​“Divide and conquer” is the new motto of the SE3 Committee as we launch into our work for 2017. The committee has been divided into five task groups to further the mission of the committee, which is to study and promote engagement and equity in structural engineering.
 
 At our March meeting, task group leaders were announced, and each leader discussed his or her goals and ideas for the group. Here is a brief synopsis of the task groups and their new leaders.
 
Pay Report
Angie Sommer from ZFA Structural Engineers is leading the group that is developing a specialized report on pay. This report will focus on compensation reported by the 2016 survey respondents from around the nation to provide information based on region, gender, and more.
 
Follow-up Interviews
Nick Sherrow-Groves from Arup is leading the group that is conducting one-on-one interviews with respondents from the 2016 survey to receive qualitative data regarding experiences in the structural engineering profession. This work is also expected to help inform the committee’s upcoming 2018 survey.
 
Best Practices Resource Guide
Rupa Garai from SOM is leading the group that is working on an updated and expanded resource guide for firms to reference that discusses ways to successfully implement the best practices from the 2016 SE3 study.
 
Outreach
Zahraa Saiyed from Mar Structural Design is leading the group that is focused on engaging the national community regarding SE3’s mission by forming partnerships with similar organizations and identifying opportunities for SE3 members to present the committee’s findings and spread the message about engagement and equity.
 
Mentorship Program
Neelima Tapata from Simpson Strong Tie and Faith Silva from Thornton Tomasetti are co-leading the group that is developing a mentorship program for SE3 and SEAONC members to give more access to this career-boosting practice.