State of Society
Message from the CEO
Society of Civil Structural Health Monitoring (SCSHM)
End‑of‑Year Report – 2025
Dear Members of SCSHM,
As 2025 draws to a close, it is an appropriate moment to reflect on the progress our Society has made across its core activities—financial stewardship, scholarly publishing, conferences, professional development, and member engagement. I am pleased to report that this has been a year of meaningful growth, renewed energy, and strengthened foundations for the future.
Financial Health
Under the leadership of Dr. Douglas Thomson and myself, the Society’s financial accounts have been streamlined and fully reconciled. Our financial position is strong: revenues continue to exceed expenditures, supported by income from SHMII conferences, CSHM workshops, JCSHM royalties from Springer, membership fees, and corporate contributions. This stability enables us to invest confidently in new initiatives and member services.
Journal of Civil Structural Health Monitoring (JCSHM)
The Journal of Civil Structural Health Monitoring, led by Editor‑in‑Chief Professor Farhad Ansari and an active editorial board, continues to grow in visibility and impact. The journal’s 2024 Impact Factor is approximately 4.3, with a 5‑year Impact Factor of 4.4, and a CiteScore near 4.8, according to sources such as Springer Nature and Web of Science. JCSHM remains indexed in SCIE, ensuring global reach and academic credibility. The editorial team has worked diligently to maintain high standards and attract high‑quality submissions from both researchers and practitioners.
Conferences and Workshops
SHMII‑13, hosted at the Technical University of Graz, Austria, was an outstanding success. We extend our sincere appreciation to Professors Werner Lienhart and Markus Krüger for their exceptional leadership. Their efforts showcased the strength of our international community and advanced the global dialogue on structural health monitoring.
Planning is well underway for CSHM‑10, to be held in Berlin, Germany, June 9–11, 2026. The workshop will focus on Physics‑Informed Structural Health Monitoring, integrating realistic physical models of materials, structural response, damage mechanisms, and aging processes. This emerging direction offers powerful opportunities for improved monitoring and maintenance planning, while also presenting technical challenges that vary across applications. We look forward to a highly engaging and forward‑looking event.
Webinars and Professional Development
This year, four webinars were organized by Professor Ali Maher of Rutgers University, USA. These sessions highlighted recent advances in civil structural health monitoring and provided valuable learning opportunities for our members. We thank Professor Maher for launching and sustaining this important initiative.
Committee Activities
Three committees were particularly active in 2025:
- Data‑Enhanced Infrastructure Committee (ECR‑SCSHM), chaired by Dr. Maria Lemongelli and Dr. Douglas Thomson, provided expert guidance on data structures, strategies, methodologies, and algorithms at the intersection of big‑data analytics, behavior modeling, and artificial intelligence. Their work was featured in a keynote lecture at SHMII‑13.
- Young Members Committee – Farhad and Linda Ansari Award developed the criteria for selecting an outstanding early‑career researcher. Applications will be invited in 2026, with the award presented at a major SCSHM event.
- Young Members Committee – NextWave Website Development advised on the redesign of the SCSHM website. We invite all members to visit ishmii.org and share suggestions for further improvement.
I extend my sincere thanks to all members who served on the Executive Board, International Advisory Board, and the various committees. Your dedication has revitalized the Society and strengthened its global presence.
Communications and Outreach
SCSHM continues to expand its digital presence, focusing on the website and LinkedIn, the preferred platforms of our fellows and younger members. You may have noticed an increase in news posts, member highlights, and community updates. We aim to introduce short opinion pieces of broad interest in the coming year.
Our network now includes nearly 500 members and over 1,000 contacts, making it a vital tool for raising the Society’s profile in a cost‑effective manner. If you are not yet following us, we encourage you to do so. Members wishing to share stories, achievements, or perspectives are invited to contact me directly at aftab.mufti@umanitoba.ca or reach out through LinkedIn.
Sponsorship and Support
In 2026, we will broaden our outreach and explore new approaches to distributing responsibilities across the Society. We will also enhance visibility for our sponsors. For the first time, we will be seeking industrial support under guidelines approved by the Board. Members or organizations interested in sponsoring SCSHM are invited to contact Dr. Douglas Thomson at douglas.thomson@umanitoba.ca.
As always, I welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions at aftab.mufti@umanitoba.ca. Thank you for your continued support and commitment to advancing the field of civil structural health monitoring. Together, we look forward to an exciting and productive 2026.
Warm regards,
Aftab Mufti, FSCSHM
CEO, Society of Civil Structural Health Monitoring
Connect with SCSHM:
ishmii.org