NEWS

Louisiana Tech University’s American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) student chapter garnered multiple awards for its engineering prowess and team spirit at the 2024 ASCE Gulf Coast Student Symposium.

The organization’s concrete canoe team, captained by Connor Sigler and Jesse Bertucci, swept the coed sprint, the men’s sprint, the men’s slalom, and the women’s slalom races and finished second in the women’s sprint, the final product, and overall categories. Their canoe, Pawsome Blossom, with peaches and magnolia blossoms along both sides of the hull superimposed on a Tech blue background, reflected their ties to Ruston and the Louisiana Tech community along with their creativity, engineering skills, and competitive spirit.

The steel bridge team demonstrated its design and construction skills, snagging first place in bridge aesthetics and landing third place in bridge stiffness. Team captain Kade Klink’s leadership and resilience paid off as the team combined aesthetic appeal with engineering efficiency.

The surveying team, led by captain Lili Lavine, earned first place in survey leveling, underscoring their precision and expertise in the field.

The organization’s spirit and tenacity showed through as they grabbed third place in the tug-o-war and concrete beam competitions, showcasing their teamwork and understanding of construction techniques.

Louisiana Tech Conference Chair Ashtyne Monceaux knows that effort and a solid work ethic were critical to the teams’ in their respective competitions.

“It takes a lot of work for our teams to be as successful as they are,” she said. “The team captains and team members work countless hours on the different aspects their competition requires. Whether competing or spectating, every member shares a deep sense of pride in representing our ASCE student chapter and Louisiana Tech University with excellence.”

Dr. Elizabeth Matthews, assistant professor of civil engineering and construction engineering technology and ASCE faculty advisor, noted that she’s proud that the students won awards by overcoming challenges during the competition.

“I am beyond proud of our students,” Matthews said. “They’ve turned challenges into opportunities and have demonstrated the real-world applications of their classroom learning. I am excited to see how they will build on this success in future competitions.”

College of Engineering and Science Dean Dr. Collin Wick added that the organization’s hard work continually yields results.

“Our ASCE teams impress me with their constant success—built as much on hard work and dedication to Louisiana Tech and their teams as on engineering skills. I’m glad that their effort and Dr. Matthews’s effort were rewarded again this year.”

The ASCE student chapter at Louisiana Tech is already gearing up for its next challenge, fueled by the achievements and experiences from this year’s Gulf Coast Student Symposium. The chapter is hosting the 2024 Student Steel Bridge Competition National Finals on campus this summer. To support the team, visit their Bull Market campaign at https://latech.scalefunder.com/cfund/project/39748.