Sympo​sium Program
Schedule Overview:
 
​
12:30 PM - Doors Open
1:00 PM - Opening Remarks
1:10 PM - Keynote Address: The Past, Present, and Future of SE3
1:30 PM - SEAONC SE3 Research: Civil and Structural Engineering Pathways: A Closer Look at Undergraduates
2:00 PM - Breakout Sessions
     Breakout Session B1: The Structural Engineer’s Role in a Sustainable & Resilient SF Bay Area
     Breakout Session B2: Equitable and Community-Oriented Design
     Breakout Session B3: Creating & Maintaining Internal DEI Initiatives: An Open Forum
3:00 PM - Coffee Break
3:20 PM - PEER Group Workshop: Active Allyship in the Workplace
4:50 PM - Panel: Firm Leader DEI Cohorts Program Panel Discussion
5:50 PM - Closing Remarks
6:00 PM - Networking Social
7:30 PM - Close

Detailed Program
1:00 PM OPENING REMARKS / KEYNOTE ADDRESS​
Session Description:
SE3 Co-founder and Past Chair Natalie Tse will share the vision of the committee during its early inception and her perspective on how the committee’s mission has evolved over the past seven years. Past Chair Nick Sherrow-Groves will share his experience of taking the reins from the committee’s co-founders and starting the NCSEA SE3 Committee. Vice-Chair Kaat Ceder will take a fresh look ahead to what the future holds for SEAONC SE3.
Emcees:
Hayley Proctor, PE (she/her) | Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates
Curtis Siegfried, PE (he/him) | Degenkolb Engineers
SE3 Co-Chairs 
​Keynote Speakers:
Kaat Ceder, PE (she/her) | Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates
Natalie Tse, SE, LEED AP (she/her) | Tipping Structural Engineers
Nick Sherrow-Groves, SE (he/him) | Holmes

​Lead Coordinator:
Brenna Marcoux, PE (she/her) | Forell/Elsesser Engineers
1:30 PM SEAONC SE3 RESEARCH: Civil and Structural Engineering Pathways: A Closer Look at Undergraduates
Session Description:
​Vice-Chair and leader of SEAONC SE3’s racial equity research efforts, Priscilla Nguyen, will present the key takeaways from two recent SEAONC SE3 research projects. These projects examine the overall metrics and racial demographics of structural engineers in California starting at the undergraduate level, as well as the experiences and challenges faced by current undergraduates enrolled in civil and structural engineering programs across the country. Additionally, this session will highlight action items for individuals and firms to address and/or mitigate challenges faced by students and address the underrepresentation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in our profession.
Presenter:
Priscilla Nguyen, SE (she/her) | Martinez Moore Engineers
2:00 PM BREAKOUT SESSIONS
​Breakout Session B1: The Structural Engineer’s Role in a Sustainable & Resilient SF Bay Area

​Session Description:
​This panel discussion will focus on the human and community impact of sustainable and resilient design and how structural engineers can incorporate these concepts into their practices and broader conversations. The discussion will focus on social impacts with panelists from backgrounds in urban planning, architecture, and structural engineering.
Panelists:
Frances Yang, (she/her) | Arup
​Dr. Laurie Johnson, (she/her) | California Earthquake Authority, Laurie Johnson Consulting
Sarah Rege, AIA, LEED AP BD+C  (she/her) | Webcor

Lead Coordinator:
Danny Preut, (he/him) | Martin / Martin Consulting Engineers 
​Breakout Session B2: Equitable and Community-Oriented Design

​Session Description:
​This interactive, facilitated discussion is for any design professional interested in how they can orient their design practice to be more equitable and cognizant of community needs. Speakers will share their experiences working on projects that either incorporated significant community input or made major design choices in order to target more equitable outcomes.
​Speakers: 
David Mar, SE (he/him) | Mar Structural Design
​Joy Wei, SE (she/her) | Tipping Structural Engineers
Julia Weatherspoon Associate AIA, LEED AP BD+C (she/her) | Smithgroup, Adjunct Professor at University of San Francisco, 2021-2022 SFNOMA President 

Lead Coordinator: 
​Kaat Ceder, PE (she/her) | Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates
Breakout Session B3: Creating & Maintaining Internal DEI Initiatives: An Open Forum​

​Session Description:
​This session is a forum for non-C-suite level engineers who are involved in—or interested in being involved in—advancing their firms’ DEI strategies. We will hear about the experiences, successes and challenges of several engineers who have played a role in implementing, adapting, and/or maintaining their office’s or firm’s DEI programs or initiatives and then engage in group discussions to help participants define their next steps.​
Speakers:
Hayley Proctor, PE (she/her) | Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates
Jen Gross, SE, LEED AP (she/her) | Degenkolb Engineers
​​Rachel Cohen, PE (she/her) | Forell/Elsesser Engineers
Tiffany Chatmon, MBA (she/her) | Hilti North America
3:00 PM Coffee Break
3:20 PM THE PEER GROUP WORKSHOP: Active Allyship in the Workplace
​
Session Description:
With the attention given to disparate outcomes people face as  result of the COVID-19 pandemic based on race and class and in the wake of anti-Black and anti-Asian racism that has been highly visible in the past couple of years, many people admitted they had been unaware of how prevalent racism, classism, and other “-isms” have been in the US for decades, even centuries. In response, many have pursued foundational knowledge on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). Equipped with more awareness, some are asking what they can do to make things better, especially if they are not in leadership positions that can change policies and practices. Using ASCE’s Code of Ethics, this interactive workshop is designed to enhance participants' abilities to engage equitably in the profession, both in terms of interactions with peers and other stakeholders as well as in the way they practice engineering.
PEER Group Workshop Facilitator:
​Dr. Yvette E. Pearson, Ph.D, PE, F.ASCE (she/her) | The PEER Group

Lead Coordinator: 
Curtis Siegfried, PE (he/him) | Degenkolb Engineers
4:50 PM PANEL: Firm Leader DEI Cohorts Program Panel Discussion

​Session Description:
In March of 2022, sixteen SEAONC firm leaders completed an intensive, year-long pilot program of SEAONC SE3’s Firm Leader DEI Cohorts: Driving Innovation through DEI Strategies. During this panel discussion, four of these firm leaders - Eric Long (SOM), Thuy Fontelera (Element), Stefanie Rae Arizabal (ZFA), and Ann Coleman (WJE) will share lessons learned, celebrate their biggest wins, and reflect on the barriers they faced while developing DEI initiatives for their firms and the broader structural engineering community.
Panelists:
​Ann Coleman, Architect (she/they) | Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates
Eric Long, SE, LEED AP (he/him) | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill 
Stefanie Rae Arizabal, PE (she/her) | ZFA Engineers
​Thuy Fontelera, SE, LEED AP (she/her) | Element Structural Engineers

Moderator: 
Brenna Marcoux, PE (she/her) | Forell/Elsesser Engineers
5:50 PM Closing Remarks

Pradeep Jhamnani (he/him) | Hilti Inc.
Hayley Proctor, PE (she/her) | Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates
6:00 PM NETWORKING SOCIAL

Expand your structural engineering community and reflect on what you’ve learned throughout the day at our post-symposium happy hour. Food and drinks will be provided.
7:30 PM CLOSE

Registration

*Registration for the Symposium is open! Click here to register.

Sponsorship Opportunities

 If your firm is interested in sponsoring the 2022 SEAONC SE3 Symposium, or making a donation to the SEAONC DEI Endowment Fund, please reach out to the SEAONC office at office@seaonc.org
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​Feel free to contact us at se3@seaonc.org if you have any questions.