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Young Engineers Committee (YEC)


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Welcome to the Young Engineers Committee (YEC) page!  

The Young Engineers Committee's purpose is to provide a forum where young practicing engineers can come to promote the structural engineering field,

as well as learn from both young and experienced members of SEAOI.  

In order to accomplish its mission, the YEC endeavors:

1. To educate the public about the structural engineering field through volunteering and philanthropy.
2. To facilitate networking and dialogue among its membership through planning and participation in social and professional events.
3. To provide resources and support to its membership for professional development and licensure

Check out some of our awesome members talking about the YEC Committee in the video above!

Contact us at YEC@seaoi.org!

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Recent Graduate New Member Promotion


Are you graduating or have you recently graduated with a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD with a focus on Structural Engineering?

Do you want to get more involved with Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI) after you graduate?

If so, SEAOI is offering a discounted rate of $81.50 (normally $163.00) for the first two years of Associate-level membership.

You must participate in at least 3 SEAOI events during your first year of membership in order to be eligible for the discount again in your second year.  

If you are interested in taking advantage of this great offer, please fill out this form and we’ll contact you with more information! 


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Outstanding Young Engineer Award

The Outstanding Young Engineer Award is presented to a structural engineer, 35 years old or younger, in recognition of their achievements in structural engineering.

The candidate must exhibit both technical and interpersonal qualities that all young engineers should strive to achieve, and must have gone above and beyond the typical expectations placed on a young engineer. 





Congratulations to Alex Sierienko, and Ann Synchterz, winners of the 2024 Outstanding Young Engineer Award!

Find the complete list of past winners here.


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YEC EVENTS


Professional Events

At the beginning of the calendar year, we host the annual Young Engineers Symposium, which gives young engineers the chance to share projects or technical experience with their peers in an informal setting.

We also hold panel discussions on topics of interest to young engineers. Past discussions have included preparation for the SE exam and how City Commissioners utilize structural engineers in their respective departments. 

Other events we have hosted include Speed Mentoring and the Young Professionals Workshop.

Happy Hours

Every few months we hold happy hour events downtown after work or other SEAOI events.

Sometimes the happy hours coincide with a food drive for the Greater Chicago Food Depository or a toy drive for Metropolitan Family Services. 

Attendees who provide a donation to these drives are also treated to a free beverage on behalf of the YEC. 

These happy hours are a great opportunity to network and meet other young engineers. 


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Post-Exam Celebrations Social Hour Celebrations

After the licensing exams in the fall and spring, we host a post-exam celebration to unwind from the stress of test-taking.

In past years, we have organized brewery tours, gone bowling, played ping-pong, darts,

and Whirlyball, and attended an improv comedy show. 

This is a great way to blow off steam and celebrate with those who have taken the exams.

Site Visits

Each spring and fall, we set up local site visits, with tours hosted by local engineering firms, general contractors, and/or material fabricators. Past tours include the Old Chicago Post Office Renovations,

Repositioning of the Sear/Willis Tower podium structure, a tour of IDOT’s Circle Interchange Project, and a tour of the Atlas Tube facility - a local HSS manufacturer.


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Volunteer Opportunities


YEC provides volunteers for many local structural engineering events,

including Future City, E-Week, Rebuilding Together, and more!

Please see our Outreach Events page for more information.

Sporting Events


Each year, ticket prices permitting, we try to attend one White Sox, Cubs, Blackhawks, or Bulls games.

We get a block of tickets and all enjoy the game together.

Often, we’ll ask attendees to contribute to the cost of the tickets.

YEC Co-chair

Greg Charman

PositionPARADIGM Structural Engineers - Senior Project Engineer,

Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,

B.S. Civil Engineering, M.S. Structural Engineering

Licensure: S.E., P.E.

Societies: SEAOI, AISC, ASCE

YEC Co-chair

Zachary Haney

Position: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) - Intermediate Designer

Education: B.S. in Architectural Engineering,

M.E. in Structural Engineering

Licensure: E.I.T., Illinois

Societies: ASCE, SEAOI

EDI Liaison

Russell Robinson

PositionStructural Associate

EducationB.S. Civil Engineering,

M.E. Structural Engineering (both from IIT)

Licensure: PE

Societies: SEAOI EDI, SEAOI YEC


Young Engineers Committee (YEC)

Each member of the YEC oversees a specific area of activity. Read the full Roles & Responsibilities here

Professional Events Chair

Daksh Patel

Position: Thornton Tomasetti - Senior Engineer

Education: B.S. in Civil Engineering, M.E. Structural Engineer

Licensure: E.I.T.

Societies: SEAOI, AISC, Structures in Fire

Outreach Chair

Eric Fleet

Position: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) - Project Consultant

Education: B.S. in Architectural Engineering,

M.S. in Civil Engineering

Licensure: PE. SE (IL)

Societies: SEAOI, ASCE

Membership Chair


Andrew Conwell

Position: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates - Associate

Education: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,

B.S. in Civil Engineering, M.S in Structural Engineering

Licensure: E.I.T
Societies: SEAOI, AISC

New Grad Coordinator

Viktoriya Vladimirova

Position: Meyer Borgman Johnson - Structural EIT

Education: B.S. in Civil Engineering,

M.S. in Structural Engineering

Licensure: E.I.T.

Communications Coordinator

Marie Bond

Position: Magnusson Klemencic Associates - Design Engineer

Education: University of Notre Dame, B.S. in Civil Engineering,

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,

M.S. in Structural Engineering

Licensure: E.I.T.

Societies: SEAOI (WiSE, YEC), ASCE

Engineers without Borders

Digital Media Coordinator

Alex Brown

Position: Vulcraft - Product Champion

Education: Illinois Institute of Technology, B.S. Civil Engineering;

Aurora University, Master of Business Administration

Licensure: PE, Indiana

Societies: SEAOI, CSI




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