An expansive vision for structural engineers

Over the past decade, I’ve had great opportunity to engage with our international professional community in thinking about the future of structural engineering through conferences, classrooms, writings, presentations and board meetings. Our collective passion for this subject is profound, offering an inspiring prognosis for us. Our outlook has evolved from a somewhat pessimistic view to one that is decidedly optimistic. We see great opportunity for structural engineers to hold leadership roles in helping society meet its future challenges, and there is a generation of bright young professionals eager to make a difference in the world. We struggle, however, to understand how to bring about the needed change, in ourselves and in our industry, to play more impactful roles in serving society. Nonetheless, a common theme in our various conversations about our future suggests a path forward: we need a bolder, more expansive vision for who we are as structural engineers and what roles we play.