Auburn civil engineering society chapter celebrates 100th anniversary

The Auburn University student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) turns 100 this year.  

Founded in 1921, the chapter was the first student in the Deep South and one of the first in the nation.

“We have a membership of over 100 students and we’re still growing,” said chapter president Melanie Monaghan. “We’re proud of the opportunities for involvement we provide.”

The chapter hosts a variety of annual events, including the steel bridge and concrete canoe competitions.

In the steel bridge competition, students fabricate and assemble scale model steel bridges which are then load tested and weighed.

In the concrete canoe competition, students design a canoe that must pass a buoyancy test the day before a slate of sprint and distance races.

“We host a Career Lunch Series every Tuesday during each semester, which allows companies to present their careers and projects within civil engineering. The series gives opportunities for students to network for future co-ops and careers,” Monaghan said. “We also host a career fair each semester partnered with the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE).”

That Auburn’s ASCE student chapter is one of the most active in the nation hasn’t gone unnoticed.  

“ASCE is proud of the Auburn University ASCE student chapter and of the generations of students, faculty and practitioners who have made it possible for this student chapter to thrive for 100 years,” said Beth Wiley, senior manager of Student and Younger Member Programs for ASCE. “We realize that the future of ASCE rests with our student members, and we are grateful for their commitment to their student chapters and the profession.” 

Monaghan credits the chapter’s accomplishments not only to its members, but the university.

“We have been grateful for the support Auburn University has given us through the years, most recently providing us space in the new Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory,” Monaghan said. “Although the pandemic has made it hard for all of us to continue to be involved as an organization, I have still seen new growth in the number of our freshmen and sophomore students, which gives me hope for the future success of our chapter.”

For more information about the Auburn University Student Chapter of ASCE visit http://www.eng.auburn.edu/organizations/ASCE/