CSD engineer Cassidy Jackson was featured in the October 2026 issue of Modern Steel Construction for her work with the AISC Emerging Professionals Cohort. Cassidy was part of the program’s first group, and she recently finished her two-year term.
The cohort gave her a closer look at how AISC works, a role in building new design resources, and a network of peers across the country. Here’s what the program is and what she took from it.
What the Cohort Is
The program started as the Emerging Professionals Panel. Dr. Christopher Raebel and Hannah Valentine of AISC developed the idea and selected early-career professionals from around the country. The group was intentionally mixed: engineers, fabricators, architects, and graduate students.
Members serve two-year terms, so the group rotates and new voices come in regularly. The purpose is to bring early-career professionals into AISC’s existing and new initiatives, and to identify resources that meet their educational and development needs.
The arrangement works in both directions. AISC learns what young professionals need to get involved and succeed. Cohort members get a direct hand in shaping the resources that come out of it.
How It Worked
Each year included one all-day meeting at AISC headquarters in Chicago and at least three virtual meetings of about two hours each. AISC hosted a dinner the night before the in-person meeting, which gave members a chance to meet in a less formal setting. For Cassidy, that first meeting was also her first trip to Chicago.
Most meetings featured at least one guest speaker from AISC or a partner organization. Topics included new AISC initiatives, design guides, research projects, and sustainability. Some sessions were more motivational, focused on building a career in the industry. Each meeting also set aside time for members to trade ideas with one another.
The two years had different emphases. The first year was largely an introduction to AISC, with the organization asking members what early-career professionals wanted from it. The second year centered on a hands-on project with AISC’s Steel Smarts Program.
Building Constructability Resources
In the 2025/2026 year, the cohort worked with Steel Smarts to create short-form design resources on constructability strategies for early-career professionals.
Members formed teams of four. The topics were split across four areas: floor framing, lateral systems, general detailing, and project requirements. Each team took two of those areas, and Cassidy’s team covered floor framing and lateral systems.
For each area, the team developed two strategies. That gave each member one strategy to lead, with input from the other three. Every team produced four pieces, each a graphic, table, or short write-up, and handed them to Steel Smarts for review and standardization.
The topic matters. Constructability is usually learned on the job, often after a design decision has already caused trouble in the shop or in the field. Short, practical references give newer engineers an earlier sense of how their choices affect fabrication and erection.
What Cassidy Took From It
Most engineers know AISC through the Steel Construction Manual. The cohort showed Cassidy how much more the organization does, including:
- The Steel Solutions Center and the Engineering Journal
- Task committees and the planning behind NASCC
- Design guides, workshops, and research projects
- Newer tools, such as AISC’s Clark chatbot
The program also opened doors. Members could attend NASCC, sit in on task committee meetings as guests, and connect with other AISC programs.
The longest-lasting benefit may be the network. Cassidy now has peers across the country in engineering, fabrication, and architecture. The group stays in touch online and meets up at NASCC when they can. Her active term has ended, but she plans to stay involved where she can.
Why It Matters at CSD
Industry involvement has a long history at CSD. Our engineers have authored and reviewed AISC Design Guides, including Design Guides 1, 7, 10, and 34, and have contributed to the AISC Steel Construction Manual, ASCE/SEI 37, and ACI Committee 348.
That work keeps our team close to how standards and practice are changing. Cassidy’s cohort experience is part of the same habit, started early in a career. Engineers who understand the wider industry bring that perspective back to their projects and to the clients we serve.