2026 SEAOI Excellence in Structural Engineering

and Special Award Winners

Every year, the SEAOI Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards remind us of something we already know but love to celebrate: the work being done by structural engineers in Illinois and beyond is remarkable.

This year's honorees represent the very best of our profession — projects that solve complex challenges with ingenuity, firms that push the boundaries of what structures can be, and individuals whose dedication to the field inspires everyone around them.

It is our distinct honor to announce the 2026 SEAOI Excellence in Structural Engineering Award Winners.

PROJECT AWARD WINNERS

• Juror's Favorite / Most Innovative Structure Theodore Roosevelt Library — Magnusson Klemencic Associates
• Best Forensic/Retrofit/Rehabilitation Project UIUC C7 C10 Parking Structure Rehabilitation — Walker Consultants
• Best Renovation/Adaptive Reuse Project Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation — Helen Torres & Associates, PLLC
• Best Bridge/Transportation Project Canal Street Viaduct — Collins Engineers
• Best Special Structure Buckled but Not Broken — Klein & Hoffman
• Best Project — Over $150 Million SANY IROOTECH HQ — Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
• Best Project — $50 Million up to $150 Million Spelman College: The Mary Schmidt Campbell Center for Innovation and the Arts — Thornton Tomasetti
• Best Project — $10 Million up to $50 Million Women's Leadership Center — Thornton Tomasetti
• Best Project — Up to $10 Million 517 Main — Forefront Structural Engineers, Inc.
• Lavicka Award — Heartland Net Zero Agriculture Complex — Nayyar & Nayyar International, PC
• Best Neighboring State Project Lakewood Welcome Center — Meyer Borgman Johnson

AWARD OF MERIT

These projects represent exceptional achievement and deserve every bit of recognition they have earned. Congratulations to each of these outstanding teams.

• Seattle House — CKC Structural Engineers
• Snoqualmie Casino & Hotel — CKC Structural Engineers
• Health Science Building — Rubinos and Meisa Engineers
• Waubonsee Community College Technical Education Center — IMEG Consultants Corp
• Thomas and Vivian A. Wong Honor Tower — Endre Studio
• HUB Chauncey — SR+A

SPECIAL AWARD WINNERS

Our Special Awards honor something equally important — the people who make this profession what it is. From seasoned leaders who give back tirelessly, to young engineers blazing new trails, to the educators and mentors who shape the next generation, these individuals embody the heart of SEAOI. We are proud to celebrate each of them.

• John F. Parmer Award Gary J. Klein, SE, PE — Vice President, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
• SEAOI Service Award Jan I. Blok, PE, SE, PSE — President, The Structural Group
• Outstanding Young Engineers Award
• Eamon Homedi, PE, SE — Structural Project Manager, Atlas Engineering Group, Ltd.
• Christian Parker, PE — Senior Project Engineer, Thornton Tomasetti
• SEAOI Instructor Legacy Award Dr. Mir M. Ali, Ph.D., FASCE, FCTBUH — Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• SEAOI Excellence in Engagement Award Eric Fleet, SE, PE — Consulting Engineer, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger

To every winner, every nominee, and every team that poured their expertise and passion into this work — thank you! You make the structural engineering community stronger, smarter, and more vibrant. We hope you take a moment to soak in this recognition. You have earned it.

Please join us in celebrating all of this year's honorees. Share your congratulations on social media, tag the winning firms and individuals, and help us spread the word about the incredible work being recognized this year!

A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors.

None of this would be possible without the generous support of the firms and organizations that invest in recognizing excellence in our field. We are deeply grateful for your partnership and your commitment to the structural engineering community.

• Connection Partner: IMEG Consultants Corp
• Keystone Partner: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
• Contract Documents Partner: Magnusson Klemencic Associates
• Structural System Partner: Klein & Hoffman
• Superstructure Partner: Thornton Tomasetti
• Substructure Partners: GEI Consultants | Nayyar & Nayyar International, PC | Bulley & Andrews Concrete Restoration