A Note From the ASEM President | December 2025

Happy Holidays and the warmest of the season’s greetings from the ASEM Executive Committee and the World Headquarters.

It gives me immense pleasure in reaching out to the membership in my first eNews as your new President. We have an exciting year ahead of us. We will keep you informed constantly and occasionally call upon you to serve the Society.

In this newsletter, I have the following topics to discuss:

• Two Regional Symposia: Engineering Management for Cybersecurity in Palo Alto, CA (March 7^th, 2026), and Engineering Management for Emerging Defense and Space Era in Huntsville, AL (April 3^rd, 2026)
• Live Workshop Event: ChrisGPT Presents AI Agents for Everyone, January 14^th, 2026
• New Certified Masters Program – University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
• 2026 International Annual Conference (IAC) – Abstract submission is now Open! -  Abstracts due March 23, 2026
• Call for EMJ Associate Editors

Regional Symposia:

Our regional presence and events are growing every year. The beginning of 2026 will see two regional events – one in Palo Alto, CA and another in Huntsville, AL.

The First Regional Symposium in Engineering Management for Cybersecurity

Transforming Engineering Management for a Cyber-Threat Driven World 

ASEM is proud to announce The First Regional Symposium in Engineering Management for Cybersecurity with the theme of “Transforming Engineering Management for a Cyber-Threat Driven World”, to be held on March 7, 2026 at the Mitchell Park Community Center in Palo Alto, California, USA.

The goal of this symposium is to foster collaboration between industry and academia, bringing together leaders, industry professionals, researchers, and students to explore how engineering management principles are shaping modern cybersecurity initiatives. The event features high profile speakers from industry and academia. Participants will gain insights into how organizations are managing complex cyber programs, discover emerging research aligned with industry priorities, and discuss the evolving skill sets engineering management graduates need to thrive in today’s threat-driven environment.

Registration is now open. Early Bird Registration ends on January 31, 2026.

Please make use of this opportunity to learn more about a current topic. Follow this link to register: https://asem.org/event-6404558

The 2nd Regional Symposium in Engineering Management for Space and Defense

Leading Through Complexity: Engineering Management for Emerging Defense and

Space Era

Following the success of the Engineering Management in Space and Defense hosted jointly with Kratos in February 2025, we are happy to present The 2nd Regional Symposium in Engineering Management for Space and Defense with the theme Leading Through Complexity: Engineering Management for Emerging Defense and Space Era. The symposium will be held on April 3^rd, 2026 at the Huntsville Botanical Garden, Carnegie House, Huntsville, AL.

The Engineering Leadership for Space & Defense Symposium brings together leaders from industry, government, and academia to discuss the evolving skills today’s engineering managers need. As aerospace, defense, and civil sectors become increasingly interconnected, engineering leaders are expected to manage complex, cross-cultural, multi-organization programs; make sound, ethical decisions under uncertainty; and guide teams through digital transformation, applied AI, and rapid innovation. This symposium focuses on the emerging leadership capabilities that matter most, including communication, collaboration, systems thinking, strategic foresight, and accountability.

Sessions focus on practical lessons drawn from real engineering settings, from leading cross-sector projects to working effectively in diverse, global teams, and managing the organizational challenges that come with today’s technology-driven programs.

Registration is now open. Early Bird Registration ends on February 15, 2026.

Please make use of this opportunity to learn more about a current topic. Follow this link to register: https://asem.org/event-6460885

Live Workshop Event: ChrisGPT Presents: AI Agents for Everyone

With the advent of GenAI and ChatGPT, do you know how to build and/or work with AI Agents? Well ASEM got you covered.

Join ASEM for this Live Event on building agentic workflows using AI. Chris McDermott has been on the vanguard of using AI to leverage his productivity as an engineering leader in the automotive sector. He built ChrisGPT to handle many common corporate requests and direct them to appropriate workflows. He tailored his bot so well that his own mother didn't know that the text she received was from a bot!

Chris will do a live demo of building an AI agent based on audience input. The process has become much simpler in the past few months. He'll share how AI has raised his level of productivity and how it can do the same for you.

Sign up before this one reaches capacity: https://asem.org/event-6471301

Event scheduled for January 14, 2026 from 12 pm – 1 pm US Eastern Time.

Certified Program at UTC:

The Master of Science in Engineering Management program (online and on-campus) at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has been certified by ASEM for the four-year period from 2026-2029. ASEM graduate program certification represents excellence in program quality and certified programs are considered top tier among the graduate engineering management programs worldwide. We are happy to invite the UT-Chattanooga programs to this elite group of certified programs.

To see a list of other certified programs: https://asem.org/Graduate-Program-Cert/

If you are a program that would like to be certified by ASEM, please complete the Certified Program Interest form: https://asem.org/Graduate-Program-Cert/#GradProgInterestForm

2026 IAC:

I am going to take this opportunity to thank each of you that made the 2025 International Annual Conference in Boise, ID a success. The 2026 International Conference will be held in Madison, WI from October 7^th to October 10^th, 2026.

Abstract submissions are now open: https://asem2026.exordo.com/

Important dates and deadlines: https://asem.org/IAC_Dates

We hope to see you in beautiful Madison, overlooking Lake Monona.

Call for Nominations for EMJ Associate Editors:

Engineering Management Journal (EMJ) is looking for Associate Editors to support their growing portfolio of articles and domain areas.

Associate Editor Responsibilities

The role of associate editor is fundamental to the quality and success of the Engineering Management Journal.  Each associate editor is responsible for overseeing the review of papers that fall within one or more of the topical areas covered by the journal (described above). Core responsibilities include conducting an editorial screening of assigned papers to assess content and fit, selecting and following-up with reviewers, evaluating reviewer feedback to make decisions, confirming that revised papers have adequately addressed reviewer concerns, and communicating with authors, reviewers, editors-in-chief, and Taylor & Francis staff as needed. The position is a voluntary position; a salary is not provided.

Associate Editor Qualifications

Qualifications for an associate editor of the Engineering Management Journal include:

• A demonstrated record of research, scholarship, and application in one or more of the topical areas covered by the journal.
• Prior reviewer experience. Some prior experience specific to EMJ is also strongly preferred but not required. Prior editorial or editorial board experience is also a strength but not required.
• Strong attention to detail, ability to synthesize potentially conflicting information, and ability to oversee the review process in a timely and effective manner.
• Membership in American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM) is preferred.

Further information about the journal can be obtained at the Engineering Management Journal home page: https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/uemj20.

Nomination Submission

Nominations should include a resume/CV of individual qualifications related to the position. If the candidate has other relevant qualifications not contained in the resume, these can be highlighted in a one-page cover letter (optional). Self‐nominations are encouraged. Those nominating others should first confirm their willingness to serve in the position, if selected.

Please email electronic nominations to: emjeditor@asem.org

Wish you all a Happy New Year! I will “see” you with another newsletter in the new year.

Gana Natarajan, Ph.D., CPEM^®, F. ASEM

President - ASEM