Future Forward (Powered by ACEC): ACEC Research Institute Study Reveals Economic Impact of Engineering Industry
Powered by: In an era marked by volatility—economic, institutional and cultural—the engineering industry continues to be a quiet yet common thread of our communities and an essential force of cohesion for our economy. The work of engineers is the scaffolding of civilization—the structures, systems and processes that make modern existence possible. The roads that connect our communities; the water systems that sustain life; and the structures where we live, learn and heal all are...
Engineering The Future: The Only Constant Is Change
I remember hearing “the only constant is change” when I was in college, and it caused me to think about how I could make myself ready for evolving change. I couldn’t have imagined in the 1980s just how quickly the world would change in my lifetime—and how important being able to be flexible and pivot would be in my professional life. In the 1990s, I served on a school district committee that was charged with taking the recently adopted district vision statement and create educational goals:...
From the Editor: Never Forget That ‘Every Little Bit Counts’
At the end of this turbulent year, I want to highlight some positive things. The state of my country offers little to be excited about in a positive way, in my opinion, so I will rely on some more personal experiences and reflections. Please bear with me. Although the passing of Jane Goodall isn’t particularly positive, looking back on her life and the effects she had on our planet certainly is something to celebrate. Most everyone knows about her work with primates, revealing their relations...
Future Forward (Powered by ACEC): Work Together to Build a Golden Age of Infrastructure
In May 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) established a new Advisory Board to create a strategic framework for modernizing and improving our nation’s transportation infrastructure. Two months later, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy led the inaugural meeting of this newly formed 12-member panel, composed of leaders in infrastructure, aviation, law, finance and innovation. I’m honored to have been selected to serve as one of those 12 panelists. In advance of our July meeting...
Getting Geotechnical: Lightening the Environmental Load of Aggregate Use
Globally, approximately 75 percent of aggregates are used for cement, roads and railway ballast, while about 25 percent supports drainage, void fills, pipe insulation and protection, hard surfaces, water filtration, and sewage-treatment processes. Aggregates are an important component across large swathes of infrastructure development and maintenance. However, the environmental cost of quarrying aggregates can be high and irreversible. As such, in addition to prioritizing structural resilienc...
Executive Corner: A Tale of Two ESOP Companies
Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) continue to be a popular ownership strategy for firms in the architecture, engineering and environmental consulting industry. In fact, A/E firms are over-represented among the largest ESOP-owned companies in the United States. More than 20 of the firms on the National Center for Employee Ownership’s (nceo.org) latest published list of the country’s largest ESOP companies were A/E firms. A/E firms are natural candidates for ESOP ownership for several reas...
Thoughts From Engineers: Hidden, But Not Harmless: The Unsettling Impacts of Land Subsidence on Urban Centers
The core assumptions that have shaped for decades how we plan, build, develop our cities and even live from day-to-day are losing ground. For example, most engineers and scientists would agree we’re now in an era of climate non-stationarity even though we presumed the opposite—climate stationarity—for years. Another assumption relates to the use and extraction of natural resources such as groundwater. We now know there are limits to how much we can safely withdraw to meet a variety of needs, fro...
Transportation Troubleshooting: Gaining Traction: National Tolling Interoperability Advances
This fall, motorists travelling on Puget Sound’s recently completed State Route 509 Expressway will gain another opportunity to seamlessly pay tolls using the Good to Go! Pass—Washington state’s electronic toll collection system implemented in 2008. Since its introduction, there have been a growing number of successful implementations of all-electronic toll systems across the United States. However, my home state is one of several states and regions that remains geographically limited. While...
From the Editor: Readying for the Road; Observations to Come
I’m preparing to leave for a three-week visit to the Iberian Peninsula. While it’s exciting to plan and pack, it takes a huge effort—at least it does for me. Where exactly to go? What sites to see? How long at each place? How much do I take along? I’m sure it will all work out. After all, engineers plan for everything, don’t we? It has always been my curious brain to pay attention to engineering features wherever I go. So perhaps I will be able to report on “interesting engineer stuff” when I...
Engineering The Future: Does Civil Engineering Have the Courage to Change (Redux)?
We’re being bombarded daily with AI bots and news. Everyone in the profession sees it as a blessing and a curse. I see it as similar to the revolution we saw in the 1980s and 1990s when an engineering office went from large drafting rooms to computer-aided drafting (CAD) first and then computer-aided design and drafting (CADD). Drafters wore visors and had a large fluorescent light over their large wooden or aluminum drafting table. Drawings were ink on mylar with letters that used a rapidiog...
Video: Crashes Drop Measurably After Rural Road Safety Improvement Project on US 521 in Lancaster County
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June Issue 2026
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