A message from ASCE Texas Section President Kimberly Cornett PE, CFM, F.ASCE

February is always an exciting month, love is in the air with Valentine’s Day, we celebrate the First and Fifteenth Presidents of the United States Birthdays, and the most important event is Engineer’s Week. Yes, I said WEEK, we get to nerd out with food, networking, and hosting STEM events an entire week. We also celebrate our outstanding volunteers and colleagues in the field with many awards and through fellowship at banquets. I encourage you to check out your local ASCE Branch calendar for events that you can get involved with during this week or the Texas Section website here.

Many local museums and schools host events for school age students to introduce them to Science, Technology, ENGINEERING, Art, and Math (STEAM). I began introducing my children to STEAM when they were young, and their minds were growing. That is the best time to get them interested and show them the options that they have and allow them to explore with their minds. I am satisfied to see that my children have grown up and entered college, both choosing STEAM fields. I still, to date, go to watch the minds of young children explore how things are made, how they operate, and what a civil engineer does each day to influence many aspects of civilization.

When I have the opportunity to present to a classroom, I always ask, “What do you think a civil engineer does?”. All the hands will go up, but I will always remember the one fourth grade girl that raised her hand and said, “Does it have something to do with Civilization?” I personally had not ever thought of it that way but honestly, we do. We design roads, bridges, structures, water, wastewater and storm drainage infrastructure, pipelines, parks, trails, crosswalks, and more impacting so much of our actual civilization that affects our daily lives.

Show up to volunteer for ENGINEERS WEEK 2024. Remember to be proud of your part in protecting our public health, safety, and welfare as we celebrate during this week.

Thank you for what you do!!

Kimberly Cornett PE, CFM, F.ASCE
2024 ASCE Texas Section President