Good Engineering Society/Association??

[cfj104]

I am in a situation now where my current company is doing really well and offering to pay for training courses and membership association fees. I feel I would be missing out on a great opportunity if I don't take advantage!

So my question is this:
What membership associations are worthwhile? I am a women in environmental engineering (consulting). I have my E.I.T. license and have been working for about a year and a half now. I have looked into SWE, but it seems more geared toward college students?? I would be interested in a membership that has a local chapter (I live outside of Philadelphia, PA) that offers lectures and maybe community involvement work.

Also, any good training programs people have experienced that were worth while??

 

[wes616]

I'm not so sure that there is such a thing as a "good" engineering society.

If you're employer is willing to pay, take courses that can apply to an advanced degree (especially in the consulting field).

Wes C.
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When they broke open molecules, they found they were only stuffed with atoms. But when they broke open atoms, they found them stuffed with explosions...

 

[JStephen]

The engineering societies are rather frustrating for me. The local chapter doesn't do a whole lot of interest to me, so my $160 a year (which employer doesn't pay) winds up becoming an expensive magazine subscription.

Probably your best bet is to talk to other engineers in your area that are in your field, and see what they find worthwhile.

 

[DaveVikingPE]

I consider belonging to ASCE a "duty." I like their magazines and the New York City (where I live and work) chapter(s) are quite active. I've found that the more years one puts in to engineering, the more significant one's membership in ASCE seems to become. Example: people you may never meet in a 9-5 context (or whom you compete against for work or work with...) you will meet - or discover - at ASCE events. The events are good places to exchange business cards, meet professors, etc. Civil Engineering and Structure magazines are worth the price.

I also belong to NSPE for the same reason, though their magazine isn't anything special. It's more of a "what's up this quater in engineering."

As a just-out-of-school engineering grad, professional society membership didn't mean squat - who cares what you belong to? It's not like that means you have experience... That being said, keeping up with the society's interests and member's work is recognized by some as an important augmentation to the experience one gains over the years.

 

[PEinc]

cfj104'

If you do any work in the highway engineering field, try the Delaware valley Section of The American Society of Highway Engineers. They meet monthly in King of Prussia from September to April. They routinely draw about 100 to 150 attendees to each dinner meeting. Next dinner meeting is 6 PM, Wednesday, 3/15/06 at the Radison Hotel on Gulph Road at First Avenue in K of P. The members are mostly highway consulting engineers, with some suppliers, PennDOT, and contractors.

Another good, but smaller meeting group is the ASCE Delaware Valley Geo-Institute. We meet monthly on Tuesdays from about September to May or June. We meet at the Wyndham Hotel in Chesterbrook, 888 Chesterbrook Blvd, off Route 202 in Wayne, PA near King of Prussia. Next dinner meeting is Tuesday, 3/21/06 at 5:50 PM. Topic will be Ground Improvement Case Histories in Pennsylvania & New Jersey, presented by Michael Perlow, Jr., P.E. of GeoStructures - GeoConstructors, Inc. The members are mostly geotechnical engineers and environmental engineers with a few geotec professors.

 

[swertel]

Since you are an EIT, have you looked into NSPE?

http://www.nspe.org

--Scott

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