Professional and Career Topics

I recently watched a free webinar (Click HERE to watch) about ASCE's Structural Engineering Institute, where a few members were telling stories about how they got involved and how they had personally benefitted from it. It made me think about all the benefits I've gained from being involved.

Are you involved in one of ASCE's institutes (and if so, which one)?  What is the top benefit you've received and why? ​

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Stephanie Slocum P.E., M.ASCE
Founder
Engineers Rising LLC
www.engineersrising.com
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I am involved in Environmental and Water Resources Institue. Some benefits I've received so far include industry connections and leadership skills. Getting involved in a professional institute is also a great way to plan my career as a young engineer. I learned a lot from people who have more experience than me and really am grateful for all the help I've got. You never know how great people are until you reach out. There are so many other benefits but these are major ones for me.

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Jiaman Xu EIT,AM ASCE
Civil Design, Inc.,
Saint Louis MO

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Like Jiamin, I'm also involved with EWRI. I started out being involved at the national level, rather than the local level, thanks to my Ph.D. advisor and my post-doc boss. Since then, I've been actively involved with the Urban Water Resources Research Council. 

Like Jiamin, the connections have been great. The people in my institute were my mentors and many are people who I read when I was putting together my Ph.D. So my first council meeting left me awestruck as I was thinking, "I just cited you."

After 15 years of involvement, it's still the people. Now I'm moving into the gray hair group and I'm loving making contacts with the future of our profession.

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Shirley Clark P.E., D.WRE, M.ASCE
Professor
Penn State Harrisburg
Middletown PA
(717) 948-6127
Penn State HarrisburgProfessor
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I have been an active member in EWRI for some time now, participating in the local St. Louis section's EWRI branch, attending the Congress almost every year, actively participating in national committees, including serving as chair one task committee.  I greatly benefit from participating in the EWRI institute by both the relationships I have developed as well as the sense of participating in something bigger than myself to benefit society.  It helps me stay current with the practice as well as allows me to contribute to helping others stay current with the practice.  I highly encourage institute membership and participation.

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Robert Holmes, PhD, P.E.,DWRE, F.ASCE, F.EWRI
Chief, Branch of Hydrodynamics
U.S. Geological Survey
Rolla, MO
573-308-3581
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