Latin America. In her current position she has consistently promoted innovation, technical excellence, and knowledge sharing across the profession.
A graduate of the National University of Colombia, Pardo Vargas has built her career around two complementary goals: improving structural engineering practice and expanding access to high-quality technical education. She has authored educational materials and affordable digital books based on American structural design standards, enabling thousands of engineers in Latin America to access current technical knowledge. Her contributions to engineering literature were recognized with the Diódoro Sánchez Award from the Colombian Society of Engineers.
Her technical leadership has also influenced engineering policy. She has proposed significant updates to Colombia's structural design standards and contributed to legislation governing the structural engineering profession. These initiatives have strengthened engineering practice while enhancing public safety through improved regulations.
Internationally, Vargas has played an active role within the Pan American Union of Engineering Associations (UPADI), where her work has focused on disaster risk reduction, climate resilience, seismic isolation, energy dissipation systems, and the modernization of timber design standards. In recognition of her contributions to engineering across the Americas, UPADI honored her with its Golden Plumb Award. Her research has also been published in technical journals in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Recognizing the importance of digital transformation, Vargas has developed online platforms dedicated to engineering education, steel connection design, and electronic publishing, expanding opportunities for professional development throughout the Spanish-speaking engineering community.
Her engineering portfolio includes the structural design of cement plants, mineral processing facilities, and petrochemical projects. The quality and innovation of this work earned her the Guillermo González Zuleta Award, Colombia's highest professional recognition in structural engineering.
Beyond technical practice, education remains central to her mission. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in steel, concrete, timber, and bridge engineering while mentoring future generations of engineers. She also contributed to the National University of Colombia's vision for engineering education through 2034 and is currently promoting lifelong learning initiatives that prepare university faculty and practicing engineers to integrate artificial intelligence into engineering education and professional practice.
She currently serves on several ASCE/SEI technical committees, including Structural Connections, Seismic Effects for Nonbuilding Structures and Foundations, Cold-Formed Steel, and ASCE/SEI 41. Across every role, she has remained committed to the same principle: advancing structural engineering by combining technical excellence, continuous learning, and international collaboration.
