Remember that moment you first fell in love with structural engineering? That spark when you realized the impact you could have on the world? That spark becomes a powerful flame when amplified by a community of peers who share your passion for leveraging technical skills to make a difference in the built environment. That's exactly what SEI is all about, and I'm thrilled to help fan those flames as your new President.

I'm Stephanie Slocum, and I am honored to be the first woman to serve you in this role. I believe that structural engineers are uniquely positioned to lead the multi-disciplinary efforts to solve the massive challenges in our world today. These are things like climate change, equity in the built environment, building the workforce leaders of our future, and leveraging emerging technologies like AI for good. We need individuals at all stages of their careers and with all backgrounds to bring their unique perspectives to address these issues. Will you join me in committing to leveraging your skills to serve the greater mission?

My vision for SEI is that it is the premier hub for structures and built environment collaboration, innovation, and learning. We are uniquely able to unite diverse perspectives to address the critical challenges of our built environment to create a more sustainable, resilient, equitable, and, above all, safe future.

This isn't just a lofty vision – it's something we're already doing. Today's big challenges are solved at the intersection of perspectives and disciplines. It takes bringing our industry together and spearheading research and development efforts - something that SEI, as an Institute of ASCE, is uniquely positioned to do.

A snapshot of these efforts includes our four focus initiatives: Education and Leadership, Young Professionals, Performance Based Design, and SE 2050. Are you interested in getting involved directly? Your brainpower and perspective can make a difference, whether you're a seasoned expert or new to the field. Your perspective brings valuable insights to our work, and you can contribute to these and other SEI activities regardless of where you are in your career journey. Learn more and apply to join our committees on our committees page.

Want to learn and connect with peers in person? Structures Congress 2025 and ETS Conference 2025 registration is open now. I hope to see you there! 

We are standing on the shoulders of the giants of our profession. I want to express my heartfelt thanks to Jerry Hajjar, our outgoing President, whose leadership in sustainability, resilence, and equity has set the stage for future growth.  

I also want to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of our Technical Community (TC) and Professional Community (PC) Excoms over the past year, as we began implementing the SEI Reorganization. Thank you especially to the Nicole Baer, the outgoing PC Excom Chair, and Greg Soules, the TC Excom chair, for your leadership in this time of transition. I also want to welcome Trevor Walker, the incoming PC Excom Chair, and highlight all of our community Excom members efforts for their tireless efforts, including Anil Agrawal, Maria Garlock, Emily Guglielmo, Sreenivas Alampalli, Cherylyn Henry, Douglas Rammer, Ken Sharpless, Elaina Sutley Mark Webster, Andrea Reynolds, Julian Lineham, Arman Tatar, David Aucoin, and John Cleary. Thank you all for your dedication and the difference you are making to the profession through your work with SEI.   

We are also welcoming new members to the board as a result of our historic 2025 SEI Board elections, which included the first-ever open call competitive election for an SEI At-large Board member and the President-Elect position. Thank you to all who made their voices heard through your vote! Welcome to incoming board member Robin Kemper as the new SEI At-large Governor and President-Elect Ed Huston. I am excited to work together with you for the betterment of SEI and our profession.

As my Presidential term kicks off, know that I am here to serve you. I'm here to listen, guide, and amplify your impact so that together, we can make a bigger difference in the world than any of us could make alone. If you have ideas, concerns, or simply want to talk with your FY 24-25 President, my virtual door is open to connect with you.

Together, we're going to build a future that's structurally sound, sustainable, inclusive, and inspired. It’s time to spark a broader recognition of our vital role in solving global challenges. 

To sparking progress, one structure at a time,

Stephanie Slocum, PE
President, Structural Engineering Institute