Young Member Events

Young Member Events

Find Your People & Build Something Together

The Summit isn’t just sessions — it’s where young engineers and students meet mentors, make friends, and find their footing in the profession. Here’s everything happening for young members this year.

Summit 101: What First-Timers Need to Know

New to the Summit? Get ready before you arrive. Join us for a virtual preview of what to expect at the in-person Summit — from navigating the event and choosing sessions to making connections and getting the most from your time onsite. We’ll share practical tips, walk through the Summit experience, and leave plenty of time for a live Q&A so you can arrive feeling prepared, confident, and ready to dive in.

🖥 Virtual event

📅 Friday, October 9th · 1–2 PM CT

SIGNATURE YOUNG MEMBER EVENT

Wood Roof Assembly Competition

Bring your competitive drive and your design-build skills. Join up with a new friend and a trusted colleague and put your craftsmanship to the test: each team designs and constructs a wood roof system that spans across a 2-3 feet opening, using only the provided materials. It’s collaborative, hands-on, and friendly — but make no mistake, the winners claim a special prize and bragging rights for the rest of the Summit. The competition will take place during the Exhibit Hall Happy Hour.

📅 Wed, Oct 28, 2026

🕓 4:45–6:30 PM

📍 Exhibit Hall

Competition and Happy Hour Sponsored by:

To get you in the wood-frame of mind, attend this session Wednesday afternoon:
Fire-Resistance of Exposed Timber Structural Components, 1:30-2:30 P.M.

CELEBRATING OUR COMMUNITY

Celebrating Our Young Members

The Summit is where we celebrate the people shaping the future of structural engineering. We’re proud to recognize our Diversity Scholarship recipients and Young Member Summit Scholarship recipients — talented students and emerging engineers whose presence makes our profession stronger, broader, and more connected — along with our Young Member of the Group Award winners, whose groups are doing exceptional work in their communities. Thank you to Computers & Structures, Inc. for their contributions to travel stipends to help support all of the scholarship and award winners in getting to the Summit.

CURATED BY THE YOUNG MEMBER SUPPORT COMMITTEE

Top 10 Sessions, Picked by the YMSC

The Young Member Support Committee hand-picked the sessions most worth your time as an early-career engineer or student. Tap any session to see details.

ASCE 7 Seismic: Frequently Asked Questions for the Practicing Engineer

Licensed for the Future: Engineering Competency in a Changing World

October 28, 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Structural engineering is changing faster than ever, and today’s early‑career professionals are entering a period of unprecedented transformation that will define their careers more profoundly than any generation before. This panel explores how emerging technologies, evolving codes, and licensure pressures are reshaping the development of engineering development, career pathways, and public trust in the profession. Attendees will gain practical insights on navigating licensure, embracing innovation, and advocating for systems that support the next generation of engineers while protecting public safety.

Motivating Across Generations in Structural Engineering

October 29, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Senior leaders wonder why the next generation lacks drive. Early-career engineers wonder why leadership can’t see what actually motivates them. Mid-career managers are burning out trying to bridge the gap. This is the conversation you wish you could have in your office — disagreements and all. Four panelists spanning four generations share lived experiences, practical tips, and what has worked (and not worked) for motivating people across generational lines. Audience members contribute through anonymous polling and live Q&A, and leave with session data about motivation in structural engineering you won’t find in any leadership book or by asking AI.

Retention of Early-Career Professionals: Insights from the 2025 SE3 Survey

October 30, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

What does the data really say about the early years of a structural engineering career? Join the NCSEA SE3 Committee and the Young Member Support Committee (YMSC) for a data driven, interactive session exploring the experiences of early career engineers based on the 2025 SE3 Survey. This session highlights trends in workload, mentorship, career satisfaction, and retention, comparing young professional responses to the broader profession. Participants will engage in discussions focused on navigating early career challenges and building sustainable, fulfilling careers in structural engineering. There is a companion session, “Retention of Mid-Career Professionals”, exploring later career stages as well!

Sketch, Debate, Decide: A Hands‑On Structural Design Workshop

October 28, 3:15 PM – 4:45 PM

Great projects take shape long before the calculations begin. This interactive workshop hosted by the YMSC invites engineers to step into the fast‑paced, creative world of early‑stage design. Ideas are sketched, systems are debated, and critical decisions are made with limited information. Through real project scenarios, participants will explore how structural concepts are developed, refined, and communicated in collaborative settings. Working alongside peers and experienced engineers, attendees will think broadly about systems, materials, constructability, and innovation, while learning how modern tools—including AI—can support early design thinking. Open to all experience levels, this session emphasizes creativity, judgement, and collaboration. Join us!

Young Member Speed Mentoring

October 29, 3:15 PM – 4:45 PM

The Young Member Support Committee is hosting a Speed Mentoring session, providing young members with the opportunity to engage in rapid, focused conversations with seasoned professionals and leaders in structural engineering. With 10 to 15 mentors from diverse backgrounds, participants will gain valuable career insights, technical guidance, and professional development advice in an interactive and welcoming setting.

Codes in Action: What Changed, What’s Next, and Your Role in Shaping It

October 29, 3:15 PM – 4:45 PM

From Engineer to Leader: Navigating the Shift from Technical Expert to Trusted Advisor

October 29, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM

Two structural engineers who rose from intern to Principal share an honest, practice-based conversation about the moment the job quietly changes — when managing scope, leading teams, and advising clients becomes the primary work, and the calculations become something you delegate. This session covers the practical skills that define the transition: reviewing contracts, closing billing gaps, building functional staffing models, and translating complex structural requirements into language that earns client trust. If you’ve ever felt caught between the engineer you trained to be and the leader your firm needs you to become, this session is for you.

Significant Changes to the 2027 IBC – What Structural Engineers Need to Know and Why You Should Engage in Code Development

October 29, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Significant structural changes to the 2027 IBC will be discussed along with the reasoning behind the changes. Contained in chapters 14-24 and 31, changes to provisions for walls, roofs, structural design, special inspections, foundations, materials (concrete, masonry, steel, wood, and glass) along with temporary structures will be reviewed. Key changes to the IBC-referenced 2022 ASCE/SEI 7 Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE 7-22) environmental loads (rain, snow, ice, wind, tornado, earthquake, tsunami, and flood) will be introduced. Future code development and how structural engineers can engage will be explored.

Applied Technology for Structural Engineering Practice: Python-Powered Tools, Automation, and AI

October 29, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM

This presentation showcases a structural engineering firm’s applied technology program that leverages Python and AI to improve internal efficiency and develop new client-facing services. Representative tools are demonstrated across the workflow — BIM-analysis interoperability, automated steel design, MEP seismic bracing analysis, seismic risk assessment, AI-powered document generation, and vibration testing with active mass dampers — along with the team structure, deployment strategy, and lessons learned.

MORE WAYS TO CONNECT

Also for Young Members

New Here?

First-Timer’s Summit Attendee Orientation

A welcoming session to help new attendees start with confidence — get tips for navigating the Summit, learn the venue, and connect with fellow first-timers before the conference officially begins.

📅 Tue, Oct 27, 2026

🕓 4:00 – 5:00 PM

Committee

Young Member Support Committee Meeting

See how the YMSC works — and how you can get involved. All young members are welcome to sit in, share ideas, and help shape programming for the next generation of engineers.

📅 Tue, Oct 27, 2026

🕓 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Networking

Future Leaders Reception

Unwind and connect with peers and mentors in a relaxed setting. It’s one of the best rooms at the Summit to meet the people who’ll shape your career — and your friendships.

📅 Tue, Oct 27, 2026

🕓 5:00 – 6:00 PM

Find Your People & Build Something Together

Summit 101: What First-Timers Need to Know

Wood Roof Assembly Competition

Celebrating Our Young Members

Top 10 Sessions, Picked by the YMSC

Also for Young Members

First-Timer’s Summit Attendee Orientation

Young Member Support Committee Meeting

Future Leaders Reception

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