Building success: University of Akron hosts American Society of Civil Engineers Student Symposium
Members of The University of Akron's American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Student Chapter at the John S. Knight Center.
The College of Engineering and Polymer Science at The University of Akron (UA) recently concluded the 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Eastern Great Lakes Student Symposium, held from April 4th to April 6th.
This event, hosted by UA, brought together 17 ASCE Student Chapters from the Eastern Great Lakes Conference Region. Led by Meganne Chapman, conference chair and a senior majoring in civil engineering, and supported by Dr. David Roke, an associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and faculty advisor, the symposium offered opportunities for students to network, compete and engage in activities centered around the field of civil engineering.
UA's Concrete Canoe Design Team taking on the "Swamp Test" where canoes are submerged in water and must come back up to the surface to prove that they are buoyant. UA's "Duckaroo" passed!
Planning and Competitions
As the host, UA undertook numerous responsibilities, which included coordinating facilities for each competition, assembling informational packets, managing registrations, organizing accommodations, securing sponsorships, recruiting volunteers, and communicating with schools, ASCE Region 3 and national leadership.
“For me, hosting this event was a huge opportunity that I am so grateful for,” shared Chapman. “I was able to grow my leadership and communication skills with the role of Planning Chair. I am incredibly thankful for all the support we received from judges, sponsors and volunteers. We could not have hosted this event without the help of so many individuals.”
The symposium was comprised of several student competitions, including ASCE Concrete Canoe, American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)/ASCE Steel Bridge, Utility Engineering and Surveying Institute (UESI)/ASCE Surveying, ASCE Construction Institute, ASCE Timber Strong Design Build, ASCE Paper Competition and regional Concrete Novelty competitions. This year, the leadership team chose Concrete Ping Pong Paddles as the novelty topic and hosted a ping pong tournament using the designs the teams created.
Madison Richards, UA ASCE President, and Rachel Freno, co-captain of the surveying team, competing in the surveying competition.
Schedule of Events
- Thursday, April 4, activities began at UA’s Jean Hower Taber Student Union with Concrete Canoe and Surveying presentations, the ASCE Student Symposium Paper Competition, a welcome dinner, and a cornhole tournament hosted by the ASCE Younger Members group.
- Friday, April 5, students competed in the Concrete Canoe and Surveying events held at Portage Lakes.
- Saturday, April 6, featured the Timber Strong Design Build competition at the Quaker Square parking lot, and the Steel Bridge competition, Concrete Novelty competitions, Pop-Up Leadership Sessions and awards banquet at the John S. Knight Center.
Members of UA's Steel Bridge Design Team undergoing "Load Testing" where bridges are weighed down with weights up to a total of 2,500 pounds. UA's team was successful and fully loaded their bridge.
Student Awards and Achievements
UA teams excelled in several competitions, with the Construction Institute team securing first place, the ASCE Surveying team earning third place overall, and the Concrete Canoe team taking third place in the technical paper and fifth place overall. Additionally, JoAnna Shafer clinched fourth place in the Student Symposium Paper Competition. The Steel Bridge team also accomplished team goals by constructing its bridge in under 30 minutes and fully loading it with 2,500 pounds. The team placed eighth overall.
Dr. David Roke and Meganne Chapman receiving a plaque from ASCE in appreciation for hosting this year's symposium.
Words of Appreciation
Monica Moody, UA alumna, practitioner advisor and member of the ASCE Akron-Canton Younger Members group, helped organize the cornhole tournament and volunteered as a judge for the Steel Bridge competition. "It was great to see the next generation of future civil engineers come together for an event,” said Moody. “Conferences and competitions like the ASCE student symposiums are such an excellent way for students to meet new friends, make memories and better the future of engineering!"
“The ASCE Eastern Great Lakes Conference Student Symposium at The University of Akron was exceptional and sets a high standard for future hosts. Attendees had invaluable networking opportunities with peers, students from other universities, and industry professionals,” shared T. J. Murphy, representative of the ASCE Committee on Student Conferences and Competitions. “Meticulous planning ensured a diverse range of activities and smooth-running competitions thanks to dedicated student volunteers and judges. All students and faculty should be commended for balancing demanding extracurricular efforts with academic responsibilities. A special commendation goes to conference chair Meganne Chapman and faculty advisor Dr. David Roke for their leadership in making the event a success.”
“On behalf of ASCE, I would like to thank the students at The University of Akron for hosting a successful Eastern Great Lakes Student Symposium,” shared Mike Pniewski, a governor of ASCE Region 3 and faculty advisor for the University of Toledo. “Students from Michigan and Ohio got to demonstrate their knowledge and skills while developing connections with their peers and industry professionals. ASCE is proud to sponsor these important events that foster stronger engineering leaders to serve our community.”
About ASCE
The American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 150,000 members of the civil engineering profession in 177 countries. Founded in 1852, ASCE is the nation’s oldest national civil engineering society.
“Being a part of ASCE since my freshman year has been so rewarding to my civil engineering career,” said Chapman. “I have been able to expand my network of civil engineers in industry and grow in leadership. Knowing that I could connect with civil engineers while I was at UA and have support from the chapters after graduation is what led me to join ASCE early on.”
RELATED CONTENT:
- Learn more about Civil Engineering at UA.
- More news from the College of Engineering and Polymer Science.
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Media contact: Cristine Boyd, 330-972-6476 or cboyd@uakron.edu.