Benchmark and Beaker

CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING | COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING | SPRING 2021
benchmark
& beaker
Alumni Power Bay Area
Construction Company
Power Engineering works amidst some
of California’s most iconic sites
— see Page 8

enchmark
& beaker
INSIDE
03 FROM THE DEPARTMENT CHAIR
04 CE/ENVE CLUB UPDATE
06 ALGAE RESEARCH STATION
08 POWER ENGINEERING
10 NEW PARTNERS SCHOLARS
12 CLASSROOM RENOVATION
14 NEW FACULTY
15 STUDENT BOARD | SUMMIT
▲ Civil engineering student
Adam Monroe works on using
nanoparticles to detect microbes
in drinking water during his undergraduate
research project sponsored
by the Industrial Partners
Program (See Page 10).
2 | CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

From
The Department
chair
Department chair Charles Chadwell
shows work in progress in the Trophy
Room, long used as the department’s
showcase for its many club victories,
as it converts to one of the most hightech
rooms on campus with money
provided by the Platinum Partners.
(See article on Page 12).
▲
While we’re all excited about the prospect of inperson
classes returning to campus in the fall,
I’m also incredibly proud of what our faculty and
students achieved during this extremely challenging time.
To cite just a couple of examples, recently, a team of
students guided by Professor Hani Alzraiee won first
place in the Virtual Design & Construction category at
the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Student
Competition, and Professor Stefan Talke’s important
research on “nuisance flooding” was widely publicized,
including stories in Popular Science, Wired and the BBC.
Alzraiee and Talke are two of the six faculty members
taking part in the exciting new Partners Scholars
program, which pairs freshmen students with faculty
research exploring relevant, real-world topics. The
Partners Scholars is one of several initiatives funded by
our successful Industry Partners Program (IPP), both of
which you can read more about in this newsletter.
This year, the department was once again named one
of the top three of its kind by the U.S. News & World
Report, and part of that success can be attributed to
the incredible support we get from industry, alumni
and friends. Like our IPP, which funds a wide array of
initiatives, our donor-supported discretionary fund helps
us address a variety of needs that surface —including
unexpected ones. When the pandemic forced us to
abruptly pivot to virtual classes, we were able to use
our discretionary funds to purchase needed server
systems. And once we do return, we will now have a new
department van that will come in handy for a multitude
of projects.
Of course, our rankings are also heavily influenced by our
top-notch faculty, and this year, we’ve welcomed two new
assistant professors, Shams Tanvir and Long Wang. Both
have been actively involved in research, and they have
already involved students in those endeavors. Both Tanvir
and Wang participated in the Partners Scholars program.
Club activity in our department serves many functions
— providing social and industry connections and skills
that further our signature Learn by Doing approach
to learning — and as you’ll see here, our clubs have
remained active even during the pandemic. But, of
course, the rhythmic sound of students sanding a
concrete canoe will never sound so good when the
activities we’ve come to love return to campus.
It won’t be long. Until then, we wish you well. And, as
always, we thank you for your support — be it with
dollars, mentorship, jobs or a good word.
Sincerely,
Charles Chadwell, Ph.D., P.E.
Department Chair
SPRING 2021 | 3

enchmark & beaker
clubs
zooming
ALONG
▲ Members of Cal Poly’s Institute of Transportation Engineers
met for their Western District Panel Session
Forced to go the virtual route by the
pandemic, clubs continue to inspire
Despite a global pandemic forcing all Cal Poly
club activities to be virtual, student clubs
in the Civil and Environmental Engineering
Department continued to provide important
career connections and professional development
opportunities.
Toward the beginning of winter quarter, the Society
of Civil Engineers (SCE) and Society of Environmental
Engineers (SENVE) co-hosted the Civil and Environmental
Engineering Winter Career Fair. The event, held via Zoom,
lasted six days, with scheduled time blocks for students
to speak with companies.
Despite Zoom bombers crashing the event one day, the
career fair was a success, said SCE President Nadime
Younan.
▲ Members of Cal Poly’s Society of Civil Engineers met in the fall
for Welcome 2020.
“The most important part of the career fair was always
giving students the opportunity to network with potential
employers, and we were still able to provide that service,”
Younan said.
SCE and SENVE also foster connections through virtual
social, professional and community service activities.
The clubs provide different opportunities that encourage
involvement among members. SCE and SENVE host
game nights where students compete against each other
in games like Cards Against Humanities or Codenames.
They also promote membership engagement through
mentorship programs or meetings with industry
speakers.
“It has been difficult to keep making events that are as
engaging as the in-person events we would normally
have, but SENVE has addressed
that difficulty by planning high
quality events but with less
frequency,” SENVE President
Keon Feldsien said.
Cal Poly’s Chi Epsilon, the civil
engineering honors society,
hosted the 33rd annual Pacific
District Conference (PDC) this
past quarter. The PDC is an
annual leadership conference
that aims to develop students’ professionalism, connect
4 | CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
4 | CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Chi Epsilon with industry and develop bonds within the
community.
When in-person, the PDC allows students from different
Pacific District chapters to socialize and participate in
activities, workshops and competitions.
Planning the first virtual PDC presented many unique
challenges for the Chi Epsilon PDC committee.
The PDC typically takes place over a long weekend, but
this year, it was held virtually for six days. The conference
included mock speed interviews, a virtual career fair,
networking opportunities, student committee meetings,
project and professional development presentations and
a closing ceremony. According to Vice President and PDC
Chair Meagan Chan, the committee “wanted to make
events that would provide the opportunity for attendees
to network while
also spurring the
competition to win
the PDC Cup.”
student chapter of the professional organization, has also
adapted to the virtual learning environment and taken
advantage of its opportunities.
Within a month, ITE hosted two fully virtual Student
Leadership Summits (SLS) in winter quarter. The first,
held in January, connected students within the Western
District. The second SLS hosted 14 student chapters,
which attracted over 270 students representing 90
universities worldwide.
According to ITE President Katherine Lee, organizing
virtual conferences is easier in some respects over inperson
ones. Lee said they ease responsibilities like travel
restrictions and food and venue costs. ITE committee
members also learned the capabilities of Zoom and found
creative solutions for transitioning to virtual events.
The PDC Cup is
awarded to the
chapter with
the most points
from conference
events like chapter
projects and
presentations,
committee reports,
industry quizzes
and other fun
activities.
The conference
surpassed
expectations with
200 participants
from 14 other
chapters within the Pacific District. The PDC committee
chose “Unity” as the conference theme.
▲ Members of the Cal Poly Chi Ipsilon, the civil engineering honor society, hosted the 33rd annual Pacific District Conference.
“During this year of adversity, we believe that it is critical
to reconnect and unite so that the Chi Epsilon chapters,
members, and community will continue to thrive, grow,
and succeed as we continue our professional journeys,”
Chan said.
“The virtual format of this [SLS] conference allowed our
committee members to really think outside the box and
experiment various ways to make ‘traditional’ events...
into something more interactive,” Lee said.
ITE committee members worked together to overcome
virtual restrictions.
The Cal Poly chapter was the provisional winner of the
33rd annual PDC and PDC Cup holder.
The Cal Poly Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), a
“The conference is not meant to be a one-man show
and relying on each other makes organization less
overwhelming,” Lee said. “With great communication and
teamwork, everything is achievable!” n
SPRING 2021 | 5
SPRING 2021 | 5

enchmark & beaker
6 | CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Green DAYS
Algae research adapts and
grows despite pandemic
“Give us water and sunshine and we’ll
find plenty of things to do.”
— Tryg Lundquist
Although the coronavirus pandemic
has limited activities at the
Sustainable Utilities Research and
Education Field Station for more than
a year, environmental engineering professor
Tryg Lundquist says research opportunities
continue to flourish at the facility located
on the edge of the City of San Luis Obispo
wastewater treatment plant.
Lundquist said about half of the usual 50
students per quarter are currently doing
research inside three on-campus algae labs
and outside at the field station, which has
the tiny green aquatic plants growing in 20
biological treatment tanks each holding
260 gallons of wastewater.
“Our numbers are down but, fortunately, we
have a lot of lab space and we are adapting,”
he said. “We are wearing masks at all times
— even outdoors — and face shields when
they have to work close together. Plus,
everybody’s got their own lab coat and their
own safety glasses, so none of the PPE is
shared. Even with COVID, the work and project
development continues!”
Lundquist said most of the current research
projects are a continuation of ongoing studies
involving nature-based water treatment
practices and the development of algae
biofuels. One current study, dubbed the
“Phos Project,” examines how algae treats
wastewater by removing excess phosphorus,
an element that affects the oxygen levels in
water.
▲ Cal Poly students Allie Ahern (environmental engineering), above, and Kai Nakahara
(marine science), left, work at the Sustainable Utilities Research and Education Field Station
located at the City of San Luis Obispo wastewater treatment plant.
Another project on the horizon is the creation of a public educational
display for riders and walkers on the Bob Jones City to the Sea Bike
Trail which borders the facility.
“I would say there is about 150 feet of trail in front of the station and
we want to put up informational signs along the fence to let the public
know that the City of San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly are participating in
advancing water and energy research.”
Lundquist added with a laugh: “We have a rare opportunity to have
the general public get very close to all the action.” n
SPRING 2021 | 7

enchmark & beaker: COVER
On the
waterfront
Cal Poly graduates help Bay Area company design
and build at some of the most iconic West Coast sites
As soon as the divers at Power Engineering
Construction Co. slip beneath the ocean surface,
they begin multi-tasking, performing skilled
construction while battling currents, monitoring
oxygen levels and struggling to see in low-visibility
conditions.
“The ocean is not kind,” said Ken Lindberg (Civil, ’79),
one of four co-owners of the company, which specializes
in marine and civil projects. “It’s cold, and it’s a tough
environment.”
The Pacifica native knows about that first-hand, having
been a diver for decades.
“My dad put a tank on me when I was 11, and I probably
weighed all of 70 pounds,” he said.
Lindberg’s underwater experience was crucial to the
success of Power, which he co-founded in 1986. Since
then, the company has significantly invested in heavy
equipment, which allows it to perform a wide variety of
work, in and out of the water.
“We don’t limit ourselves to a certain type of project,”
said Brian Shalk, a project manager and 2010 Cal Poly
alumnus. “We really feel like we can build anything. One
day you can be working on a beach restoration project,
and the next day you can be working on structural repairs
for a pipeline 60 feet under water.”
When the Alameda company was launched by Lindberg,
Brian Stitt and Danny Reynolds, work typically came from
clients with complex projects others wouldn’t consider.
Many projects entailed work in surf zones, featuring rip
tides and breaking waves.
In company photos, Lindberg can be seen diving for
some of those projects, using his water and engineering
experience to the company’s advantage.
8 | CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Power Engineering is working with the Water Emergency Transportation
Authority to expand and improve facilities at the Downtown San Francisco
Ferry Terminal.
▲
“Not everyone wants to get beat up by the water,” he said.
“But robots can’t do everything down there.”
In the early years, the company amassed a growing list of
impressive projects, including a seismic upgrade to San
Francisco’s Pier 1, the construction of four cofferdams at
the Veterans Bridge in Sacramento and various repairs to
Pacifica’s seawalls, bridges and piers after it was damaged
by El Nino storms in 1998.
After joining the Pile Driver’s Union in 1997, the company
aggressively pursued larger projects and began investing
in its own future. The biggest investment was the construction
of two huge barges in 2012 and 2018 — the 90-ton
derrick barge, DB Alameda, and the 250-ton crane barge,
DB Pacific, the biggest of its kind in the West. The massive
tools, which are delivered to sites via tugboats, greatly
expanded the scale of projects the company could tackle.
“We can drive whatever we need,” Lindberg said. “We
always had to subcontract that portion of the work.”
The floating cranes are custom-made for the company’s
line of work, Shalk said, including pile driving and heavy
lifting.
“Having this special equipment gives us the access and
opportunity to pursue projects that others cannot,” he said.
Today, the company’s 75 employees (three of the four
current co-owners are Cal Poly graduates) include both
engineers and construction workers, allowing them to
both design and build.
“What’s unique about Power is that we do a lot of the
work ourselves,” said Lauren Rodriguez, a 2020 Cal Poly
graduate, who began working as a project engineer last
August.
Many of the company’s projects have taken place in the
shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, a marine engineering
coup completed 84 years ago.
“It’s mind-blowing how they built that,” Rodriguez said. “I
think about it all the time.”
A resident of the city’s Russian Hill neighborhood, she has
plenty of opportunities to see the city’s famous bridges,
visiting Power projects in the city. Recently, she spoke
from one of those job sites – the Ferry Building, where the
company was performing under-deck repairs.
▲ Ken Lindberg (civil engineering, ’79) co-founded Power Engineering Construction
Co. Three of the company’s four co-owners are Cal Poly graduates.
“I never thought I’d be a city person,” said Rodriguez,
a Palm Springs native, who landed the job through the
Heavy Civil Career Fair at Cal Poly. “It’s so interesting to be
in such an iconic place.”
While safety and cost effectiveness are always major
considerations, working on projects in an internationally
known tourist destination has added responsibilities.
“Not only does it have to function well, but it also has to
look good,” Lindberg said.
Anyone traveling the Bay Bridge into the city will see the
ferry terminal, located next to the historic Ferry Building
on the Embarcadero. Power used its two barges and a
slew of other equipment for a highly visible terminal
expansion.
In addition to aesthetics, the company also has to
consider protecting nearby structures, like the Ferry
Building, which was completed in 1898.
“If a historic building is adjacent to a project, we may
install seismic and settlement instrumentation to monitor
the building during disruptive construction activities,”
Shalk said. “This gives peace of mind to us, our clients,
and any onlookers.”
With projects involving divers, massive equipment and
iconic locations, the company’s work provides plenty of
highlight reel action. And it’s no surprise that employees
like Lindberg, Rodriguez and Shalk all enjoy water sports.
Shalk was even certified to dive – a company perk.
“Most of our engineers are pretty adventurous and want
to live life to the fullest,” Rodriguez said. n
SPRING 2021 | 9

enchmark & beaker
Seeking
New
solutions
Partners Scholars
Program pairs freshmen
with faculty on relevant
research projects
When an octopus was found in a flooded
Miami parking garage four years ago,
it was one of many ongoing signs that
rising sea levels have impacted Sofia
Barale’s home community in troubling — and at
times bizarre — ways.
So when Barale saw that one of the Partners
Scholars projects specifically looked at how human
developments might be contributing to South
Florida flooding, the Key Biscayne native was eager to learn
more.
“It makes me feel informed and a bit scared, honestly,” she
said. “Studying how sea level rise is affecting my community,
why it may be happening and experiencing it myself is
affecting how I think about where I live.”
Similar to the College of Engineering’s Summer Undergraduate
Research Program, the new Partners Scholars program pairs
10 | CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Environmental engineering professor Amro El Badawy
works with civil engineering student Adam Monroe on
conducting undergraduate research using nanoparticles
to detect microbes in drinking water.
▲
freshmen Civil and Environmental Engineering students
with faculty research projects. This year, 13 students
received a $500 stipend to work directly with faculty
members that are addressing real-world issues.
Funded by the Industrial Partnership Program, Partners
Scholars lasts a quarter, though students can continue to
work with the faculty once the ten weeks has concluded.
“They get to interact with our faculty, and it gives them a
taste of research and problem solving,” said Department
Chair Charles Chadwell.
Barale worked with Stefan Talke, who has spent years
studying how human alterations — including dredging
and the construction of jetties and piers — have
contributed to tidal changes that sometimes cause
“nuisance flooding.” Barale’s roles included digitizing old
bathymetric maps of Miami Harbor.
“The maps show that the approach to the harbor of
Miami is completely different today than it was around
1900,” said Talke, an associate professor, who has
analyzed tidal changes dating back to the 1820s. “Back
then, one took a circuitous route around the barrier
islands, through shifting sands. Today, there is a giant
15-meter channel cut directly through the barrier island.”
While both of Talke’s Partners projects involve tidal
research, Amro El Badawy’s two projects also involve
water — but in a different way. His research seeks to
support ongoing efforts to diversify water resources and
to develop a cost-effective sensor that would detect
pathogens in water.
For these projects, students reviewed existing literature,
developed spreadsheets to track information and
conducted lab work.
“They learned technical skills — for example, operating
laboratory equipment, using wet chemistry techniques
to manufacture nanomaterials or reverse osmosis
membranes, analyzing information from the literature
— as well as non-technical skills, including critical
thinking, collaboration and independence,” said El
Badawy, an assistant professor. “They recognized that
we do not always obtain the desirable results from a
research experiment. However, we learn from the failed
experiments to improve the outcomes of the next trials.”
Partners Scholars Participants
Thirteen students and six faculty members
participated in the first Partners Scholars projects.
They include:
Students:
Gurtaj Khera
Anubhav Dawadi
Adam Monroe
Grant Robinson
Sofia Barale
Philip Le
Thomas Burt
Abbie Wong
Steven Sturkie
Tong Hui Goh
Ryan Young Trainor
William Francis Killmond
Jessica Mcarthur
Faculty:
Amro El Badawy
Stefan Talke
Hani Alzraiee
Shams Tanvir
Long Wang
Anurag Pande
Both projects seek to expand drinking water availability.
“I was interested in this project with Dr. El Badawy
because I felt the project had a high potential for impact
on the world with the importance of finding clean water
sources,” said Grant Robinson, a student who assisted El
Badawy. “The Partners Scholars program interested me
because it was an opportunity to do something beyond
classes during my time at Cal Poly.”
Like Robinson, Barale picked up technical skills, learning
about new software programs and how to use them to
analyze data.
“In addition, I learned how to look at a situation in
different ways and how there could be multiple factors
that cause an event like rising sea levels to happen,” she
said.
While the experience gives students a nice resume boost,
it also helps the faculty conduct important work. Talke’s
students performed important information gathering that
helps test hypotheses and learn more about nature and
long-term changes.
“It takes some grit to stick with some of these tasks,
which are clearly within the 99-percent perspiration part
of the equation,” Talke said. “However, in the end we
hope to have gained new insights into how flood risk
in bays and estuaries is changing with sea-level rise.
The more we know, the closer — hopefully — we are to
solutions.” n
SPRING 2021 | 11

“This opens up a whole new avenue
of not just bringing in our industry
partners, but also excellent instructional
collaborators from around the globe in
support of student success.”
— Charles Chadwell
Trophy Room
Transformed
Department’s long-time showcase
to be both a high-tech classroom
and an industry meeting room
The Trophy Room, long used as the
department’s showcase for its many
club victories, is about to become one
of the most high-tech rooms on campus.
Funded with money from the Platinum
Partners (see side story), the Partners
Distance Learning Lab will serve both as
a place for industry to virtually connect
with students and a high-tech classroom,
complete with digital whiteboards, a
surround sound audio system and noisecancelling
microphones.
Alumni will remember the room as a
landing spot for past concrete canoes
and scores of trophies — hence the name
Trophy Room. But even before COVID-19
created a greater demand for virtual
interactions, Department Chair Charles
Chadwell was working to transform the
room into a place where industry members
from major markets could connect with
prospective employees.
“The thought was that rather than the
having the companies make the trek here
to give a one-hour talk to a club or our
students, it would be great to be able to
beam them in using Zoom and have them
be able to give a presentation to a group
of students in an environment that’s very
interactive,” Chadwell said.
When campus was shut down due to
county-wide sheltering orders in March of
2020, another potential purpose came to
mind.
“Then it became, wow, this is actually the
perfect room for a digital, remote learning
environment,” Chadwell said.
12 12 | | CIVIL AND AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

With a facilitator and teacher’s aide
in the classroom, remote lecturers
would have access to multiple screens
and touch-screen technology that will
greatly enhance virtual teaching. The
room itself has a capacity for roughly 80
people.
“This opens up a whole new avenue
of not just bringing in our industry
partners, but also excellent instructional
collaborators from around the globe in
support of student success,” Chadwell
said.
A similar room currently exists in the
School of Education.
Currently, the design phase has been
completed for the $150,000 room, and
equipment is being delivered so the
room can be ready this spring. n
The department’s Trophy Room is being renovated
and converted to a high-tech classroom and meeting
room. At left, environmental engineering professor
Tryg Lundlquist works under one of the new
projectors in the classroom.
▲
Partnership Program Continues
to Grow, Benefitting Students
While the economy has experienced setbacks during
the COVID-19 pandemic, the Industrial Partnership
Program has continued to grow, benefitting student
clubs and facilitating key industry connections.
The program lost one partner during the pandemic but gained
four. That reflects the appeal of both Cal Poly students and the
market for jobs in the industry, said Department Chair Charles
Chadwell.
“The need for infrastructure and growth in California doesn’t
stop just because of the pandemic,” he said. “The demand on
engineers is still there. And partners realize the strength of our
Day One Ready engineers.”
The Partners Program, Chadwell added, supports that Day One
readiness through systemic lab upgrades.
Chadwell revitalized the
partnership program when
he became chair. Partner
companies that join choose
between one of four
commitment levels (bronze,
silver, gold and platinum), with
support ranging from $250 a
year to $5,000. For partners,
membership builds their brand
on campus and opens recruitment avenues.
“Partners realize
the strength of our
Day One Ready
engineers.”
— Charles Chadwell
For students, the IPP funds a host of items, including
competitions; conferences; projects; Certificate of Excellence
student awards; startup funding for an Environmental fee-forservice
learning lab; and the annual Partners dinner (returning
soon), where partners connect with college and department
scholarship award recipients.
The IPP has recently provided funding for the Partners Scholars
program (see story, Page 10), the Partners Distance Learning
Lab, graduation gifts and Professor Tryg Lundquist’s research
using algae to treat wastewater (see story, Page 6), which has
involved several students.
The program, which raised $24,000 in the 2017-18 academic
year, had raised $140,000 by February of this year. There are
currently 49 partners, and 23 of those are in the platinum
category. n
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| 13
13

enchmark & beaker
New Faculty
Shams Tanvir and Long Wang add research
skills while encouraging student participation
Encouraging students to
assist them in research, the
department’s newest faculty
members have backgrounds
in the area of sustainable mobility
and the intersection of structural
engineering, material science and
data analytics.
Shams Tanvir joined the
Transportation Engineering team,
while Long Wang joined the
Structural Engineering team, both as
assistant professors.
Tanvir’s research, which focuses
on sustainable mobility, explores
the carbon footprint of emerging
transportation technology.
“As the number one polluter in the
U.S., transportation plays a very vital
role in climate change,” he said.
Long Wang
His research explores possible
mitigating factors, including selfdriving
technology, electric cars,
and shared mobility options — such
as Uber and Lyft — as possible
efforts to decrease pollution. His
interests encouraged him to come
to California, because the state is a
leader in sustainable mobility and
technology.
Tanvir earned his bachelor’s and
master’s degrees in civil engineering
from Bangladesh University of
Engineering and Technology and
his Ph.D. in civil engineering, with
a focus on transportation systems
engineering, from North Carolina
State University. He finished his
postdoc fellowship at the University
of California Riverside’s Center
for Environmental Research and
Technology.
Wang is interested in developing
multifunctional smart materials, such
as nanomaterials and polymers, that
can be integrated with structural
systems for simultaneously bearing
loads, actuating and monitoring
structural performance.
Like Tanvir, he offers students
valuable experience as research
assistants.
“My research will help create a
more collaborative environment
for faculty and students across
different backgrounds and will
create more visibility for the Civil
Shams Tanvir
and Environmental Engineering
Department,” he said.
He earned his bachelor’s degree
in port, waterway and coastal
engineering from Dalian University
of Technology in China, his master’s
in civil engineering and mechanical
and aerospace engineering at the
University of California Davis and
his doctorate at the University of
California San Diego, where he
also completed his postdoctoral
fellowship. n
14 | CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
SPRING 2021 | 14

CE/ENVE student advisory board
engages students for 3rd year
The CE/ENVE Student Advisory
Board hopes to get students
engaged with department
opportunities soon after they become
Cal Poly students while promoting
events like Engineering Week, Open
House and Academic Day.
Now in its third year, the board,
a consortium of various club
representatives, also shares
student concerns and needs while
collaborating with the department on
events and initiatives.
“Our board meets regularly all-year
with the department to discuss
various department businesses and
bring up concerns of the students
to create solutions,” said Meagan
Chan, who heads the board. “Over
the year, we have discussed topics like
department fundraising and providing
more resources for students.”
The current board is comprised of 15
representatives from the following
groups: CalGeo, CE Transfer Students,
Chi Epsilon (XE), Concrete Canoe,
Engineers Without Borders (EWB),
Engineers for a Sustainable World
(ESW), ENVE Transfer Students,
GeoWall, Graduate Students, Institute
of Transportation Engineers (ITE),
RainWorks, Steel Bridge, Society of
Civil Engineers (SCE), and Society of
Environmental Engineers (SENVE).
Recently, Chan said, the collaboration
between the board and department
has experimented with methods to
help students feel more engaged and
represented within the department.
That has included promoting early
exposure to opportunities within the
department.
Meagan Chan
“During the 2020 – 2021 academic
year, the board had successfully
organized, hosted, and represented
the department at various events,
such as Academic Day, Open House,
and the quarterly Open Discussion
Forums,” she said. “Additionally,
we hosted a series of events for
Engineer’s Week.” n
future of Engineering discussed at first summit
The future of civil and
environmental engineering,
graduate school and virtual
networking were some of the topics
covered in the department’s first
Emerging Leaders in Engineering
Summit, held in October.
The virtual event, which included
speakers, plenary talks and panel
discussions, was offered free for
students and alumni. Meanwhile,
Zoom recordings from the summit
can currently be viewed online.
The keynote speaker was Jim
O’Brien, a West Point graduate,
who teaches at George Mason
University and works at the ASCE
Foundation, which support students
in engineering.
O’Brien discussed strategies for
leadership in engineering. Addressing
the challenges in the world, O’Brien’s
topics included the value of diversity,
succeeding through failure and
change.
“We have to get ourselves into a
position where we’re ready to change
as change is happening,” he said.
With panelists from industry and
moderators that included faculty
and students, sessions touched
upon those topics and more,
including non-traditional engineers,
engineering ethics and graduate
school.
The summit was sponsored by the
Industrial Partnership Program. n
“We have to get
ourselves into a
position where we’re
ready to change as
change is happening.”
— Jim O’Brien, keynote speaker
15 | CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
SPRING 2021 | 15

California Polytechnic State University
1 Grand Ave.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
Platinum Donors
Gold Silver Bronze
h Blois Construction h Wallace Group
h Arcadis
h DeSilva Gates
h BNB Builders
h Avila Traffic Safety
Construction
h Diablo Engineering
h Carollo
h Huitt-Zolars
h Fehr and Peers
h Churchill Cost
h Mott McDonald h Gannett Flemming
h Condor Earth
h Murphy Structural
Engineering
h Kittleson & Associate h Diversified Project
Services International
h Stratus Engineering
h DKS Associates
h Truebeck Construction
h ENGEO
h FTF Engineering
h HNTB
h
h
h
h
h
h
h
h
h
Montgomery & Assoc.
MSD Professional
Engineering Inc.
NMG Geotechnical
Parisi Transportation
Consulting
Pet Doors
RJA-GPS
Van Sande Engineering
W.E. O’Neil
W-Tran
SPRING 2021 | 16