UT Tyler to Host Regional Event
April 2, 2014
UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications
UT Tyler to Host 2014 Regional Concrete Canoe Competition
April 2, 2014
Media Contact: Hannah Buchanan
Editor/Writer–Strategic Communications & Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.539.7196 (cell)
April 2, 2014
The University of Texas at Tyler will serve as host for this year’s American Society of Civil Engineering Texas-Mexico Regional Concrete Canoe Competition to be held April 24 – 26 in Tyler, Dr. James Nelson, College of Engineering and Computer Science dean, announced.
Nearly 350 students representing 16 schools from Texas and Mexico will compete this year. At the annual contest, participants build canoes with concrete and are judged in four categories: technical design report, oral design presentation, canoe final product and racing. The winning team will represent the ASCE Texas Section and advance to nationals.
The reigning regional champion, UT Tyler’s ASCE student chapter also won regionals in 2009 and 2012. At nationals, the university has placed as high as 11th in the nation, with several top 20 finishes.
“We are very excited to host all of these schools from all over Texas and Mexico,” said Dr. Michael McGinnis, UT Tyler ASCE student chapter adviser. “This is a fun event and showcases engineering, project management and people skills. Plus, we love the opportunity to show off UT Tyler to all of these students.”
All report, presentation and canoe judging will be held on Thursday and Friday, April 24 – 25 on the UT Tyler campus. Races will be held on Saturday, April 26 at the Green Acres Baptist Church Retreat Center at Lake Tyler.
“Our students have worked so hard to organize this conference,” said Dr. J. Torey Nalbone, UT Tyler Department of Civil Engineering chair. “They can’t wait to show off all of the wonderful venues at UT Tyler. They’ve also been working hard building their canoe this year and can’t wait to get out and compete.”
Among other accolades, the UT Tyler chapter has received the “ASCE Region 6 Outstanding Student Chapter Award” for six consecutives years. Region 6 comprises of 22 student chapters in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
The chapter also has been an ASCE Robert Ridgway Student Chapter Award finalist and received the ASCE Texas Section Award of Merit, which is the highest honor that the Texas Section can bestow on a student chapter. The Texas Section is one of the largest in ASCE with nearly 10,000 members.
Currently serving more than 130 students, the UT Tyler Department of Civil Engineering offers both bachelor of science and master of science in civil engineering degrees.
For more information, call 903.566.7273 or visit https://www.uttyler.edu/civil-engineering.
One of the 15 campuses of the UT System, UT Tyler features excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. More than 80 undergraduate and graduate degrees are available at UT Tyler, which has an enrollment of more than 7,500 high-ability students. UT Tyler offers courses at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine as well as a location in Houston.