International Women in Engineering Day 2025 Houston Event Recap
Celebrating Women in Engineering
June 2025
This year’s International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) event in Houston was a resounding success! Co-hosted by the ASCE Houston Branch and WTS (Women’s Transportation Seminar) Houston, the evening brought together more than 200 engineers, students, and industry leaders to celebrate the theme: “Together We Engineer.”
Featured Speakers & Panelists
The event featured a dynamic panel discussion moderated by Alexa Nichols PE, CFM, ENV SP (Houston Branch Past President 2023-2024 and INWED Co-chair) and Leslie Mardis PE (Houston Branch INWED Co-Chair). Our panelists came from across the industry:
- Monica Silver PE, President and CEO, Cobb, Fendley & Associates, Inc.
- Connie Curtis PE, Director of Technical and Operational Services, San Jacinto River Authority
- Vanessa Rodriguez PE, Senior Land Development Manager, Ashton Woods Homes
- Sirisha Pillalamarri PE, Principal Owner, Transcend Engineers & Planners
Our panelists shared their leadership stories, lessons learned, and actionable ideas for building a more diverse workplace.
Marsia Geldert-Murphey PE, F.ASCE, 2024 ASCE President, delivered an inspiring keynote focused on empowering women in leadership, navigating the evolving engineering landscape, and building inclusive professional communities. As part of her remarks, she shared a short video segment from ASCE’s “Cities of the Future” initiative—offering a visionary look at how engineers are shaping smarter, more sustainable, and equitable urban spaces. The clip sparked thoughtful reflection on the role of today’s engineers in building tomorrow’s communities.
Each one of our panelists and our keynote speaker emphasized the importance of mentorship in each of their careers, with many of them stating that it was essential for their career development. Several also mentioned that at some point in their career, they needed flexibility from their employers. The employers who were able to provide this flexibility earned their loyalty.
In addition to the Panel Discussion and Keynote Speakers, the presentation also included videos of some female scholarship winners from ASCE Houston and WTS stating the impact of the scholarship and where they are at in their career or schooling. These videos showed the impact of the fundraising occurring within the INWED event. All additional proceeds go towards scholarships.
The event included a networking hour, where our panelists and keynote speakers mingled with the attendees. During the networking hour, in addition to providing beverages, attendees could obtain a free headshot. We also had a fun photobooth for the use of the attendees to post photos to social media.
Our sponsors helped make this event possible. Their support reflects a commitment to a more inclusive future in engineering.
INWED 2025 didn’t just celebrate women in engineering—it sparked conversations and commitments that will echo into 2026 and beyond. Thank you to everyone who attended, spoke, and supported the event. Let’s keep building an engineering community that includes and uplifts everyone—together.
