Summer has settled into Annapolis and the ripening tomatoes in my garden remind me that even working with nature a little bit has its rewards. Similarly, the dedicated tending to COPRI by our committee and chapter leaders and members has yielded steady growth in our overall membership and service to the profession and public. I am so grateful to the nearly 500 active volunteers currently working on our committees and chapters who make COPRI a leader in advancing the profession.
With drivers like the recent passage of the landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the restructuring of global supply chains and energy markets, and the increasingly damaging effects of storms , the need has never been greater for competent coastal, port, ocean, and navigation engineers. COPRI has recognized this need and is working hard to develop the standards, guidelines, training, networking, and leadership opportunities to support COPRI-specialized engineers from undergraduate and graduate school through every stage of their career.
I invite you to read more below about exciting new and ongoing programs from COPRI and ask you to take some action to further support COPRI during this season of growth.
COPRI Research Fund (CRF) – COPRI and the ASCE Foundation have established a new COPRI Research Fund to advance civil engineering knowledge and practice in the COPRI disciplines through timely publication of standards, guidelines, and other tools being developed by COPRI committees. The COPRI Research Fund has been a member-driven initiative by our committee leaders who understand where the gaps in research exist and are excited to help to secure funding to support people in the field and labs working to advance the state of the practice through data collection, analysis, and dissemination. Currently-identified research needs include field testing to update provisions in ASCE/COPRI 61-14 Seismic Design of Piers and Wharves Standard and new assessment techniques for the design of climate-resilient waterfront structures and communities. You can learn more about the CRF and how you can submit proposals, donate, and get involved in COPRI committees on the COPRI website.
Member Get A Member – Share the benefits of membership with your colleagues and earn rewards for the new professional ASCE members you recruit. Learn more about ASCE’s Member Get a Member program at https://info.asce.org/mgam.
Training and Networking – Consider taking or recommending one of our port engineering guided online courses. These member-developed and -taught courses have become essential training for engineers working with port and waterfront infrastructure and are among the most popular ASCE guided online courses. Now offered on-demand, the Port Operations and Maintenance course focuses on the inspection and repair procedures for in-water, topside and backlands facilities, and key port infrastructure. There are also courses on Construction of Port Facilities and Marine Container Terminal Planning. A full listing of upcoming training, conferences, and committee/chapter events are posted on the COPRI Events website.
Thank you for your support of COPRI. Please reach out to us at [email protected] with your questions or feedback.
Wishing you a happy and safe summer,
Tori Tomiczek Johnson
COPRI President