The NCSEA Foundation is thrilled to announce the following as its Project Team for the Innovation in Structural Engineering Grant Program on Artificial Intelligence (AI):
- Project Manager: John-Michael Wong, Associate, KPFF, San Francisco (Structural Engineers Association of California)
- Aditya Kaushik, Structural Engineer, Walter P. Moore, Denver (Structural Engineers Association of Colorado)
- Dave Martin, Associate Principal, Degenkolb, Oakland (Structural Engineers Association of California)
- Andrew Sundal, Structural Engineer/Computational Design Specialist, HGA, Minneapolis (Minnesota Structural Engineers Association)
- Ayush Singhania, AI Software Developer, HOK, San Francisco (Structural Engineers Association of California)
- Emre Toprak, Asst. Vice President, WSP, Arlington, Virginia (Structural Engineers Association of Metropolitan Washington)
- Sheng Zheng, Structural Designer, Martin/Martin, Denver (Structural Engineers Association of Colorado)
- Jesse Light, Sr. Structural Engineer, Starling Madison Lofquist, Inc., Phoenix (Structural Engineers Association of Arizona)
The Project Team is tasked with developing an AI roadmap for the structural engineering profession that includes education, privacy, legality, and areas for individuals and firms to invest time in training and process. This roadmap will then be used as a springboard for future initiatives throughout many corners of the structural engineering profession.
“A recent survey of the structural engineering profession highlights artificial intelligence as the overwhelming topic of interest among practitioners,” said Brian Petruzzi, a member of the Grant Program’s Executive Team and a member of both the NCSEA and NCSEA Foundation Boards of Directors. “As a profession that prides itself on innovation and creativity, we find ourselves well behind in using AI to support our process and workflow. For this reason, the NCSEA Foundation found it imperative to take on this topic and provide our members with a roadmap for knowledge and future areas of expansion.”
The Project Team will join forces with both an Advisory Panel and an Executive Team.
ISE AI Grant Program Advisory Panel
- KiSeok Jeon, VP of Digital Advisory, STV, New York
- Zak Kostura, Associate Principal, Arup, New York
- Kimon Onuma, Founder & President, Onuma, Inc., Pasadena
- Robert Otani, Senior Principal & Chief Technology Officer, Thornton Tomasetti, New York
- KP Reddy, Founder & CEO, Shadow Ventures, Atlanta
- Farahnaz Soleimani, Assistant Professor, Oregon State University, Corvallis
- National Institute of Building Sciences, Washington D.C.
ISE AI Grant Program Executive Team
- Chris Cerino, Vice President & Technical Director of Structural Engineering, Urbanism & Planning, STV, New York, NCSEA Foundation BOD Director, NCSEA BOD Vice President
- Emily Guglielmo, Principal, Martin/Martin, Bay Area, NCSEA Foundation BOD President
- Brian Petruzzi, Head of Global Security Design & Engineering, Meta, Washington D.C., NCSEA Foundation BOD Director, NCSEA BOD Treasurer
- Al Spada, NCSEA and NCSEA Foundation Executive Director, Chicago
As the topic of AI’s impact on structural engineering is vast and rapidly evolving, this initiative aims to identify and support groundbreaking advancements in the field of AI through the following objectives:
- Deliver Education: Provide structural engineers with information on the latest developments in AI as it relates to the profession and outline future areas of study in future areas surrounding this topic.
- Foster Innovation: Encourage structural engineers to explore, develop, and implement innovative AI solutions that enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and longevity of structural engineering practices.
- Promote Collaboration: Foster collaboration between structural engineers, AI experts, and other industry partners by encouraging the exchange of ideas and expertise to drive progress in the field.
- Address Industry Challenges: Address key challenges faced by the structural engineering industry through the application of AI technologies, including ethical and legal areas.
Marking the beginning of a new era in structural engineering, the team will convene for a workshop in San Francisco this February. Additionally, results of the project will be shared publicly during the 2024 NCSEA Structural Engineering Summit in Las Vegas.
“The ISE Grant Program was born from the vision to propel our profession into the future, emphasizing transformative change and confronting challenges head-on,” said Emily Guglielmo, a member of the Grant Program’s Executive Team and NCSEA Foundation President. “By prioritizing AI, our grant program spearheads a seismic shift in structural engineering—fostering unprecedented collaboration, embracing technological change, and cultivating a community willing to push the boundaries of what’s possible.”
The NCSEA Foundation was established in 2020 to advance the science and practice of structural engineering by supporting NCSEA, the state SEAs, and practicing structural engineers.