News Student News & Awards

Undergraduate Student’s Research Findings Presented at Prestigious International Conference on FRP

Not many undergraduate students can claim to have had their research findings presented at an international conference. But Pitt Department of Civil and Environmental undergraduate Alex O’Neill is among the elite: his published and peer-reviewed findings, titled “Fatigue Behavior of Adhesive Systems Used for Externally-Bonded FRP Applications” (PDF),will be presented at the Third International Conference on Durability & Field Applications of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Composites for Construction (CDCC) in Quebec City, Canada, in May 2007.

O’Neill’s research and publication were completed under the direction of Kent Harries, assistant professor, and assisted by Patrick Minnaugh (MSCE ‘06), both of whom are listed as co-authors on the peer-reviewed publication. Says Harries, a recognized international expert in the field of bond of FRP, “Very few undergraduates will publish in the peer-reviewed academic world, so this is an exceptional achievement for Alex, the department, and Pitt.”

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Supports Award Winning Student Research Project

Bem Atim was awarded the Best Research Paper Award by the Pitt EXCEL Summer Research Internship Program for his paper titled “Performance of Offset Mechanical Reinforcing Bar Splices.” This research was supported by PennDOT.

The EXCEL Summer Research Internship is a nine-week summer research program that connects faculty mentors with undergraduate students, primarily from groups traditionally underrepresented in the field of engineering. Students work 30 hours per week in a research environment. At the conclusion of the program, the students submit a five-page journal quality paper and present a 20-minute research talk. Atim, who worked with Kent Harries on his project, is scheduled to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in April 2007.

CEE Students Receive Merit-Based Scholarships from National, Local Organizations, and Companies

Students in the Pitt Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering continue to receive financial support to pursue their degrees from national and local organizations and companies. Individual financial scholarship awards ranged from $500 to $4,000 per semester, with some students receiving up to $7,500 per semester in merit-based scholarship support. Funding comes from a variety of sources, including corporate and alumni giving, and includes the following scholarships:

• Christian Watts received a SciTech Scholarship through PHEAA’s New Economy Technology Scholarship Program (NETS), which is awarded to undergraduate students studying in approved science or technology fields. Students are required to complete an internship in a relevant area of study as well as work in Pennsylvania for at least one year after graduation.
• Christian Watts received a Clapp Endowment Scholarship, an award based on high school achievements.
• Christian Watts received a National SMART Grant, which is available to students during the third and fourth years of undergraduate study who are majoring in physical, life, or computer sciences, mathematics, technology, or engineering.
• Jon Selig received a Michael Baker Corporation Scholarship, which is awarded to meritorious civil engineering students.
• Angela Scanga received an ASHE Pittsburgh Section Scholarship and Scott Hunter received an ASHE Clearfield Section Scholarship.
• Scott Hunter and Bradely Lawer received scholarships from the Construction Advancement Program of Western PA Fund and the Master Builders Association of Western PA, Inc (CAP/MBA).
• Scott Hunter received a Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute Foundation (CRSI) Award, presented to seniors majoring in civil engineering or architectural engineering.
• Monica Rothemel is the first recipient of the Charles M. Russell Scholarship in Civil and Environmental Engineering, given to meritorious undergraduate students.

ASCE Student Chapter Update

by Greg Rumbaugh, Pitt ASCE President

The University of Pittsburgh chapter of ASCE is going through an exciting period with outstanding student involvement and activities. A summary of last spring’s events includes a great showing at the Virginia’s Regional Conference competing against schools such as UVA, Virginia Tech, WVU, VMI, and Fairmont State. Pitt was represented with steel bridge, concrete canoe, and land surveying teams. Several students also attended a workshop for student chapter leaders in Boston, with members of the Pittsburgh Section Younger Member’s Forum (YMF). 

Although the conference was snowed in for an extra day, this provided a chance to get to know students from schools all over the northeastern United States and National ASCE officers. We have been working hard with the YMF to promote networking events such as Penguins and Pirates games, Oktoberfest, and monthly socials which all have had outstanding attendance. This fall Pitt and WVU ASCE had our own backyard brawl with canoes, horseshoes, and a barbeque at Canonsburg Lake to help prepare this year’s canoe team, and have had socials with the University of Pittsburgh–Johnstown (UPJ) Chapter. 

We are looking forward to attending the ASCE National Conference in Chicago this year. We will be traveling with UPJ students to the conference with a record number of 10 Pitt students attending from our department. This type of involvement and interaction with other chapters and groups will continue to grow stronger, and we are looking forward to the regional conference at Ohio State University.