What has ASCE been up to recently?

Dedication of the Flight of Five Locks as a Civil Engineering Landmark
(9/9/2012) -ASCE President Andrew Herrmann in Attendance- 

The event included a dedication ceremony at Lock #2 in Waterford, which numerous ASCE student members and RPI Civil Engineering students attended. Representatives of Waterford and the ASCE Mohawk-Hudson Chapter gave speeches detailing the history of the locks and how they have shaped the community of Waterford. A key fact that distinguishes the locks from others in the Erie Canal is that they have the greatest elevation change in the shortest distance, totaling approximately 150 ft across the five locks. ASCE President Andrew Herrmann gave a short speech about the flight of locks and highlighted other local infrastucture that has already been dedicated as national landmarks, including RPI itself. After a short cake reception and photographs, ASCE Mohawk-Hudson members and RPI students traveled to Troy for a luncheon and networking in the CBIS Auditorium Atrium. Presdient Andrew Herrmann then gave a presentation on Infrastructure, one of ASCE's three strategic initiatives. The day of events concluded with a tour of the RPI Centrifuge Lab for President Herrmann by Professors Tarek Abdoun and Thomas Zimme, along with ASCE Student Chapter officers. Overall, the event was a great success, providing attendees with a reminder of the impressive history of Civil Engineering and goals for achievement in the future of the field.

ASCE President Andrew Herrmann

Andrew W. Herrmann P.E., SECB, F.ASCE, principal with Hardesty & Hanover, LLP, serves as President of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). President Herrmann worked as a structural detailer, structural engineer, project engineer, and associate engineer before becoming managing partner and then a principal.       
See full Bio of Andrew Herrmann.  

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Engineers Week - Model Bridge Competition (2/16/2012)

The 2012 E-Week event in Albany was the biggest success yet! It was a busy event, as 110 bridges were tested in the model bridge competition. RPI had 4 student ASCE members present at the competition as MBC volunteers.  They helped at the sign-in desk for the high school student competitors, added our input for the judging of bridge aesthetics, and even offered critiques of the students' bridges before and after load testing which both the students and their respective teachers enjoyed. RPI and HVCC were recognized for their help encouraging the student volunteers to participate. Chris Lesher, P.E., a Sr. Associate at Ryan-Biggs Associates and adjunct professor at RPI, stated the following about the student volunteers: "They were very helpful and seemed to enjoy the event and get a lot out of helping. I think it is important for students to connect with the professional world, and this event is an excellent opportunity to do so (as is all of E-Week)."

High school students entered in this year's MBC came from the following 10 schools:
- Ballston Spa High School
- Healty School (Green Island)
- Mohonasen High School
- Shaker High School (North Colonie)
- Rensselaer Jr-Sr High School
- Schenectady High School
- Colonie Central High School (South Colonie)
- Queensbury High School
- Ticonderoga High School
- Troy High School

Colonie Central again came out on top of the competition. In fact, the Times Union even did a story on them for the success they have had over the years. Here is the link: Bridge-building skills span 14 years - Times Union
<http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Bridge-building-skills-span-14-years-3386607.php>

The winners of this year's event were as follows:

Efficiency (load carried in pounds divided by weight in grams):

1st - Collin Cragon (Colonie Central) - 4.42
2nd - Brighton Schwarz (Colonie Central) - 2.48
3rd - Leah Ketchen/Nateena Ramnarine (Schenectady) - 2.38

Load Rating:

1st - Collin Cragon (Colonie Central) - 445 pounds (a new MBC record!)
2nd - Brighton Schwarz (Colonie Central) - 291 pounds
3rd - Mike Libruk/Tyler Radzyminski (Shaker) - 276 pounds

Aesthetics:

1st - Ezra Neal (Rensselaer)
2nd - Mike Libruk/Tyler Radzyminski (Shaker)
3rd - Aday Samlall/Mahindra Singh (Schenectady)

Reunion & Homecoming Fanfest (10/22/11)

On Saturday October 22, RPI hosted its Reunion & Homecoming Weekend with over one thousand Alumni visiting their alma mater. Many brought their spouses as well as children and grandchildren. As a result, there was a Fanfest leading up to the Football game with a dozen tents outside the stadium. The ASCE student chapter of RPI hosted one such tent where we displayed our motorized Ferris Wheel and poster asking, "Will you be the next George Ferris?"  The event took place between 10 am and 4 pm and over the course of 6 hours ASCE hosted over 300 visitors ranging from age 3 to 90. It was a great opportunity for the ASCE officers to talk with the alumni and share their experiences at RPI. Many of the alumni had humorous stories and were interested to know in what direction the school of Civil and Environmental Engineering was heading. It was also great to show off the Ferris wheel to the little children as many were amazed at its size.