Robin Kemper is the president of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Kemper has more than 35 years of experience as a structural engineer. Her current work includes providing technical support to construction project policies, developing best practices, and investigating losses on construction projects.

She has also served on the Board of Directors of Engineers Without Borders as well as the Civil Engineering Industrial Advisory Board of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, her alma mater. She is currently a member of the civil engineering industrial advisory boards for Rutgers University and the College of New Jersey.

“You almost never lose — I’m not going to say never — if you ask for what you want,” she said, previewing her lecture. “No one’s going to care more about yourself than you will. A lot of engineers are introverted, but to get to where you want to go in life you sometimes have to put yourself out there.”

The future starts with civil engineers. Tough problems require innovative solutions. Now is the time to be bold. ASCE members engineer tomorrow and reimagine infrastructure. Move forward faster with ASCE.

ASCE sustainability programs provide critical guidance and resources for engineers to develop and refine the knowledge and skills needed to build the sustainable and resilient infrastructure of the future. Charitable contributions to the ASCE Foundation’s Sustainable Development Initiative Fund help make these programs possible. I believe so strongly in the value of the SDIF that I’ve made a personal contribution to support it.