STV Operations Manager Elisabetta Barzi, ENV SP, has been selected as a participant at the 2024 Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, held by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).
The annual Frontiers of Engineering Symposium brings together early-career AEC professionals from industry, academia and government in several locations throughout the world. Barzi is one of 100 participants selected to attend the U.S. event in Irvine, CA, September 11-14.
“I’m thrilled to participate in this year’s symposium, as it represents a unique opportunity to engage with visionary leaders and experts who have successfully navigated the complexities of our industry’s challenges, including AI integration and the digital twin revolution,” said Barzi, who provides comprehensive operations management within the firm’s national Centers of Excellence practice. “I’m looking forward to gaining a more nuanced understanding of emerging technologies and brainstorming how to navigate challenges in our industry, particularly around how we can ethically and sustainably leverage AI at STV. Through the collaborative sessions and networking, I seek to build a network of professionals with a shared vision for our industry’s future.”
Each year, the symposium gathers academics and researchers exploring four cutting-edge developments within the engineering world. Over two and half days, Barzi and her fellow participants will explore water-air-surface connections for indoor microbiology and health, building the future of AI, connections between the gut and the brain and the impending revolution of digital twin.
“The lines between different industries are getting more blurred every day, and we’re all adopting solutions from other fields that they used to address similar problems,” Barzi added. “This interdisciplinary approach will enhance our overall understanding and innovation. Despite not being directly involved in certain symposium topics daily, I hope this exposure to interdisciplinary knowledge will spark my creative thinking to solve problems to improve communities.”
Barzi is currently on the board of directors for the Association of Italian Engineers and Architects in New York and was joined the appointments committee of WTS New York. In 2022, Women Builders’ Council named Barzi as one of its “Next Generation of Women Builders,” recognizing the innovative industry game-changers. She also assists in teaching a course alongside Marilisa Stigliano, MBA, PMP, DBIA, STV’s senior vice president and financial planning and analysis lead, for Columbia University’s Construction Engineering and Management (CEM) master’s program that offers graduate students a real-life understanding of project management.
