It’s an opportunity for 11 ASCE student chapters to participate in student-led competitions like concrete canoe, steel bridge, surveying, research papers and more, said Marshall senior Josh Brubaker, president of Marshall’s student chapter of the ASCE.
“The Virginias Symposium is a great opportunity for civil engineering students to grow as engineers, leaders and peers, while still having a blast representing Marshall and competing against other schools,” Brubaker said. “Looking back at my college career, I know that it’ll be one of the things I remember most.”
Marshall University’s ASCE student chapter sent a team of 25 students to compete, with faculty advisors Sukjoon Na, Seulki Yeo and Caitlyn Ridge.
Marshall University junior Maggie Dickerson earned first place in the Hardy Cross Oratory Competition, for her presentation entitled, “The feasibility of hyperspectral imaging in the near visible infrared range for microbial detection and differentiation in aquatic environments.” This is the second year in a row that a Marshall student has won the award, with last year’s Hardy Cross Trophy going to Brubaker. Dickerson also placed second in the Marr Research Paper Competition for a paper on the same topic.
Marshall earned third place overall (behind Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia) in the Concrete Canoe Competition, with a 250-pound battleship-themed canoe that the team named The USS John Marshall. Team members included co-captains Brubaker, Nick Strow and Cole Goldizen, along with Olivia Maynor, Carter Bacon, Mario Sanchez and Cole Parsons, and paddlers Bella Shortt, Ava Pierson, Grayson Maddox and Alex McCollam.
Marshall earned second place in the stiffness category in the Steel Bridge Competition, with the team’s bridge deflecting only 0.56 inches with over 2,500 pounds of weight applied. Team members included captain Trevor Schuetz, Micah Harris, Will Raines, Cole Goldizen, Matt Hutchinson and Cole Parsons.
Marshall earned third place in the Sandcastle Competition with a sand-crafted rendering of Marco the Bison by team members Micah Foster, Micah Harris, Ella Cassidy and Ally Humbert.
“Our SAME-ASCE students have achieved strong results for many years, but this year was especially meaningful for our student chapter,” said Na, an associate professor of civil engineering and faculty advisor for Marshall’s ASCE student chapter. “In addition to defending the Hardy Cross Competition title, our students placed in nearly every competition they participated in.
“Most importantly, we were able to design and build our own concrete canoe and finished third overall. During the pandemic, our student chapter lost much of the knowledge and legacy associated with the concrete canoe program, yet these students started from scratch and still succeeded at a very high level. This achievement truly reflects the Marshall spirit, and I am extremely proud of our students.”
For more information on Marshall’s civil engineering programs, visit https://www.marshall.edu/cecs/civil-engineering-2/.
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