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ACM Chapter Initiated at CUA
On Tuesday, March 29, 2011, students gathered in Pangborn 301 for the
inaugural meeting of CUA’s chapter of the Association for Computing
Machinery (ACM). Founded in 1947, ACM is an international organization
headquartered in New York City.
Though not yet officially recognized as a student organization, the chapter
is making progress toward becoming University approved. Still, the ACM
leaders drummed up considerable interest in computing by choosing an
interesting, fun topic for its first meeting — video games. Students used the
Students Steeled for Bridge Event
At 8:30 on the morning of May 19, 2011, a handful of CUA engineering
students boarded a plane at BWI bound for Houston, Texas. From Houston
they faced a two-and-a-half-hour car ride to College Station, home of Texas
A&M University and site of the 2011 National Student Steel Bridge Competition.
The journey took more than 10 hours and seemed to be ripped from the
screenplay of the Steve Martin comedy Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. But
it was merely the culmination, the final steppingstone, of an odyssey that
began months, even years before that Thursday morning flight.
Three years ago two civil engineering students approached the American
Society of Engineers faculty adviser seeking information on the Student Steel
Bridge Competition. Taking on the role of team captains, Chris Scotti and
Chris Ridgeway recruited a small group of students with an eagerness to
learn and a desire to get their hands dirty. These novice bridge builders
earned 4th place in 2009 and 3rd place in 2010 competing in the Virginias
Regional Conference.
The 2011 school year saw the loss of several key members of the team,
including team captain Ridgeway and political and legal adviser Anthony
Scotti. Michael Lauriello (ME) stepped into Ridgeway’s shoes as co-captain,
Team builds their display bridge prior to the main competition.
16 | cuaengineer
Unity 3d game engine to create interactive objects in a virtual world. Physics,
lighting, sound, and many other real-world phenomena are pre-programmed
in Unity 3d, so no previous experience was necessary. The EECS department
treated the students to pizza and soda as they created the beginnings of a
first-person-shooter type game.
Our soon-to-be official chapter of ACM continues to plan future meetings
beginning this fall. Voice your opinions, suggestions, or ask questions by
emailing Evan Votta at 26votta@cardinalmail.cua.edu.
and together with Scotti, now a civil engineering master’s student, began
one last run at victory. The goal was simple: Beat Virginia Tech, the powerhouse
of the Virginias Regional Conference, and earn a bid to the national
competition. Months of work and many late nights went into the design and
fabrication of a 20-foot-long, 3-foot-high, 3-foot-wide steel structure. In April
the team traveled to West Virginia University where they stunned the conference
by shattering the competition and earning 1st place in all but two of the
judging criteria. CUA’s Steel Bridge team dominated the competition, including
Virginia Tech, in the construction speed, lightness, construction efficiency,
and construction economy categories, earning them their bid to national
competition.
The national competition is a two-day event bringing together the top 48
engineering programs from throughout the country. Although Catholic
University was now counted among them, there had never been more of a
David and Goliath story. Most schools boasted teams of 20 or more students,
sometimes with entire courses dedicated to the competition. Master machinists,
full metal shops, and even professional fabricators are common among the
teams, which frequently achieve national status. CUA worked a bit differently.
The team’s design work was done on scraps of paper in the back of class, or
on the chalkboards and computers of the civil engineering lounge. The fabrication
was done by a handful of students who literally taught themselves the
necessary techniques in the McCarthy building as they went along.
Brainstorming, creativity, and dedication served CUA’s team well. At the
national competition they posted a build time of 11:55, the 16th fastest of
the competition. Their bridge, made of just 200 pounds of steel members,
nuts, and bolts, held 2,500 lbs. directly at the center and deflected a mere
0.75 inches. The CUA team earned 29th place overall, outperforming schools
that had competed on this level many times before. The team gained the
respect of every school represented there.
The team’s core members, led by Scotti and Lauriello, included Amedeo
Petrongolo (CE), Dan Joyce (CE), Chris Reymann (CE), Brenda Tedrick (CE),
and Frances MacKinnon (ME). They were supported by many others, including
Patrick Terry (ASCE Chapter president), Megan Dever, (CE), Negar Gargari
(CE doctoral student), Tim Quine (ME), Jimmy Quine (ME), Professor Lu Sun,
(CE chair), Dean Nguyen (dean of engineering), Assistant Professor George
Mavroedis (ASCE faculty adviser), Associate Professor Scott Mathews (EE),
the CUA ASCE Student Chapter, and the CUA Student Fee Allocation Board.
Although the team once again faces the loss of many integral members who
have graduated, it is poised to continue this tradition of excellence and plans
to represent Catholic University at the national level for years to come.