Emerging Leader Award – Shan Morgen
Shan Morgen is having a noteworthy year so far. In April, he earned his official Professional Engineer (PE) license in Minnesota. In June, he’ll conclude his term as Chair of the ACEC/MN Young Professionals Committee. And in May, he was recognized with the Emerging Leader Award at the ACEC/MN Annual Meeting. This award is given to an early-career professional who has already made significant contributions to ACEC and the broader engineering community.
These recent accomplishments reflect not only Shan’s technical abilities, but his commitment to leadership and service within the engineering industry — a dedication that was shaped by his journey into engineering.
After obtaining a B.S. in Physics from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse followed by a B.C.E. in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota, Shan served with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity through AmeriCorps for two years. While he was already STEM-minded, TC Habitat is where he developed a strong sense of community impact and hands-on problem solving.
In September 2020, Shan joined Isthmus as a part-time Intern and transitioned to a full-time Design Engineer role in January 2021. He immediately found his place in the Isthmus Transit team, a fitting match for someone whose early exposure to transportation systems began as a child. Growing up in La Crosse, Shan and his family relied on public transportation to get around, and that experience has stayed with him ever since. “We relied on transit to get everywhere — school, appointments, everything. Without knowing it, I was relying on engineering from a really young age.”
Now nearly five years into his career at Isthmus, Shan has contributed to major transit projects including the recently opened METRO Gold Line and the METRO B Line which opens June 14. His technical skills, coupled with a people-centered perspective, have made him a valuable member of Team Isthmus.
Despite launching his career during a time of remote work, Shan wasted no time getting to know Minnesota’s engineering community. He joined the ACEC/MN Young Professionals, quickly taking on leadership roles, encouraging more inclusive events, and building strong relationships across firms. He became Vice Chair soon after joining and now finishes his tenure as Chair with a final event this June.
On receiving the Emerging Leader Award, Shan said, “It was affirming to know that the work I’ve been doing — keeping this committee moving forward and engaging people across the industry — isn’t going unnoticed.”
As he looks ahead to the next chapter of his career, Shan’s advice to young engineers is to build strong relationships with professors, peers, and mentors, to pursue internships, and to get involved with groups like ACEC Young Professionals.
Please join us in congratulating Shan on his well-deserved recognition as this year’s Emerging Leader for ACEC/MN.
