NSPECon24 Preliminary Program

KEYNOTE SPEAKER (1 of 3)

Unlocking the Metaverse: AI, Engineering the Future of Our Industry

Paul Doherty

Chairman and CEO
The Digit Group (TDG)

Emerging tech solutions like Metaverse, AI, Blockchain and Digital Twins are providing opportunities and challenges for our profession.  Join the author of “Unlocking the Metaverse: A Strategic Guide for the Future of the Built Environment,” published by John Wiley & Sons, for an exploration of real-world solutions and projects that are challenging our industry and discover how to deliver successful solutions for you, your projects and your firm.  The Age of Cyber-Physical relationships is before us, will you meet the challenge?

 

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

Amplify Your Leadership Power Skills Track

Sponsored by:

Cultivating Talent: Mastering the Art of Coaching & Mentoring for Employee Growth

Gina Kelly, PHR, CPC

This session will take leaders on a journey to become adept practitioners of coaching and mentoring, with a specific focus on nurturing employee growth and excellence. The training is designed to equip managers, team leaders, and aspiring mentors with the essential skills, strategies, and insights needed to foster a culture of continuous development within their teams.

 

From Blueprint to Boss: Evolving as Engineers into Transformational Leaders

Sri Kumar, P.E and Mariama Boney, LMSW, CAE, CPEC

Join us to explore the path to becoming a transformational leader. This session aims to redefine the trajectory of engineers, reversing common stereotypes to elevate them beyond technical expertise to embrace dynamic leadership roles within their teams and organizations.

Learn six key steps to unleash your potential, break through barriers, and step into the realm where engineers emerge not just as technical experts but as engaging, influential leaders. We will highlight how to use the EOS™ methods and tools, team assessments on cohesive behaviors and authentic dialogue to meet the challenges and triumphs along the journey of evolving from blueprint creators to visionary bosses and/or team leads.

Build Your Thought-Partner Network

Carol L. Lucas, P.E., PMP

This session helps high-performing leaders establish relationships that enable effective collaboration within their organization and their industry.  We’ll examine how thought-partner relationships differ from traditional roles and why they are essential for individual and organizational growth, and then explore practical steps everyone can take to build and expand their own network.  The session is organized into three segments: 1) ‘Get Ready’ explores the what, how, and why of thought-partner relationships; 2) ‘Get Set’ outlines practical steps to mobilizing thought-partner relationships and the skills to engage in collaborative discussions; and 3) ‘Go” will help you set out an action plan to become a thought-partner.

The Neuroscience of Leading People

Heather Polivka, MBA

It’s hard to produce quality work and sustainable results without great people on our teams.  The biggest problem that impacts the ability to retain, develop and engage great people is poor or ineffective people leadership. When new leaders aren’t supported with high-quality or even adequate leadership training, they can’t succeed. We can learn from TikTok and other social channels that use neuroscience to engage, teach…and even distract us.

In this session, we will look at how to leverage neuroscience to absorb, retain, and recall key power skill concepts.  Most importantly, we will introduce some foundational aspects of neuroscience so that participants leave with immediate access to being more effective leaders.

Engineering Narratives: Mastering the Art of Storytelling

K. James Taylor, Jr., P.E.

This visionary session is tailored for engineers seeking to elevate their communication prowess through the transformative power of storytelling. This session promises to demystify the art of narrative construction, equipping engineers with a dynamic toolset to convey complex ideas, foster collaboration, and engage stakeholders with compelling narratives. Attendees will leave with strategies, and insights that can be immediately applied to elevate their project management, presentations, and team interactions.

Transforming Engineering Management with Collaborative AI

Aurea Rivera, P.E.

This session offers a fresh perspective on knowledge transfer and succession planning in engineering management. Engineering management professionals will leave inspired and equipped with new insights and lessons learned about the transformative potential of collaborative AI in their field, especially in the context of succession planning.

 

Stay Informed About Issues and Trends Track

Sponsored by: 

Sorting Through the Utility Data Noise for Project Success

Garrett Coffin, P.E., M.CE and Vinnie LaVallette

Explore how the significant influx of utility information encountered throughout the pursuit and pre-award stages of a design-build project can be used for engineering success. In these critical phases, the volume and complexity of utility data play a pivotal role in an effective project. We analyze the challenges faced in managing this abundance of information and propose strategies for effective integration into the project planning process. By addressing these issues, this research aims to enhance the efficiency and reliability of design-build project, ultimately reducing delays and costs.

How the New Systems Software Integrator Fits in the Engineering Team

Bart Kemper, P.E., DFE, CPEng, F.NSPE, F.ASME and Derek Gilboe, P.E., P.Eng, C.Eng, MIEI, IntPE, APEC PE

Software is embedded in most electromechanical systems and complex facilities.  Control systems that once relied upon valves, hydraulics, manual switches, and human operators have changed to software with computer-based controllers.  Add to this, artificial intelligence (AI) is forecasted to provide systems analysis, controls, and integration.  These changes are overwhelmingly beneficial, but recent events, such as the 737 MAX crashes and problems with autonomous vehicles, demonstrate the serious consequences of software failures. The challenges are greater than isolated incidents—threequarters of software projects fail.

In response to these events, a task force within NSPE proposes the creation of a certified System Software Integrator (SSI) role – a person designated to take responsibility for a system in a manner similar to other professionals with “responsible in-charge” duties. This proposal has been championed by a multi-discipline team from diverse industries. The National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) is currently overseeing the certification program. This presentation is to introduce the SSI role and how it can work within the engineering team from the engineer’s perspective on working infrastructure systems such as water treatment plants, petrochemical facilities, and traffic management systems.

Scenarios for 2033 and the Role of the Engineering Community Panel Discussion

 

Mike McMeekin, P.E., Tricia H. Hatley, P.E., F.NSPE, ENV SP, and Britt E. Smith, P.E., F.NSPE

Engineering Change Lab – USA (ECL), is a social change lab that seeks to be a catalyst for change within the engineering community and complements the work of other engineering organizations. The 2023 ECL Engineering Ideas Institute featured a deep dive into the future of engineering using scenario planning. The three narratives below capture the opening plot lines of three scenarios of the future, created and explored by participants in the Institute. Participants examined signals of change, driving forces, and critical uncertainties to develop these three plausible futures centered on the critical challenges facing society.

  • Two major hurricanes have devastated the Miami region triggering difficult local decisions on how to recover and spurring a national awakening to the escalating impacts of climate change.
  • “Abundance” has replaced “chronic shortage” as a descriptor of the engineering community’s workforce relative to its needs.
  • The last decade has witnessed an emergence of powerful state, metropolitan, and regional coalitions across the US. in reaction to continued polarization in national politics and an inability of the federal government to get things done.

This panel discussion will feature leaders of the engineering community, including two past presidents of NSPE. Panelists will offer their thoughts on the scenarios, the challenges facing society, the driving forces that will have the greatest importance to the professional engineering community, and the role of the engineering community in an uncertain future.

How AI is Poised to Change the Practice of Engineering

Matt Naveau, P.E.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has burst into the mainstream in the last year, with technologies like ChatGPT. AI has already proven quite capable of contributing meaningfully in a wide variety of applications, and the practice of engineering is no different. Like any new technology, pitfalls await those who embrace it blindly or who choose to ignore its impact. This session will discuss opportunities to incorporate AI for accelerating the design process, from documenting and managing complex system interactions to producing code and specifications. Also discussed will be the “gotchas” of incorporating AI into the engineering process and how AI should complement existing tools and processes rather than replace it. Examples in the session will draw on lessons learned in the systems and software engineering disciplines, but the session will look to expand the concepts to a broader set of engineering audiences and experiences.

A Deeper Look on DEI: Welcoming Women in a Male-Dominant

Alexandra Pearson, P.E.
 

Diversity in the field of engineering is a positive force for positive change. Unique perspectives and skills contribute to a well-rounded and innovative work environment. However, breaking free from unconscious biases and gender stereotypes remains an ongoing challenge within the profession.   This session will explore navigating the landscape of engineering, traditionally a male-dominant field, from a woman’s perspective to offer insights that highlight both challenges and opportunities. Participants will learn how mentorship and building supportive networks for women engineers can benefit everyone in an organization and lead to more innovative solutions and a stronger, more dynamic industry.

Emerging Technologies and How They are Transforming the Engineering Landscape

Ben T. Railsback, M.S., P.E., F.NSPE, Girija Subramaniam, and Ademola Adejokun, P.E.

Emerging technologies are going to have a disruptive and transformative impact on a wide range of sectors including all facets of engineering. The most important emerging technologies include AI, IoT, 3D printing, additive manufacturing, renewable energy, nanotechnology, VR/AR, advanced driver assist systems (ADAS), self-driving vehicles, and robotics. Even though these technologies are expected to bring in efficiencies and innovation, they are already raising multiple challenges in the areas of ethics, adaptation, backwards compatibility, regulations, safety/reliability/privacy, and interdisciplinary integration. This session will help introduce the challenges as well as the opportunities that lie ahead in adapting these emerging technologies. Given the cross-disciplinary nature of this issue, the topic should interest engineers involved in a wide range of industries.

Using GIS to Develop Innovative Solutions for Environmental Justice
 
Janelle Shank, ENV SP, Kelly Coleman, ENV SP, and Alex Nies, ENV SP
 

This session provides extensive information on the history of environmental justice and the past environmental justice impacts from a transportation design point of view (as well as information on the new Justice40 initiative). The panelists will introduce participants to a tool developed by the ATCS environmental team to help reduce negative impacts to economically, socially, and environmentally disadvantaged communities.

The ATCS environmental team has extensive experience analyzing environmental justice populations as part of NEPA analysis for transportation projects. During a recent NEPA analysis for a transportation project, the team found that there are no central resources of detailed environmental justice data that could be applied to specific project areas and felt there was a need to develop a geospatial tool which could assist in identifying disadvantage communities. The tool is able to efficiently identify whether a project area is disadvantaged, allowing clients the opportunity to be proactive during project development and avoid unnecessary impacts to environmental justice populations. The session will address the methodology of identifying disadvantaged areas and assessing those impacts and demonstrate how the tool can play a role in providing a sustainable and resilient future for the impacted communities.

Climate Change – Understanding the Problem and the Solutions
 
Larry L. White, P.E.
 
What can be done to address the climate change crisis? The session presentation will explore the problem of climate change and potential solutions.  Participants will be offered a review the basics of global warming and how it leads to climate change in addition to the tipping points that are of great concern by scientists.    The highlight of the session will be suggestions on how to address infrastructure design when the future rainfall, ambient temperatures, floods, etc. are uncertain.

Invest in Your Career Track

Sponsored by:

Instilling Prosocial World Values Into the Engineering Profession

Joseph Carson, P.E.

We live in a time of metacrises.  What values does the engineering profession – humanity’s largest and most global – need to adopt to improve the chances humanity will GROW UP to its previously unimagined power and influence over planet earth and its life support systems?   This session will discuss concepts and practices of Prosocial World, including core design principles, psychological flexibility, and cultural evolution.  It will cover the belief and purpose statements of Prosocial World and the essential role of the engineering profession to consciously evolve a world that works for all.

Case Studies in Engineering Failures: A Look Through the Ethical Lense

Chantell J. Cornett

Through exploration of infamous engineering failures of the past (utilizing the 2020 ASCE Code of Ethics Looking Glass), this session will explore the complex interplay between technical decisions, ethical considerations, and their consequences. From environmental disasters to compromised safety standards, we will uncover the ethical dilemmas faced by engineers and the implications of their choices. The session will highlight the importance of ethical decision-making, accountability, and responsible engineering practices. Moreover, it will emphasize the significance of adopting a proactive approach to identify and address potential ethical pitfalls before they lead to catastrophic outcomes.

Marketing Tips from a Recovering PE

J. Ray Cox, P.E.

It is time to stop chasing work and start winning work! This session is intended to help engineers improve their knowledge and skills in marketing professional services by expanding beyond traditional thinking and approaches. The session will spotlight the five (5) phases of marketing for professional services: Positioning, Brand Building, Business Development, Sales, and Delivery. We will explore key facets of each phase from the consultant’s and the owner’s perspective, including pro tips for increased success. Examples include social media tips, the importance of service in relationship building, SOQs – what to leave in and what to leave out, and why a strong go/no-go process is required.

What You Said is NOT What I Heard: Part Two

Richard B. Easley, CAPP
 

Back by popular demand (as last year’s audience requested)!  Once again, join Richard Easley, Britt Smith, Bill Atkinson, Rick Guerra, and a talented cast of NSPE peers as we embark upon this highly informative, provocative, interactive, event. Be prepared to dive into new uncomfortable situations and scenarios acted out by your peers as we explore some often-heard comments and conversations that many times mean something very different to your coworkers. As in last year’s NSPECon show, we will use humor as well as the possibility of uncomfortable/challenging situational conversations as a way to shed light on how people different from you may misunderstand your statements or just the fact that many things said are not appropriate for the workplace or anywhere else in some cases.  In Part Two, we will bring to light various scenarios that have proven challenging for employees and employers alike.  All supervisors/managers and subordinate staff have faced many of these scenarios and there are no easy solutions.  Together we’ll identify potential solutions that can make for better employees and better organizations! This interactive session is a continuing effort in learning ‘what you don’t know’ and is sponsored by the NSPE DEI Advisory Committee.

Transformative Roles and Responsibilities, and Liability Risks

David J. Hatem, P.C.

Infrastructure projects continue to be funded and proceed at a pace more accelerated than previously experienced in North America.  The complexity, construction values, utilization of diverse alternative delivery methods and challenging design and construction interactions and interfaces, and the megaproject characteristics of these projects, are all significantly expanding.

These developments pose significant opportunity and professional liability risks for consulting engineers and their professional liability insurers, presently and in the foreseeable future.  In addition to their megaproject characteristic, the approaches utilized in defining the respective roles and responsibilities of consulting engineers and contractors involved in infrastructure projects have and will continue to transform the professional practices of consulting engineers.  These approaches include design delegation, design assist, conventional design-build, various forms of collaborative design development and early contractor involvement (e.g. progressive design-build, construction manager-at-risk), project delivery partner roles, and use of artificial intelligence.

This session will explore these developments, the professional liability risk implications, the impact on the availability and capacity of project-specific professional liability insurance, and their transformative influences and impacts on professional practices of consulting engineers.

Rethinking Presentations

Danielle Hennis
 

How often have you had to endure presentations with speakers and slides that left you making a to-do list in your head? If you can’t pay attention to the presentation, you can’t retain the information. What would have made those presentations—what would make your presentations—memorable, influential, and successful?

This workshop will show you how to use structure, visuals, and stories to make memorable presentations, so that your next events do not fall into the category of your audience zoning out. You will rethink how you have been developing slides and walk away with a step-by-step plan for creating impactful presentations. With your new skills, you will use outlines and storyboards to ensure your slides are not filled with mind-numbing text. You’ll leave with the expertise to plan your next presentation and avoid the typical pitfalls.

Connecting Resilience to Ethical Practice

Alex Love and Sara Devine, P.E.

This session will discuss the importance of resilience as it pertains to engineering ethics. While the connection between these topics may not seem obvious to the casual observer, they are inexorably bound by the conditions of human existence on this planet. As engineers, we all took an oath to put “the public welfare above all other considerations.” This means we have an obligation to consider the consequences of our actions and how they impact both long and short-term outcomes for the wellbeing of humanity. As professionals we are constantly balancing cost and quality, ease and effectiveness,  long-term investment and capital expenditure; all of these factors are measured against the value we bring to the wellbeing of the public. As engineers, we have an ethical responsibility to address negative impacts of climate change and ensure that the future is a fair and functional place for humanity. This session will discuss these issues and offer practical advice for introducing clients to the concepts of resilience at a community and global level to ensure projects are not only financial assets, but community assets as well.