About ASCE Houston
Welcome to the ASCE Houston Website. Established in 1943, the Houston Branch is one of the largest ASCE Branches in the United States serving more than 3,500 members across 13 local counties. Read our President's Message.
ASCE Houston Newsletter- June 2026
President's Message
President’s Message – June 2026
Dear Houston Branch Members,
May was an exciting month with us officially kicking off our local ASCE Houston Construction Institute! I really enjoyed getting to hear from each of our panelists during the May Branch Meeting about common challenges and disconnects between design and construction, and it gave me a greater appreciation for the work it takes to bring engineering designs to life!
The day after the branch meeting my husband, daughter, and I embarked on a big camping roadtrip with an ambitious goal to take my daughter to 6 national parks before she turns 6 months (along with several state parks along the way). At the time of writing this, we’ve already visited 4 - Mesa Verde, Canyonlands, Arches, and Capitol Reef. By the time you’re reading this, we will have hopefully completed the remaining two parks on our list - Bryce Canyon and Zion.
Visiting Mesa Verde after listening to the construction panel discussion gave me a whole different perspective on how impressive it was for the Ancestral Puebloan people to undertake such massive cliff dwelling construction projects without a wheel and with only stone tools…truly mind-blowing how much work was put into building these structures 800+ years ago.
As we’ve continued to travel across the Utah desert we’ve seen impressive canyons and rock features, all of which are outstanding examples of the power of wind, water, and time. Water out here is a double edged sword, it’s such a precious resource and rain rarely comes, but when it does it can be so destructive with flash floods frequently washing out roads and other infrastructure. Visiting places like this is an important reminder that nothing we’ll ever build will last forever, but designing with resiliency in mind can help set future generations up for success.
I’m looking forward to completing this big trip just in time to join you all back for our June Branch Meeting, which is our annual Younger-Member led meeting! Please invite your summer interns to join us! This meeting will feature a keynote presentation from Dr. Ifeanyi Okpala, PhD, PMP, ExxonMobil Beaumont Area Construction Manager, along with a technical session presented by the ASCE Houston COPRI chapter.
Sincerely,
Anna Chamberlain, PE, CFM, ENV SP
President
Calendar of Events
TexASCE YM Technical Tour Series: AmeriTex Pipe & Products
June 03, 2026
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
AmeriTex Pipe & Products (Conroe, TX)
8489 Waukegan Road
Conroe, TX 77306
SEI Technical Session: TxDOT Houston District Bridge Updates & Structural Stability Considerations in Bridge Construction
June 04, 2026
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
TxDOT Houston District
7600 Washington Ave
Houston, TX 77007
ASCE TD&I Site Tour & Happy Hour
June 04, 2026
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Flying Saucer
705 Main St
Houston, TX 77002
EWRI Volunteer with Houston Food Bank
June 06, 2026
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Houston Food Bank
535 Portwall St, Houston, TX 77029
Houston, TX 77029
ASCE June Virtual Technical Session
June 10, 2026
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
GoToWebinar
ASCE June Houston Branch In-person & Virtual Meeting
June 16, 2026
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
The Ballroom at Tanglewood
5430 Westheimer Rd.
Houston, TX 77056
Making a Difference at Houston Food Bank – Volunteer Opportunity
June 20, 2026
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Houston Food Bank – Portwall Warehouse
535 Portwall St, Houston, TX 77029
Houston, TX 77029
International Women in Engineering Day
June 23, 2026
5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Hilton Houston Westchase
9999 Westheimer Rd
Houston, TX 77042
Younger Members Webinar: Public Speaking for Engineers
June 25, 2026
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Webinar
Articles
ASCE June Houston Branch In-person & Virtual Meeting
📅 Tuesday, June 16, 2026 | 11:00 – 1:00 PM
📍 The Ballroom at Tanglewood - 5430 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77056
💻 In-Person & Virtual Event
Online registration closes at 12pm the day before the event. Walk-ins may register onsite on the day of the event.
MEETING SPONSORED BY
AGENDA
- 11:00 AM - Technical Session
- 12:00 PM - Lunch / Keynote Address
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Dr. Ifeanyi Okpala, PhD, PMP, ExxonMobil Beaumont Area Construction Manager
Topic: “It Starts with Civil: Redefining Infrastructure for a Changing World”
TECHNICAL SESSION
Dr. Sohaib Alahmed, PhD, Anchor QEA - Coastal Engineer
Topic: Engineering Resilient Coasts: Islands, Breakwaters, and the Future of Shoreline Protection
NOTES:
1. Lunch will be a chicken dish. If you would like a vegetarian or gluten-free option, please indicate this in the registration comments. We cannot guarantee that these options will be available for walk-ins.
2. VIRTUAL MEETING REGISTRATION: A link will be sent to you the day before the event, with a reminder one hour prior to the start time.
Event Contact |
Technical Program Coordinator |
Tim Smelcer |
Youssaira Belmokadem |
[email protected] |
[email protected] |
2026-2027 ASCE Houston Branch Officer Election Now Open!
The ASCE Houston Branch Nominations Committee received officer nominations in May and has completed the nominations process. The following positions are up for election as part of this ballot.
Voting closes Monday, June 8. Click here to vote!
Note - Login to the Houston Branch website to read the biographies in the Branch Officer Elections webpage.
Proposed ASCE Houston Branch 2026-2027 Officer Slate:
Returning Board Members (the following positions are not eligible for election and are not included in the ballot):
YM Sandcastle Competition Kickoff Recap
Our Sandcastle Kickoff Meeting, hosted on May 21st, was a great success with 17 people in attendance. During the meeting, we discussed our team theme along with ideas for our shirts, hats, and poster design. We also talked about upcoming events and reflected on some of our past accomplishments. Overall, it was a fun and productive kickoff that got everyone excited and ready for the season ahead.
Summer Volunteer Opportunity
Give back to the community and beat the heat this summer by joining EWRI at Houston Food Bank!
Signup and register with Houston Food Bank:
2026 EWRI Houston Conference: How lessons from the past, drive future decisions.
Where: Hyatt Regency Houston West
13210 Katy Fwy, Houston, TX 77079
When: Thursday, November 12th
Early bird registration is open on Star Chapter (American Society of Civil Engineers, Houston Branch - Meeting/Event Information).
More details to come!
Main Street Promenade Technical Tour
ASCE Houston recently hosted a technical walking tour of the Main Street Promenade, led by Cassie Hoeprich, Downtown Houston+ Director of Planning & Economic Development.
Participants explored the seven-block transformation of Houston’s Main Street into a vibrant pedestrian-focused corridor that enhances walkability, sustainability, and community engagement. The tour highlighted innovative streetscape features including expanded tree canopy, custom shade structures, native landscaping, public art, and outdoor activation spaces that support local businesses.
The project serves as a great example of how thoughtful urban design can create more comfortable, connected, and inviting public spaces while preparing Downtown Houston for future growth and major events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
