|
ECB Mentorship Program
The ECB Mentorship Program held its kickoff event with UCF on Friday, October 3rd! For our pilot program, we are thrilled to have 22 ECB members participating as mentors, and 23 UCF student mentees. During the event, mentors and mentees had the opportunity to learn more about the program goals, enjoy a catered dinner, and meet their mentor/mentee pair for the first time. Throughout the year, mentors and mentees will meet to discuss professional development, career goals, job and interview skills, academics, and any other topics that will help the student grow throughout the year.
| | |
Call for Abstracts Now Open!
ASCE's Forensic Engineering Division invites you to the 11th Forensic Engineering Congress, scheduled for Orlando, Florida, October 22–25, 2026. Join other experts to discuss advances in forensic engineering under the theme "Decoding Failure"— covering case studies of major collapses to everyday performance issues.
Submit abstracts for papers, sessions, or panels on topics like AI in practice, forensic investigations, infrastructure and building failures, expert witness strategies, ethics, disaster response, and more.
Details here: Call for Abstracts | ASCE Forensic Engineering Congress
See you in Orlando!
Congress Chair
Jason Gregorie, P.E., M.ASCE
Civil / Structural Engineer
Applied Building Sciences, Inc. (ABS)
Learn More https://www.forensiccongress.org/
Important Dates
-
Call for Abstracts Opens: August 25, 2025
-
Final Paper Acceptance Notification: May 18, 2026
-
Forensic Engineering Congress Dates: October 22–25, 2026
| | On September 25th, EWRI participated in the Orange County National Public Lands Day event with the County’s eVIP cleanup at Pine Lily Preserve. Volunteers successfully removed litter, extracted old fencing, and cleared invasive plant species such as Brazilian Pepper and Chinese Tallow. Beyond being an enjoyable opportunity to experience Orange County’s public lands, this event contributes to meaningful efforts that help restore and preserve the ecological balance of our natural environments. | | |
On October 14th, EWRI volunteers will be participating in the Ronald McDonald House Share-A-Meal event. EWRI’s own chef, Patty Therrien, will be preparing Asian stir-fry for the current residents of Ronald McDonald House. Preparing a meal for the residents allows them to spend more quality time with their hospitalized children and loved ones.
EWRI will host its next luncheon on November 20th at the CFX Headquarters. Vincent Seibold, P.E., with the Sustainable Water Infrastructure Group (SWIG), will present SWIG’s innovative nature-based treatment technologies developed through its Phosphorus Elimination System (PES). Join us to learn about the design and composition of these systems and how they’ve been implemented to achieve enhanced nutrient removal. Event registration details are coming soon!
| | |
The ASCE ECB SEI Chapter will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday, October 16 from 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM to discuss and plan future events. If you’re interested in attending, please reach out to Albert Bauman at abauman@flbridge.com.
| | |
Join the ASCE ECB Structural Engineering Institute for our Online Technical Webinar on October 23rd!
We're excited to welcome Samuel McAlpine, PhD and Ben Sadawi as they present on alternative rebar solutions for highly corrosive environments.
Cost: $10 per person. Students attend at no cost! All proceeds will support local ASCE student members.
| | |
Scholarship Announcement
The SEI ECB is thrilled to announce that Rafael Serta from the University of Central Florida has been awarded a $1,500 student scholarship at the East Central Branch Installation Luncheon held on September 19!
A heartfelt thank you to all the SEI ECB members for your incredible support—whether through attending our events, donating your time, energy, or resources. Your dedication made this past year a resounding success.
We’re excited to kick off another fantastic year under the leadership of our new Chair, Albert Bauman. Let’s keep the momentum going!
| | |
Engineers in the Classroom
- Friday October 31 9-11am @ Camelot Elementary
- Friday November 21 9-11am @ Timber Lakes Elementary
To sign up, please contact Dave Schmitt at dave.schmitt@dseorl.com
If you are interested in providing engagement to K-12 students, please contact Michael Olka (mike.olka@lakecountyfl.gov).
| | The Sustainability Committee’s core mission and function are to organize and facilitate outreach opportunities, allowing the East Central Branch members to stay informed and promote sustainable engineering practices. Below are some upcoming events and other news recommended by the Committee. | | |
Green is the New Black – New Sustainability Sticker Alert!
We’re excited to share our new “Green is the New Black” water bottle stickers! A fun way to keep sustainability and resiliency top of mind. Stick one on your water bottle, laptop, or wherever you want to show your support. These stickers are more than just decoration, they’re a reminder that the choices we make every day contribute to a more sustainable, resilient future. Look for them at upcoming ECB events, or reach out to your Sustainability Committee to find out how you can get your hands on one. Let’s make sustainability stick!
| | |
Sustainability in Practice at the Annual ASCE ECB Officer Installation Luncheon
On September 19th, the East Central Branch hosted the Annual Officer Installation Luncheon at the Historic Dubsdread Ballroom. The Sustainability Committee is proud to announce that 84lbs of food waste was collected by O-Town Compost and diverted from the landfill. Food waste diversion is an important component of sustainable waste management, as it helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimizes the environmental impact of discarded food that decays in our landfills. The food waste that was collected from this year’s event will be converted into a nutrient-rich compost that restores soil health and reduces our collective impact on the planet.
Click here to learn more about O-Town Compost
| | |
News / Resources / Interesting Reads
- The 2025 Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure Annual Conference – October 22-23 – FREE!
The ISI Annual Conference is the preeminent event for AEC industry professionals committed to fostering sustainable, equitable, and resilient civil infrastructure. Last year, a record-breaking 1,800 participants from 52 different countries attended this two-day virtual event to engage and explore new ideas about how infrastructure can better serve our communities. Attendees included engineers, planners, designers, consultants, architects, developers, construction and procurement professionals, owners, operators, government leaders, students, faculty, and more. Whether you’re a sustainability and resilience infrastructure expert or a curious novice, join to learn more about the latest trends and insights in sustainable infrastructure. Plus, by attending, Envision Sustainability Professionals (ENV SPs) can earn all of their annual credential maintenance hours at no cost!
Click here to learn more and register for the free 2025 ISI Annual Conference!
| | |
Volunteer Opportunities
-
Central Florida RECON (CFR) - Waterway Cleanup Fleet
CFR RECON is a group of friends and concerned citizens protecting Central Florida’s surface waters and natural environment by removing trash and debris from lakes, rivers, and streams. All those who enjoy canoeing and kayaking and would have a couple hours are welcome to join upcoming events! The RECON fleet is growing and currently has 9 kayaks available to use at events. Shoreline volunteers are also welcome if you feel the urge to walk instead of being on the water. Click the link to check out upcoming events!
Click here to view all RECON events on Meetup.
Click here to view the Facebook page.
| | |
Check out our ASCE ECB Sustainability Committee website for more information about us, and useful resources including our Event Sustainability Venue Guide and Recycle Guide!
If you would like to join the ECB Sustainability Committee, please reach out to our Committee Chair Steve Sommerfeldt. The committee meets (virtually) on the last Tuesday of the month during lunch to plan out future activities and ideas related to sustainability. We welcome any new and/or seasoned individuals who are interested.
Want to hear more? Join the Sustainability Committee mailing list today!
| | |
The goal of the ASCE Younger Member Forum (YMF) is to promote professional development among young engineers. YMF hopes you will join us for some of our upcoming events.
| |
Upcoming Events
Calling all UCF alumni! Come out and join us October 18th for our alumni tailgate with the ASCE UCF chapter. Game tickets are not required to participate, and food and non-alcoholic beverages are on us. Tailgate start time to be announced.
| ECB YMF is pleased to have been recognized with the 2025 National Younger Member Group Award, and we want to celebrate! Join us for a Happy Hour under the Stars celebrating our award at the AC Sky Bar rooftop. Appetizers and your first drink will be provided. Register by October 17th! | |
Event Recap
YMF was able to send a member to ASCE Convention to receive our Younger Member Group Award for Large Groups in Seattle. Thank you to the branch for supporting our attendance.
| Thank you to the UCF student chapter for allowing us to come speak about the benefits of ASCE and who we are as YMF. We had a great turnout and look forward to working with them this year! | Thank you to FES and ASHE for joining us in an Engineer’s Day Out Field Day event and to all our attendees. We hope you had a great time and look forward to seeing you at our next event. | |
October Report
This month our student chapter marked one of the most successful periods to date. We hosted three general body meetings with guest speakers from Whiting-Turner, ASCE ECB YMF, and LandDesign, drawing a record-breaking average of 103 members per meeting. We energized campus spirit with tailgate events at the UCF vs. North Carolina A&T and UCF vs. North Carolina games, proudly partnering with sponsors Whiting-Turner and DRMP. Our national competition teams also kicked off interest sessions and weekly meetings, showcasing their projects at our first GBM. The influx of new members led to the election of our new upperclassmen and underclassmen representatives. To cap things off, four of our members, including two officers, were awarded scholarships at the ECB Installation Luncheon!
Beyond our core meetings, we offered a mix of social and professional development events. Highlights included the 2nd Annual Minecraft Game Night for socalizing, a resume & LinkedIn workshop to polish professional profiles, an Apopka plant tour with FINFROCK, an interview skills workshop, and a volunteering opportunity for the ECB golf tournament. With growing member engagement, energized leadership, and a calendar packed with opportunities, our chapter is reaching new heights, and we’re just getting started!
| | | | |
