ASCE 2011 Annual: Call for Presentations and Session Ideas

Dear ASCE Section and Branch Presidents,

The planning for ASCE’s 141st Annual Civil Engineering Conference to be held in Memphis, Tennessee, October 20-22, 2011 is under way. We are in the midst of the pre-planning stages for the educational sessions and we need your assistance. Working with the conference theme, "Sustainable Infrastructure – Civil Engineering Solutions", the Conference Program Committee, chaired by Erin Fletcher, P.E., is soliciting proposals for conference educational program.

The presentations/sessions are 90-minutes and may either be lecture, panel or group discussion style sessions to be held either on Thursday, Friday or Saturday. As always, we seek interesting and engaging topics and discussions based on the conference theme. The ASCE Annual Conference provides an opportunity for discussion, interaction, and education on topics that cross the breadth of civil engineering sub-disciplines. Appropriate topics can include those related to business and the responsibilities of being members of a learned profession. However, as engineers, the audience is keenly interested in presentations and sessions with technical underpinnings and clear applicability to topical subjects such as adaptation to climate change, improving resiliency within built works, etc. Consequently, the Conference Program Committee seeks to develop a “well rounded” program of sessions that educate and reinforce topics relevant to being a learned professional along with technical discussions that appeal to the science and engineering perspectives of the participants. The annual conference does not attempt to compete with technical specialty conferences, but there are a range of topics that introduce new scientific approaches, intersections between technology or science with policy, or technical topics that span a breadth of disciplines where the Annual Conference can effectively contribute to the education and productivity of the ASCE membership and the civil engineering profession.

Talking head presentations followed by Q&A can be informative and engaging, but only if we choose the right speakers. In addition to the conference theme, we have assembled a list of supporting topics the conference committee feels are timely and appropriate for this event. This topic list and a brief description are included in the attached Call. I ask you to consider these topics as you query your colleagues when you disseminate this invitation and encourage the submission of presentation proposals. The attached Call for Presentations and Session Ideas includes the Proposal Form for your convenience.

On behalf of the 2011 Annual Planning Committee, I thank you in advance your support of this initiative, and your continued support of the civil engineering profession and ASCE. Only through you can ASCE achieve the educational quality and member-value we strive for in our conferences.

Best wishes,

Garland Rose, P.E., F.ASCE

Chair, 2011 ASCE Annual Planning Committee

Erin Fletcher, P.E., M.ASCE

Program Chair, 2011 ASCE Annual Program Committee

Amanda S. Rushing, CMP, Aff.M.ASCE

Director, Conferences & Meeting Services

Staff Liaison, 2011 ASCE Annual Planning Committee