Read.Watch.Listen. Arab American Heritage Month
- SE3 Committee
- Mar 30
- 3 min read
April 2026 Issue
A monthly forum to share diversity, equity, and inclusion resources.
Welcome to the next installment of Read.Watch.Listen. April is Arab American Heritage Month, so this month we will be celebrating the voices, contributions, and accomplishments of members of Arab backgrounds working in engineering. According to AIA, only 0.3% of architects are from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a large region comprising over 20 countries and frequently grouped together to comprise the Arabian diaspora. While current demographic data for the structural engineering industry is not available, it is a reasonable assumption that the MENA demographic is similarly poorly represented in our industry. Despite that lack of representation, Arab American engineers have made immense and lasting contributions to our profession and continue to be trailblazers and inspirations. Read, watch, and listen below to learn more!
Image via Freepik
Structural Influencer: Nabih Youssef - Structure Magazine
This Structural Influencer article from Structure Magazine remembers Nabih Youssef, SE, F ASCE, FAIA, and the contributions he made to the structural engineering field. Born in Egypt, Youssef was an expert in the development of earthquake engineering codes and standards. Youssef founded the firm Nabih Youssef & Associates and contributed to many well known projects, such as Los Angeles City Hall, LA Live, The Broad, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Dodgers Stadium, and many more. His contributions to Performance Based Seismic Design have shaped industry standards and he was a leading pioneer of using base isolators to protect structures seismically. In addition to his work on high-rises, Youssef was well regarded within adaptive reuse and preservation projects. He sought to utilize unobtrusive, cost-effective methods of strengthening that take advantage of the quality of the original designs. Youssef truly left the profession better than he found it.
Published May 2025; Estimated Read Time - 5 minutes
HOW INCREDIBLE IS STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING! - Ashraf Habibullah
To be a structural engineer in the US is to know and love Ashraf. Founder and CEO of Computers and Structures, Inc., and prolific benefactor for structural engineering organizations across the country, Ashraf Habibullah is a Pakistani-American engineer who exemplifies the very best of structural engineering. His tireless advocacy for the structural profession and his passionate, rousing oratory are hallmarks of his ongoing legacy. This video is a compilation of many of his speeches praising engineers and providing guidance and support for others to advocate for the importance and wonder of our profession. It is a must-watch for everyone, and especially those who may find themselves disenchanted by the daily work in the industry. Watch and rediscover the joy, wonder, and inspiration that is our chosen profession.
Originally aired May 2020; 00:13:09
Celebrating Arab American Voices in STEM with Inaas Darrat of Trinity Consultants– Diverse, a SWE Podcast
In this episode of Diverse: a SWE podcast, Inaas Darrat, Director Chemical Sector Services at Trinity Consultants, shares her journey as an Arab American woman in chemical engineering. She talks about overcoming bias, challenging stereotypes, and finding her place in STEM, while offering thoughtful perspectives on leadership. Inaas also reflects on key moments in her career, including her decision to step away from a PhD program, and how those experiences helped shape the path she is on today.
Originally published April 2024; 00:27:04
This article was originally published in the NCSEA's Structural Connection newsletter.
Read.Watch.Listen is a monthly forum hosted by the NCSEA SE3 Committee to share and promote conversations on diversity, equity and inclusion within the structural engineering profession. Each month, we will curate a series of articles, audio-visual and digital media to facilitate self-education in matters that affect our professional practice as structural engineers. Whether you choose to read, watch, or listen (or all three!), we hope you will join us in this important conversation. Missed the previous issue? Check out the NCSEA SE3 Committee News and Publication page.
Share your thoughts and/or recommended resources for the next issue at ncsea@ncsea.com.
Comments