Ken Charles' steel industry career started because of an unexpected swerve. But it has turned into nearly five decades at joist and deck companies and recently earned him AISC recognition.

Jerry Hajjar once planned to spend his entire career as a practicing engineer, but an affinity for research pulled him into academia, where he has found a passion for sustainability, resilience, and earthquake engineering.

As a student, Amit Varma had visions of doing impactful steel design research.

A quarter-century later, he has made significant contributions in three important areas.

A chance to fill in as an adjunct professor pulled Matt Reiter toward a full-time academic career. Five years in, he teaches various design classes and is developing guiding principles for an engineering buzzword.

Jaclyn Whelan has focused on railway bridges for her entire engineering career and recently led a task group that developed a vital new resource for designing them.

Judy Liu pivoted from childhood architectural dreams to a closely related engineering discipline--paving the path for her career in academia and, eventually, an AISC Lifetime Achievement Award.

Urban living has shaped architect Ho-gyeum Kim since his childhood, and his experience in New York sparked an award-winning design concept.

Fraser Reid did not envision becoming a sustainability champion when he began his structural engineering career, but he has flourished in that space and found an industry niche where he's comfortable.

An architecture career that has included stops in three countries brought Nima Balasubramanian to AISC, where she's helping create a crucial resource for educating architects about structural steel.

Growing up near Philadelphia helped shape Jill Lavine's childhood architectural aspirations. Decades later, she's a prominent figure in the area's architecture scene.