President's Message

Emily Guglielmo, SE, PE, F.SEI

2023-2024 SEAOC President

2023-2024 SEAOC College of Fellows

SEAOC's College of Fellows was pleased to induct six new members in Portland, including nominees from last year whose ceremony was deferred from the cancelled Maui convention. The new Fellows include Roy Lobo of SEAOCC, Emily Guglielmo of SEAONC, Jeff Crosier, Susan Dowty, and Jeff Ellis of SEAOSC, and Eric Lehmkuhl of SEAOSD. One highlight of the festivities was the whimsical acceptance poem by Lobo (printed in full at bottom of newsletter).

Pathways at the SEAOC Convention

Following the SEAOC Convention in Portland, SE Pathways is celebrating their third successful year of the program. If you weren’t already familiar, the SEAOC SE Pathways Program was created to advance the practice of structural engineering in California by enhancing the pathway into and through the profession. The program was developed in response to the 2020 SEAOC Call to Action, which focuses on recruitment and retention of individuals belonging to groups traditionally underrepresented in the structural engineering profession.

The SE Pathways committee has many ambitions, but one of their primary goals each year is to host a cohort of students and early career professionals at the annual SEAOC Convention. At this year’s convention in Portland, the cohort included 22 students and 24 early career professionals from California. This year, SEAOC partnered with the Northwest Conference, so the Pathways committee also extended a few cohort invitations to the Northwest region. As a result, two young professionals from Oregon and one from Washington joined the cohort. The Pathways Committee was excited to welcome these attendees and share the program experience with a broader audience. 

At the conference, the SE Pathways committee hosted a series of workshops, presentations, and panel discussions for the cohort that centered around DEI, retention, professional development, and mentorship. This convention programming provided a platform for the cohort to express their struggles when entering the industry. The programming aimed to help the participants overcome these challenges by offering tips to succeed, various resources, mentorship connections, and discussion spaces with industry leaders.

2024 Structural Engineering Excellence Awards

Forell Elsesser earned Project of the Year honors for their submission SFMTA Muni Chinatown Rose Pak Station, an epic piece of underground infrastructure constructed in and below a dense urban environment. In all, 13 projects earned Excellent and Merit awards, with projects ranging from jewel-like oceanfront homes to colorful outdoor art, to awe-inspiring high-tech campus.

View This Year's Winners

What to Expect for the New NCEES CBT Structural Exam A Joint Webinar with NCSEA

When: Wed., October 2

Time: 12:00pm - 1:00 pm PST

Where: Zoom Webinar

FREE



Register

Are you gearing up for the NCEES Structural Engineering Licensure Exam? With the new Computer-Based Testing (CBT) format now in full effect, we know how challenging it can be to navigate this crucial step in your professional journey. That’s why we’re excited to invite you to our exclusive webinar designed to help you prepare and succeed for the non-technical aspects of the examination!

What You’ll Learn:

🔍 Navigate the New CBT Format: Understand the changes, including Pearson testing at sites similar to those used for theNCEES PE Exam.

📉 Learn from Exam Insights: Discover the pass rate for the lateral and vertical depth exams this spring — and how you can prepare for common pitfalls.

🏋️‍♂️ Prepare for a Challenging Schedule: The testing environment is tough, and the multi-day experience can be difficult to schedule, especially since depth exams are only available during certain times of the year.



🧠 Get Real-World Tips from Recent Test-Takers: Hear from a panel of individuals who have recently taken the exam. They’ll share non-technical insights about what to expect on exam day — from navigating the testing center to managing nerves and pacing yourself.



Don't miss this opportunity to ensure you’re fully prepared to tackle the new NCEES Structural Exam with confidence!

Being in earthquake country, you may at times be on Shaky Ground

And should the big one come, God forbid, you will still be Around

For new construction we have even moved on, from Life-safety, to Functional Recovery

So daily activities can continue, without being a part of History



We also need to protect our existing Infrastructure

So they can withstand and survive the next big natural Disaster

Be it Gravity, and seismic or wind, designs need to balance both resilience and Sustainability

So as structural engineers, we need to use are creative Ability

The Wind Committee has developed new wind maps, for special wind Regions

So buildings and structures still stand, no matter the Seasons

Kudos to the Existing Buildings Committee, who have come out with the Vulnerable Buildings Fact Sheet

Published on the SEAOC website, that just hit the Street

Copies are also available, in digital or paperback 

For quick reference when talking to clients, to help keep you on Track

To understand seismic principles, you turn to the SEAOC Blue Book

And should you volunteer to write an article, they will have you on the Hook

SEAOC also came out with the wind and structural seismic design manuals

Which for the designers, or SE test take, including myself, has been of extreme Value

Every year SEAOC celebrates its accomplishments at the Convention

To recognize excellence in Structural Engineering, and demonstrate your latest state-of-the-art Structural Innovation

Accepted papers, are all archived in the SEAOC convention Proceedings

And if you are feeling bored, it makes good bedtime Reading

It is also a good time, to meet and catch-up with other structural Engineers

And share a meal, and perhaps a drink, with your fellow Peers

And we'll see you all there at Ashraf's CSI Party 

And no matter your age or stature, you will come away hail and Hearty