UCLA Civil & Environmental Engineering Department
C&EE 200 Section 1 Seminar
Structural, Geotechnical and Civil Engineering Materials
Innovative Imperative
Anne Ellis
Executive Director
Charles Pankow Foundation
aellis@pankowfoundation.org | https://www.pankowfoundation.org/anne‐m‐ellis‐pe‐faci‐fasceexecutive‐
director
Civil engineering is the oldest form of engineering and one of the earliest professions. Throughout time,
civil engineers were and continue to be future makers, designing and building the future TODAY. Key to
the future is civil engineers’ ability to simultaneously future‐make and help address many of the world’s
greatest challenges: economic, ecological and social. This necessitates that we be at the forefront of
innovation and know how to capitalize on innovation. Yet there are many institutional barriers to our
ability to do so. This can be especially frustrating at a time rich in so many new technologies including
sensors, robots, machine learning, blockchain, advanced materials and more. This talk will focus on the
importance of innovation and our innovation ecosystem: the opportunities, the barriers and the pioneers.
Where: Engineering VI 134A
When: 12:00 – 12:50 PM, Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Anne Ellis’s career has focused on infusing innovation into projects, programs,
and business strategies. In addition to her technical and design expertise, which
focused on structural engineering and reinforced concrete, Anne has served in
many prestigious roles in the industry: president of the American Concrete Institute,
Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Building
Sciences and Board member of the Building Seismic Safety Council , the Structural
Engineering Institute Futures Fund, and executive committee chair of the
Structural Engineering Institute Global Activities Division.
Anne has been appointed by five different U.S. cabinet secretaries to their federal
advisory committees on matters of energy and trade policy., In 2019, she
was inducted into the National Academy of Construction and appointed to the American Society of Civil Engineers
Industry Leaders Council. And, Anne serves on the advisory board of Carbon Upcycling UCLA,
Anne graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech and is a registered Professional
Engineer. Prior to joining the Charles Pankow Foundation as its executive director, Anne worked at
several prominent global, fully integrated firms and industry trade associations.