Preparing Future Infrastructure Leaders

ISI provides access to Envision training and industry mentorship as part of the 2026 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Sustainable Solutions Competition 

For the second consecutive year, ISI collaborated with ASCE to support the 2026 ASCE Sustainable Solutions Competition, which challenges students to integrate sustainability into a real-world engineering scenario. ISI expanded student engagement through a mentoring program and complimentary credentialing training opportunities.    

Real-World Application of Envision 

The competition simulates a request for proposal (RFP) responding to a real-world challenge, including application of the Envision framework as part of project development. Teams used the Envision Guidance Manual and Envision checklist to inform proposed designs and documented a subset of Envision credits within their submissions. Full competition rules, including the problem statement and details on Envision use, are available on the competition webpage. 

Building Student Knowledge through Training 

Each team had the opportunity to select up to five members to access ISI’s online Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) credential training. The training is designed to deepen understanding of the Envision framework, while preparing interested students to pursue the ENV SP credential.  

The ENV SP credential is a valuable designation for infrastructure professionals, equipping them to apply Envision principles in real-world practice.  

Connecting Students with Industry Mentors 

ISI and ASCE partnered to connect experienced Envision users with student teams to serve as mentors during the competition. Mentors provided guidance and feedback on applying the Envision framework, answered questions, and shared perspectives from professional practice. Mentors were asked to participate in two one-hour virtual sessions with their assigned team. 

This year, 50 schools requested mentors and an additional five schools worked with internal mentors/ENV SP faculty advisors. Student teams were paired with one of 38 volunteer mentors, who donated their time and expertise to support the next generation of infrastructure professionals.  

Competition Results 

Symposia took place in the spring across 21 student conferences, with 20 symposia conducting the Sustainable Solutions Competition, each including a team that either requested a mentor or took advantage of the training opportunity.  

Of the 55 teams that requested mentors, 48 submitted competition entries. Among those submissions, 11 teams earned championship recognition and moved on to the 2026 ASCE Civil Engineering Student Championships, 11 teams placed second, and 8 teams placed third in their symposium competition.  

The 2026 ASCE Sustainable Solutions Competition Champion, Johns Hopkins University, was mentored by Alyssa Sooklal (Barton & Loguidice), and had five team members earn their ENV SP. The second-place finisher, Georgia Institute of Technology, was mentored by Megan Kilinski (RS&H), and had three team members earn their ENV SP. Third-place finisher University of Central Florida had three team members earn their ENV SP. Congratulations to all the participants! 

Thank You to Our Mentors 

ISI and ASCE are incredibly grateful to everyone who volunteered their time and expertise for this year’s competition. If you are an ENV SP who would like to mentor a team next year, let us know. 

“Thank you so much for your support and advice during this project, I know we only got to speak a couple times during the draft stages, but your input was invaluable and our group is very appreciative that we had the opportunity to work with you!”

— Student Participant