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- May 2026 
Welcome
Welcome to the ASCE Houston Branch Newsletter of upcoming events, articles, jobs and more from our membership.
President's Message
President’s Message – May 2026
Dear ASCE Houston Branch Members,
This month has been especially active for our Younger Member and Education Committees. Our biannual volleyball fundraising tournament kicked off the month with great success—22 teams participated, helping us raise over $3,600 for our scholarship program. During our April Branch Meeting, the Houston Branch and our Institutes awarded scholarships to 19 local high school and university students! As we approach finals season, I’d like to wish all of our local students the best of luck in finishing their semesters strong.
Our 6th Annual Shadow an Engineer Day was also a tremendous success, thanks to our Primary & Secondary Education Chairs and our host companies. This year, we welcomed more than 200 students—more than double last year’s participation.
These achievements would not be possible without the support of our dedicated volunteers and generous company sponsors. Their continued investment of time and resources directly impacts our ability to inspire and support the next generation of engineers.
Although we were disappointed that Commissioner Briones was unable to attend our April Branch meeting due to an H-GAC executive session, we appreciate her continued advocacy for infrastructure in our region. We also thank Dr. Rey Guerra for stepping in and providing an insightful overview of the impactful projects underway in Harris County Precinct 4 and highlighting the importance of cross-agency collaboration in delivering meaningful improvements to our community.
Looking ahead, I hope many of you will join us for our upcoming Younger Member and Student Social on May 12 at Cidercade. This free event will be a great opportunity for students and young professionals to connect and build relationships within our engineering community.
This month also marked an exciting milestone with the official founding of the Construction Institute Houston Chapter. To celebrate, the new chapter will host a construction-focused panel at our May Branch Meeting titled “Beyond the Blueprint: Bridging the Gap Between Design Intent and Field Reality.” The panel will feature Houston Engineer of the Year Brian Manning (CEO of MC² Civil), Andrew Holick (Director of Construction, TxDOT Houston District), and Leilani Theilen (Deputy Director of Capital Projects & Infrastructure, HCTRA), and will be moderated by our Construction Institute Chair, Moe Elahmad.
We are excited to launch this new Institute and look forward to the valuable insights this discussion will bring on turning engineering designs into real-world solutions.
Thank you for your continued engagement and support of the ASCE Houston Branch. I look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming events.
Sincerely,
Anna Chamberlain, PE, CFM, ENV SP
President
Calendar of Events
EWRI Ripple Effect: April Showers bring May Flowers
May 07, 2026
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
LJA Engineering - Houston Training Room
3600 W Sam Houston Pkwy S
Houston, TX 77042
Student & YM Social Event @ Cidercade
May 12, 2026
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Cidercade Houston
2320 Canal St suite 100
Houston, TX 77003
ASCE EWRI Houston Pickleball Social
May 13, 2026
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
PKL Social
1112 Shepherd Drive
Houston, TX 77007
ASCE May Houston Branch In-person & Virtual Meeting
May 19, 2026
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
The Ballroom at Tanglewood
5430 Westheimer Rd.
Houston, TX 77056
YM Sandcastle Competition Kickoff
May 21, 2026
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Karbach Brewing
2032 Karbach St
Houston, TX 77092
YM Volunteering: FIFA World Cup Houston Community Clean Up Day
May 30, 2026
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
East Downtown (EaDo) - exact address TBD
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
Articles
ASCE May Houston Branch In-person & Virtual Meeting
📅 Tuesday, May 19, 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 - 11:45 AM - Social Hour
- 11:45 AM - Lunch / Construction Institute Panel
MODERATOR
Moe Elahmad, P.E. Chairman - ASCE Construction Institute
PANEL
Leilany Thielen, P.E. Deputy Director Capitol Projects & Infrastructure - HCTRA
Brian Manning, P.E. CEO MC2 Civil, LLC
Andrew Holick, P.E. Director of Construction - TxDOT Houston District
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] |
EWRI Ripple Effect THIS WEEK – Registration ends May 6:
A Women in Water Series Event
We are excited to announce our next event in the Ripple Effect series!
Join EWRI and ASCE Houston for an evening of networking and discussion on creativity while participating in a flower arranging activity.
Register here: https://ascehouston.starchapter.com/meetinginfo.php?id=1096&ts=1776277454
Student Social - May 12th
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:
ASCE Scholarships
ASCE Houston Branch awarded 9 scholarships to high school seniors and 4 scholarships to local University students, totaling $17,000 worth of higher education funds. Additionally two institutes provided an additional $7,000 worth of scholarships with SEI providing 2 scholarships and EWRI providing 4 scholarships. These scholarships were presented at the April Branch Meeting.
The Geo Institute has extended their scholarship deadline to May 22, 2026. If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact Prince Kumar at [email protected]
We are also happy to announce the first-ever ASCE INWED Scholarship, more information about applications to come.
YMI Volleyball and Pickleball Social Recap
The YMI Volleyball and Pickleball Social was a great success, drawing over 100 participants for an evening of friendly competition, networking, and fun. With beautiful weather setting the tone, attendees enjoyed exciting games on the courts alongside great food and a lively atmosphere.
The event provided a fantastic opportunity for members to reconnect, meet new faces, and network with professionals from other organizations. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this event such a memorable and energetic gathering.
ASCE YM Volleyball Fundraiser Recap
On behalf of ASCE Houston, we want to extend our sincere gratitude to all of you for participating in and supporting this year’s Volleyball Fundraiser in support of our Student Scholarships. Your involvement directly contributes to helping students pursue their education and future careers in civil engineering.
It was great seeing so many teams come together for a day of friendly competition and community. We hope you had an amazing time out on the court.
Congratulations to our tournament winners:
🥇 First Place: Dunaway (Gold Bracket Champions)
🥈 Second Place: Frayre Engineering & Consulting, PLLC (Silver Bracket Champions)
See the attached group photos, and here’s a link to additional event photos: ASCE Spring 2026 - Volleyball Fundraiser Tournament Photos.
Who will take first place at the next tournament? We look forward to finding out!
Save-the-Date INWED 2026
ASCE Frontier Symposium Recap
The ASCE Frontier Symposium brought together some of the brightest civil engineering students from across Region 6, including Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, for a weekend of innovation, collaboration, and spirited competition. The event showcased not only technical excellence but also the creativity and teamwork that define the next generation of engineers.
Students competed in a wide range of events, including Steel Bridge, Concrete Canoe, Concrete Bowling, Concrete Cornhole, and Sustainable Solutions, testing their skills in structural design, materials, sustainability, and hands-on problem solving. Each competition highlighted the ingenuity, teamwork, and dedication of participating teams.
We are especially proud to recognize several outstanding achievements from our local student chapters:
Texas Southern University (TSU) earned 1st Place in the Concrete Cornhole Competition, demonstrating excellence across multiple disciplines.
University of Texas at Tyler – Houston Engineering Center (UT Tyler HEC) achieved:
· 2nd Place in Steel Bridge – Stiffness
· 3rd Place in Steel Bridge – Efficiency
· 5th Place in Sustainable Solutions
Rice University secured 2nd Place Overall in the Sustainable Solutions Competition and received the fan favorite “Coolest Cooling System” award, reflecting a strong commitment to innovative and engaging design.
These accomplishments highlight the strength and talent within our Houston-area student chapters, and we commend all participants for their hard work and dedication.
Pictured: University of Houston ASCE Student Chapter at the Steel Bridge Competition
We would also like to extend a sincere thank you to our local ASCE members who volunteered their time to organize, run, and judge the symposium. Your support plays a vital role in making events like the Frontier Symposium possible and impactful for our students.
Congratulations again to all competitors, and we look forward to seeing continued success from our Region 6 students in the future. We will see you in Tyler, Texas in 2027!
ASCE Houston Hosts Largest-Ever Shadow an Engineer Day in Its 6th Year
ASCE Houston is excited to share a huge milestone for our 6th Annual Shadow an Engineer Day. This year’s event brought 210 students from 17 schools face-to-face with professionals from 24 companies, giving them an immersive experience into the civil engineering industry. Students shadowed professional engineers, explored real-world projects, and gained insight into how civil engineers impact their communities. Through hands-on activities, presentations, site visits, and a mentorship lunch Q&A, host companies created a warm and welcoming space for students to ask questions, learn about day-to-day responsibilities, and explore future career paths.
Breaking records
Last year, we connected 89 high school students from 6 different school districts with 14 engineering firms and agencies across the Greater Houston Area. This year, with more than double the amount of student participation, we expanded from a one-day program into a multi-day experience to accommodate increased interest from schools and companies.
A huge thank you to our host companies and volunteers who made this possible:
Engineering Firms:
AECOM · BGE, Inc. · Consor · DIG Engineers · Dunaway · EHRA · GFT, Inc. · HDR · HNTB · HR Green · LJA · LTRA · Michael Baker International · Odyssey · Rinker · Terracon · Tetra Tech · WGA · Woolpert · WSB
Public Agencies:
City of Pearland · City of Sugar Land · Harris County Precinct 2
What our company volunteers had to say:
“The opportunity for students to ask questions or our younger staff was very beneficial.”
“The students really enjoyed the experience, and getting to learn about civil engineering as well as the other services offered by BGE.”
“Students asked great questions and appreciated hearing about our staff's experiences.”
“We were delighted to host the students. It was a great experience for us…”
“The students were very polite and interested, asking intelligent questions”
A special thank you to the participating school districts:
Deer Park ISD · Harmony Schools · Houston ISD · Katy ISD · Pasadena ISD · Pearland ISD · Spring Branch ISD
Students and teachers shared their takeaways from this impactful event:
“I enjoyed how we got our own little projects to work on after learning about each department, and how passionate each presenter was in their engineering work. Safe to say I, and the other students, had a lot of fun, and learned a great deal, exploring these branches of civil engineering.” - Student
“My favorite part was just talking to the engineers and learning about their experiences one on one.” - Student
“All around a wonderful experience for my students and would love to go back next year.” - Teacher
“It was a very unique experience to see what an engineering job would look like day to day, which I had never experienced before. I also got good insight into what the company culture was, and I even had the opportunity to sit on a team meeting.” - Student
“The tour of the office and being able to meet the different departments was my students favorite part.” - Teacher
“I got various tips and guidance for my career path which I appreciate a lot!” - Student
Looking Ahead
We are very excited to build on this momentum and aim to expand the event to better represent students’ interests. We want to partner with other engineering organizations and invite companies from various engineering and manufacturing disciplines. We can’t wait to make the 7th Shadow an Engineer Day even bigger and better!
Institutes
Construction Institute
Establishment
Environmental & Water Resources Institute
Ripple Effect
Pickleball Social
Scholarships Awarded
Total Awarded: $6,000
Dyllan Lozano Lomeli, Christopher Bezemek, Liana Awe, Nancy Martinez
Geo-Institute
Scholarship Application
The G-I Houston Chapter has funded scholarships in the amount of $1000. The 2026 G-I Scholarship Application is now open and will be receiving submissions until 5 PM on May 22, 2026 - further details about eligibility and requirements are provided in the application. Two scholarships will be awarded based on overall merit demonstrated in the application.
Geo-Institute Houston Chapter in GEOSTRATA
The Cross-USA Lecture the Houston Chapter hosted was featured in GEOSTRATA magazine, a national geo-institute magazine published every 3 months.
Structural Engineering Institute
Scholarships Awarded
Total Awarded: $1,000
Aroob Albeesheh, Shekhynah Curtis
Membership Report
May 2026 Membership Report
Currently, adjusted assignments to the Houston Branch include 3,325 members. 95% of all renewals elected to pay their Texas Section Dues. Thank you for your ASCE participation!
|
2025 ASCE Houston Branch Membership Report |
||||
|
Report Date |
Total Assigned Membership |
Total Section Dues Paid |
||
|
Jan |
01/10/2026 |
3,537 |
2,2802 |
79% |
|
Feb |
01/29/2026 |
3,602 |
3,006 |
83% |
|
Mar |
02/25/2026 |
3,675 |
3,223 |
88% |
|
Apr |
03/30/2026 |
3,713 |
3,314 |
89% |
|
May |
04/28/2026 |
3,325 |
3,169 |
95% |
Who do I contact with Membership questions?
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
