Origins of the Profession: The Role of History and Design in the Education of Structural Engineers

The reform of structural engineering education is one of the seven key initiatives put forth in the 2015 Structural Engineering Institute Vision for the Future. The need to expand on this initiative, educating our future structural engineers with a broader perspective of the profession is more relevant than ever, if structural engineers are ever to see their role as more than consultants. As a profession if we are better prepared to be collaborators, then we can be part of the project vision, including how decisions as a design structural engineer are visible in the form of the building structure and the intimate scale of the details. The history of structural engineering and design with an emphasis on the role structural engineer plays in the design of the built environment are essential elements of an educational expansion that best prepares structural engineers to be in the forefront of a collaborative profession.