ASCE Mid-Atlantic Student Conference draws from 11 universities

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Student Conference was held at the University of Delaware on April 7-8.

Approximately 250 students from 11 universities in the region attended the conference, which included technical papers and presentations and friendly engineering competitions. Five schools participated in a concrete canoe competition, 11 in a steel bridge competition, and four in a GeoWall competition that asks students to construct a retaining wall from paper.

“This is an opportunity for the students to display the multitude of talents they’ve developed in the engineering arena, including originality and ingenuity, analysis and design prowess, perseverance, and dedication,” said Allen A. Jayne, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering and advisor of UD’s student chapter of ASCE. “It’s also an opportunity for the students to meet peers from other schools, exchange ideas and perspectives, and even just have a good time together.”

Emily Robison, a senior civil engineering major and president of UD’s ASCE student chapter, has attended the conference each of the last four years.

“Every year the conference is an opportunity for our chapter of ASCE here at UD to display the results of seven months of hard work,” she said.

Teams from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Pennsylvania State University, and University of Maryland won the concrete canoe competition.

Teams from Lafayette College, Drexel University and Pennsylvania State University won the steel bridge competition.

Teams from Lafayette College, Widener University and Temple University won the GeoWall competition.

 Photo by Kevin Quinlan