The National Council of Structural Engineering Associations (NCSEA) is seeking speakers for the 2026 Structural Engineering Summit, scheduled for October 27 - 30, 2026 in San Francisco, California, at the Hilton Union Square.

Education sessions deliver pertinent and useful information that is specific to the practicing structural engineer, in both technical and non-technical tracks.   

Potential submission topics include (but aren’t limited to):   

• Structural materials (concrete, masonry, steel, and wood)
• Design -best practices
• New codes and standards
• Recent project case studies
• Advanced analysis techniques
• Management and business practices
• Ethics
• Diversity and inclusion
• Resilience
• Sustainability
• Technology updates (AI, new platforms, etc)

Presentations should appeal to seasoned engineers or younger engineers new to their careers (or both). The goal of Summit presentations is to provide structural engineers with tools, techniques and tips that will help them and their firms operate more efficiently and effectively. Submissions will be reviewed by the NCSEA Education Committee, and speakers will be notified if they have been accepted by early June. Speakers will be provided with required speaking guidelines after acceptance of their submission. 

NOTE: NCSEA does not pay for any meeting-related costs for accepted presenters including hotel travel or registration fees. If you are chosen to be a presenter, you are required to register and pay to attend the conference. NCSEA does provide a reduced registration fee for selected speakers.

DEADLINES NCSEA reserves the right to change and revise the following deadlines. All deadlines are in effect at 11:59 PM (central) on the day it is posted.   

Speaker Submission Deadline: April 3, 2026 

Selected/Non-Selected Notifications Sent: June 2026   

Questions about the abstract process or the Summit? Contact Amelia Moony, Education Manager, at amoony@ncsea.com. 

The National Council of Structural Engineering Associations (NCSEA) is crowd-sourcing potential topics for the 2026 Structural Engineering Summit Pre-Conference schedule, for October 27, 2026 in San Francisco, California, at the Hilton Union Square.

Pre-conference seminars deliver pertinent and useful information that is specific to the practicing structural engineer, in a 3-4 hour timeslot. 

Potential submission topics include (but aren’t limited to):   

• AI and technology
• Business Practices
• Code Updates
• Disaster Response
• Ethics
• Performance-based Design
• Seismic and/or Wind Design
• Sustainability
• and more!

Preconference topics are sought that would appeal to seasoned engineers or younger engineers new to their careers (or both). The goal is to provide structural engineers with tools, techniques and tips that will help them and their firms operate more efficiently and effectively. Submissions will be reviewed by NCSEA, and speakers will be notified if they have been accepted by early April. Speakers will be provided with required speaking guidelines after acceptance of their submission. 

NOTE: NCSEA does not pay for any meeting related costs for accepted presenters including hotel travel or registration fees. If you are chosen to be a presenter, you are not required to register and pay to attend the pre-conference. NCSEA does provide a reduced registration fee for selected speakers for the rest of the Summit.

DEADLINES NCSEA reserves the right to change and revise the following deadlines. All deadlines are in effect at 11:59 PM (central) on the day it is posted.   

Speaker Submission Deadline: March 6, 2026 

Selected/Non-Selected Notifications Sent: April 2026   

Questions about the submission process or the Summit? Contact Amelia Moony, Education Manager, at amoony@ncsea.com. 

The NCSEA Structural Engineering Continuing Education Committee is seeking presentations for the Webinar program. Ideal presentations are between 60 and 90 minutes and deliver pertinent and useful information that is specific to the practicing structural engineer, in both technical and non-technical tracks. Sessions are 60-90 minutes total, including time for Q & A. Submissions on best-design practices, new codes and standards, recent projects, advanced analysis techniques, management, business practices, and other topics that would be of interest to practicing structural engineers, are desired. Other desired topics include:

Engineering Topics

• New codes and standards
• Loads - Dead, Live, Snow, Wind, Seismic, Ice, Tornado, etc.
• Material Design - Steel, Concrete, Masonry, Wood, etc.
• Best-design practices - project management, quality control, etc.
• Recent projects
• Advanced Analysis techniques
• Case Studies
• Lessons Learned

Business Practice Topics

• Management
• Contracts
• Training
• Ethics
• Bettering Communication
• Accounting
• Client Growth

Speakers will be provided with required guidelines after acceptance of abstract. 

The NCSEA Special Awards are presented at the NCSEA Structural Engineering Summit to members who have provided outstanding service and commitment to the association and to the structural engineering profession. 

The deadline for nominations is June 26, 2026.  

NCSEA Service Award

This award is presented to an individual who has worked for the betterment of NCSEA, Member Organizations and the profession, to a degree that is beyond the norm of volunteerism. It is given to someone who has made a clear contribution to the organization and therefore to the profession.    

Nominees can be submitted by any SEA Member. NCSEA Board members are not eligible. 

Robert Cornforth Award

This award is presented to an individual for exceptional dedication and exemplary service to a Member Organization and to the profession. The award is named for Robert Cornforth, a founding member of NCSEA and treasurer on its first Board of Directors, and a member of OSEA.    

Nominations can only be submitted by SEA Leadership (any Delegate, President, Executive Director, or someone acting on behalf of the organization as a whole.) NCSEA Board members are not eligible.  

Susan M. Frey NCSEA Educator Award

The Susan M. Frey NCSEA Educator Award is presented to an individual who has a genuine interest in, and extraordinary talent for, effective instruction of practicing structural engineers. The award was established to honor the memory of Sue Frey, one of NCSEA's finest educators.    

Nominations can be submitted by any SEA Member. 

Susan A. Jorgensen Presidential Leadership Award

The Susan A. Jorgensen Presidential Leadership Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership potential through their activities within NCSEA and/or their SEA (even if they did not serve in a formal leadership role). The award is bestowed on candidates who embody Susan’s passion, vision, and legacy of leadership in at least one of the following:

• mentorship and support for younger engineers, women engineers and/or underrepresented engineers;
• demonstrated leadership skills and/or visionary leadership in a particular initiative such as SE licensure;
• active engagement at multiple levels within the profession, whether formal or informal.

This award was created to honor the late NCSEA Board President and advocate for the profession, Susan A. Jorgensen, who passed away in November 2020. Its intention is to award increased participation of emerging leaders and encourage recipients to engage (or continue to engage) in formal leadership. In addition to free registration to the NCSEA Structural Engineering Summit, the recipient of this award will be granted a $1,000 travel stipend. During the Summit, there will be a dedicated time scheduled for the recipient to meet and interact with current NCSEA leadership, ideally providing the opportunity to discuss future leadership roles within NCSEA or within the recipient’s SEA.   

Nominations can be submitted by any SEA Member. Special Award recipients will receive complimentary tickets to the Awards Celebration Judging Criteria

The NCSEA Board of Directors reviews all nominations to determine the recipient(s) each year.    

All awards are based on worthy recipients and may not be awarded each year. 

Questions about the nomination process or the Special Awards? Contact Julia Xiong, Membership Specialist, at jxiong@ncsea.com.