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Welcome to the ASCE Houston Branch Newsletter of upcoming events, articles, jobs and more from our membership.  

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President's Message

President’s Message – January 2026

Dear ASCE Houston Branch Members,

As we begin a new year, I hope everyone enjoyed a joyful holiday season and had the opportunity to spend meaningful time with family and loved ones. December was an especially memorable month for me personally, as just before our Branch meeting on December 15th I welcomed my daughter into the world. It has truly been a whirlwind of a month filled with both challenges and rewards, and I am incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support and kind messages from so many of you who checked in on my family during this special time.

While I stepped away briefly, our President-Elect, Aaron Orozco, graciously stepped in to lead our annual Holiday Party meeting at Karbach Brewery. The event was a great success, and we were pleased to hear from Cassie Hoeprich with Downtown Houston+, who highlighted the exciting progress being made on the Main Street Promenade project. We are all looking forward to seeing the finished product and are actively working to plan a technical tour in the near future.

I am also proud to share that in early December we were notified that the ASCE Houston Branch has been selected to receive both the 2025 Outstanding Branch Award and the 2025 Website Award. These recognitions are a tremendous achievement and would not have been possible without the dedication, passion, and hard work of our volunteers who continually invest their time and talents into strengthening our organization.

Looking ahead to the rest of January, we are excited to welcome Milton Rahman, Executive Director of Harris County Engineering, as our keynote speaker at next week’s Branch meeting. As a reminder, this meeting—and all monthly Branch meetings through August—will be held during the lunch hour. I look forward to seeing many of you there and to an exciting year ahead for ASCE Houston.

Sincerely,

Anna Chamberlain, PE, CFM, ENV SP

President

[email protected]

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Calendar of Events

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Articles

ASCE January Houston Branch In-person & Virtual Meeting

📅 Tuesday, January 20, 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. 

AGENDA

• 11:00 AM - Technical Session
• 12:00 PM - Lunch / Keynote Address

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Dr. Milton Rahman, PE, PMP, CFM, ENV SP, Executive Director for the Harris County Office of the County Engineer
Topic: Harris County’s ongoing and upcoming infrastructure initiatives and capital projects

TECHNICAL SESSION: CROSS-USA LECTURE

Dr. J Carlos Santamarina, PHD, Professor and Clough Chair at Georgia Tech
Topic: The Assessment of Geotechnical Properties: Concepts and Trends in the Information Age

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.

Upcoming Technical Session - January 2026

Register Now

ASCE Houston December Virtual Technical Presentation Recap

The ASCE Houston Branch hosted a virtual technical presentation titled “Real-Time Numerical Modeling for Hurricane Storm Surge Decision Support in Texas.” Dr. Jason Fleming presented an overview of the ADCIRC Surge Guidance System (ASGS), which automates real-time storm surge modeling using the ADCIRC finite-element shallow water model on high-performance computing systems.

The presentation highlighted how ADCIRC, ASGS, and the Coastal Emergency Risks Assessment (CERA) platform work together to provide continuously updated storm surge guidance before, during, and after hurricane events impacting Texas. Attendees gained valuable insight into how real-time numerical modeling and visualization tools support emergency management and operational decision-making using the best available data.

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Get to Know Your Board Member

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Member Spotlight

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Membership Report

January 2026 Membership Report

Currently, adjusted assignments to the Houston Branch include 3,537 members. 79% of all renewals elected to pay their Texas Section Dues. Thank you for your ASCE participation!

Who do I contact with Membership questions?

 Houston Branch - President Elect:  Aaron Orozco

Email: [email protected]

National Membership Contact - [email protected] or call 800-548-2723

Membership Information - http://www.asce.org/membership/

Online Application - https://join.asce.org/default.aspx

Renew Your Membership - http://www.asce.org/renewal

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Treasurer's Report

January 2026 Treasurer's Report

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