Annual Conference Recap and Upcoming Events
By Sam Albano, SEAU Programs Committee Chair
According to the survey results we have received back from the SEAU attendees, the 13th Annual SEAU Conference was a big success. We had a record number of attendees this year, 451 engineers and 40 vendors. Vendors make this conference available at a reasonable cost and we are grateful for all of you who visited their tables.
Some of the presentations that were well received and specifically commented on in the survey, were the AIA Journey by Andrew Sundal, the MSG Sphere presentation by Cawsie Jijina, Kevin Norton & Alex Cox, the ASCE 7-22 presentations by Emily Guglielmo, the Things I have Learned about Seismic Engineering by Brent Maxfield and the Soil-Structure Interaction at the Salt Lake Temple by Taylor Nordquist. I am highlighting these because the Programs committee intentionally worked to get high quality local and national speakers this year and it appears that this mix worked. Local engineers stepped up alongside national speakers and added to the success of the conference.
It is a bit of a logistical puzzle when we offer books/codes, and I want to thank Brant Saxey of CoreBrace and Dallin Pedersen of BHB Engineers for getting the Steel Code and Seismic Design manuals into our hands at the reduced price.
Other survey take-aways:
- by and large the 60-minute format was better received than the previous 90-minute format and moving forward we will be sensitive to giving some presenters an additional 60-minute time slot as it was noted that their material was too dense to fit comfortably in the 60-minute time slot.
- the venue was commented on as well, and although there are other venues, our conference has grown. To get large enough meeting rooms with tables at a price that we can afford, the Davis Conference Centre is the best location, although it is a bit of a drive for some attendees.
- PDH credit procedure was changed this year, and we will be looking at a simpler method again for next years’ conference, as it was noted that it was a bit clunky to have to type in the title and presenters’ names.
One of the things that makes our structural engineering association shine is that we have an Executive Director who brings consistency and creativity to the SEAU. Board members and Committee members change every few years, but Nicole Eskelson has been our anchor. We would like to publicly recognize the value that she brings to our association. She is involved in monthly Board Meetings and seminars; she picks out the food for the conference, has some magical ability to get just the right attendee gifts, all the while ensuring registration, name badges, PDH credits, room assignments, registration, and all the minutia for the conference and our monthly seminars are taken care of. Thank you, Nicole, you are amazing.
Upcoming Events to put on your Calendar:
- April 9-11, Structures Congress Conference in Phoenix, AZ. For more information go to www.structurescongress.org/program
- 22 April 2025 – there is a joint U of U Civil Engineering department program in their inaugural Distinguished Lecture Series – Ron Reaveley will be presenting “A 60 Year Perspective on Advancements in Earthquake Design in Utah” same schedule: 5:30 dinner & 6:00 presentation. Location is at the U of U in WEB L114.
- 13 May 2025 – Eric Hansen of Simpson Strong Tie will be presenting on “History, Process, and Understanding Testing Acceptance Criteria” at the Simpson training center at the warehouse at 2234 S 5900 W Ste 100 in WVC. Schedule will be 5:30 dinner & 6:00 presentation.
Sam Albano
Programs Committee, Structural Engineers Association of Utah
2024 NCSEA Summit
By Jordan Terry, SEAU NCSEA Delegate
As NCSEA Delegate for SEAU, I had the opportunity to attend the NCSEA Summit in November. At this summit, I attended the NCSEA leadership meetings, connected with SEA counterparts from other states, and attended some of the technical program. Here are a few key takeaways from this meeting:
Key Take-away #1 – We are really lucky to have Nicole as our Executive Director! Any of you that have served on the SEAU board know the critical role she plays in our organization. She makes our organization function consistently at a high level. I have served in many organizations and talked with other SEA leaders that don’t have someone like Nicole and maintaining organizational momentum is one of the biggest challenges. I promise you that herding a bunch of Professional Engineers is no small feat. Our SEAU Education Conference is consistently well organized and successful due in large part to her tireless efforts. At the NCSEA Conference, Nicole spent most of her time at the with the vendors, encouraging them to register for our Education Conference. These vendors help keep your registration costs down and provide additional incentives for attendees. Please take a moment at the conference or elsewhere to thank Nicole for making our organization more awesome!
Key Take-Away #2 – One of the main themes of the NCSEA Summit this year was Artificial Intelligence’s role in shaping the future of structural engineering and there were several presentations and keynotes on the topic. This topic tends to elicit a combination of fear and excitement, depending on the audience. For those that are fearful, I was reminded that every new technology, such as personal computers in the 1980’s, access to e-mail and the internet in the 1990’s, and BIM in the 2000’s has caused some degree of concern and anxiety about impacts to our practice and potential liability. Can you imagine practicing structural engineering without these tools today? Those that lean towards excitement regarding AI should look to industry veterans to identify potential risks with a particular AI implementation. Those who have accumulated wisdom and engineering judgement from decades of practice can help refine your ideas and avoid potential pitfalls. Having both fear and excitement regarding the future of AI in our industry will allow our industry to cautiously look for and adopt AI strategies to make us better at what we do.
Key Take-Away #3 – For 13 years, the SEAU Education Conference has elevated our profession here in Utah by providing opportunities for continuing education, providing a forum for sharing ideas and lessons learned, and increased the exposure to SEAU to those in our industry. I’ve attended many conferences around the country and participated in organizing conferences in the Northwest. Since returning home to Utah 7 years ago, I am consistently impressed by the persistent quality and increasing participation at the SEAU Education Conference. Hats off to the visionaries that began this tradition 13 years ago! We look forward to seeing you at the conference in February!
