The National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) is proud to introduce the recipients of the 2026 NCSEA Special Awards, celebrating engineers who have gone above and beyond to serve the profession and NCSEA’s mission.
Each recipient will be honored this October at the 2026 NCSEA Structural Engineering Summit, taking place October 27–30 in San Francisco:
NCSEA Service Award: Chun Lau, PE, SE, FSEI, FASCE
Chun Lau has dedicated much of his career to advancing the structural engineering profession through extensive volunteer service, including 10 years on the Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors — two terms as Chair — along with leadership and examination roles with NCEES. His service to NCSEA includes the Board of Directors, Chair of the Publications Committee, Vice Chair of the Education Committee, and the Licensure Committee, and he serves as the SEAW delegate to NCSEA. A strong advocate for structural engineering licensure, he has served on the NCEES PE structural exam committee, chaired the ASCE/SEI SE licensure committee, and serves as Vice Chair of the Structural Engineering Licensure Coalition (SELC). Through decades of dedicated service, Chun has made lasting contributions to NCSEA, structural engineering licensure, and the advancement of the profession.
The Service Award is presented to an individual who has worked for the betterment of NCSEA, its member organizations, and the profession, to a degree that is beyond the norm of volunteerism. The award recognizes those who have made a clear and lasting contribution to the organization and, by extension, to the profession.
Robert Cornforth Award: Emily Guglielmo, S.E., P.E., F.SEI
Emily Guglielmo is a Principal with Martin/Martin, where she manages the firm’s San Francisco Bay Area offices. With more than two decades in structural engineering, she has been deeply committed to advancing the profession through service and leadership. She is a Past President of both the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC) and the Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC), a Fellow of both, and has served on numerous SEAOC committees. Nationally, she chairs the NCSEA Code Advisory Committee and the ASCE 7 Seismic Subcommittee, serves as Vice Chair of the ASCE 7 Main Committee, and is a voting member of the ASCE 7 Wind Load Subcommittee.
The Robert Cornforth Award is presented to an individual for exceptional dedication and exemplary service to a member organization and to the profession. The award is named in honor of Robert Cornforth, a founding member of NCSEA, treasurer on its first Board of Directors, and member of OSEA.
Susan M. Frey NCSEA Educator Award: Lori Koch, P.E.
Lori Koch has worked to educate structural engineers on wood engineering and design for over a decade. In her current role as Senior Product Engineer with MTC Solutions, she creates content that helps engineers design efficient mass timber connections, and she previously spent 11 years with the American Wood Council, most recently as Director of Educational Outreach. She has presented dozens of webinars and live sessions to structural engineers, architects, and wood building professionals across the U.S. and internationally, and has authored more than 15 technical articles and papers on timber engineering. A member of the NCSEA Education Committee and a board member of the Structural Engineers Association of Virginia (SEAVa), she is a licensed PE in Virginia.
The Susan M. Frey NCSEA Educator Award is presented to an individual who has a genuine interest in, and extraordinary talent for, effectively instructing practicing structural engineers. The award was established to honor the memory of Sue Frey, one of NCSEA’s finest educators.
James M. Delahay Memorial Award: Robert Pekelnicky
Robert (Bob) Pekelnicky is a Senior Principal and Director of Technical Advancement at Degenkolb Engineers in San Francisco, where over a 24-year career he has specialized in the seismic evaluation, retrofit, and performance-based design of existing buildings. He has devoted much of his career to codes and standards, chairing ASCE/SEI 41, Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings, for both the 2017 and 2023 editions and continuing in a leadership role on that standard. He serves as Vice Chair of the NEHRP Provisions Update Committee, sits on the ASCE 7 Main Committee and its Seismic and General Requirements subcommittees, and contributes to AISC’s Task Committee on Existing Buildings. He also helped define post-earthquake functionality objectives for NIST’s Community Resilience Planning Guide and contributed to SPUR’s Resilient City initiative.
The James M. Delahay Memorial Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions in the development of building codes and standards. Named in honor of James M. Delahay, a respected leader in structural engineering, this award celebrates those whose efforts have had a lasting impact on the advancement of building safety and performance.
Susan Ann “Susie” Jorgensen Presidential Leadership Award: Angelina V. Stasulis, P.E., S.E.
Angelina V. Stasulis is a Project Manager with PES Structural Engineers in Atlanta, GA, who discovered the value of professional community early as a founding officer of Clemson University’s student SEA chapter. Over a 15-plus-year career, she has founded SEAOG’s Young Members Group and the NCSEA Summit Run Club and has served on NCSEA’s Board of Directors and Clemson University’s Civil Engineering Advisory Board. She has sought out and sustained mentoring relationships at every career level, supporting engineers as they navigate their careers and pursue their goals. Through these roles and beyond, Angelina has focused on opening doors, building connections, and helping others contribute, grow, and lead.
The Susan Ann “Susie” Jorgensen Presidential Leadership Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership potential through their activities within NCSEA and/or their local SEA, even if they have not served in a formal leadership role. This award was created to honor the late NCSEA Board President and advocate for the profession, Susan Ann “Susie” Jorgensen, who passed away in November 2020.
NCSEA congratulates these exceptional individuals for their achievements and thanks them for their dedication to advancing the profession of structural engineering. To learn more about NCSEA Special Awards, click here.