Welcome

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

Back to top

President's Message

President’s Message – February 2026

Dear ASCE Houston,

2026 is off to a great start! It was wonderful to see so many of you at our January Branch Meeting, which featured Dr. Milton Rahman, Executive Director of the Harris County Office of the County Engineer. Dr. Rahman provided valuable updates on the County’s ongoing efforts to improve and expand our local infrastructure. As the third-most populous county in the nation, meeting the needs of a rapidly growing community is no small task, and it is exciting to hear about the new opportunities and projects underway.

One of my goals this year is to increase the diversity of topics presented in our technical sessions while highlighting the outstanding work being done by our ASCE Institutes here in Houston. To support this effort, we have encouraged each Institute to host in-person technical sessions prior to our monthly Branch Meetings. Last month, the Geo-Institute (G-I) hosted Dr. J. Carlos Santamarina of Georgia Tech, who delivered an engaging presentation on how he, his students, and researchers are leveraging new technologies for geotechnical assessments. By collaborating with the Institutes on technical session programming, we aim to provide each Institute with an opportunity to showcase their work, increase awareness of their activities, and boost overall member engagement.

The Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI) will be selecting the speaker for our upcoming February technical session—stay tuned for more details!

Our next Branch Meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 17, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at The Ballroom at Tanglewood. Our keynote speaker will be Ramiro Garcia, Jr. of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, who will provide the latest updates from TCEQ. February is also the month when we recognize past presidents of the Houston Branch for their outstanding service and leadership. I hope to see you all there.

Speaking of past presidents, February is an especially meaningful time as we celebrate Houston Engineers Week at the end of the month. This year, we are proud to share that our nominee, Brian Manning, has been selected as the 2026 Houston Engineer of the Year. Brian, a past president of the ASCE Houston Branch (2003–2004), has helped shape the Houston landscape throughout his career and is widely recognized for his leadership, innovation, and commitment to advancing the civil engineering profession. We look forward to celebrating Brian at the Engineer of the Year Gala!

Sincerely,

Anna Chamberlain, PE, CFM, ENV SP

President

[email protected]

Back to top

Calendar of Events

Back to top

Articles

ASCE Februry Houston Branch In-person & Virtual Meeting

📅 Tuesday, February 17, 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

Ramiro Garcia, Jr. Project Manager, External Relations Division
Topic: TCEQ Updates

TECHNICAL SESSION

TBA

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.

The San Jacinto Regional Flood Planning Group wants your feedback!

The San Jacinto RFPG invites you to participate in a series of in-person public open houses February 17th through March 5th. These meetings are an important opportunity for you to share your local knowledge early in the process and help inform the development of the 2028 Regional Flood Plan.

Draft existing condition flood hazard maps will be available for review. Your feedback is essential to ensure these maps accurately reflect known local flood risks and historical flooding in your neighborhood. All interested members of the public are encouraged to attend. Together, we can help reduce flood risks and build a more resilient region!

Details on dates, times, and locations for the in-person public meetings can be found by visiting sanjacintofloodplanning.org.

ASCE Houston January Technical Presentation Recap

The ASCE Geo‑Institute (G‑I) hosted a successful technical presentation led by G‑I Chair Prince Kumar, PhD, EIT. The session featured Dr. J. Carlos Santamarina of Georgia Tech, who provided a concise and forward‑looking overview of how emerging technologies—such as pervasive sensing, advanced imaging, and intelligent data systems—are reshaping geotechnical property assessment. He emphasized the importance of balancing these innovations with the physical intuition that remains central to the discipline.

The main branch meeting also featured keynote speaker Dr. Milton Rahman, Executive Director of the Harris County Office of the County Engineer. Dr. Rahman shared meaningful updates on Harris County’s ongoing work to expand and strengthen local infrastructure.

We extend our appreciation to both speakers for their time, expertise, and contributions to a highly engaging program.

During the meeting, the branch also accepted the ASCE MOSAIC JEDI Award in recognition of its ongoing commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion within the civil engineering profession.

Back to top

Get to Know Your Board Member

Back to top

Member Spotlight

Back to top

Membership Report

February 2026 Membership Report

Currently, adjusted assignments to the Houston Branch include 3,602 members. 83% 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

Back to top

Treasurer's Report

February 2026 Treasurer's Report

Back to top