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Students from Louisiana Tech University’s chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) won first place in the concrete canoe competition during last week’s Deep South Regional Conference hosted by Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn.

The Louisiana Tech students went up against teams from 14 other southern universities in several events including concrete canoe.  In the concrete canoe division, the team from Tech competed in endurance races, sprint races and technical papers, winning first place in every event category.  This is the sixth time a Louisiana Tech team has won the regional competition and earned a place in the national competition, which will be held in June in Pittsburgh, Pa.

“I continue to be impressed with the intellectual caliber and innovative thinking skills of all our Tech students, particularly in the areas of Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Technology that tend to be the biggest contributors on teams like this,” says Jeff Pike, a lecturer of civil engineering and construction engineering technology at Louisiana Tech.  “I could not be more pleased with and proud for the students.”

According to Pike, the students have been working on these engineering projects since fall quarter, applying what they have learned in the classroom.  Through the construction and competition, the students also learned about time management, leadership, and dedication. 

The Deep South Conference is held every year to foster desirable relations among the student chapters and clubs within the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, and is comprised of schools such as Louisiana State University, University of New Orleans, Mississippi State University, University of Mississippi, and Arkansas State University.

The primary goal of the regional conference is to further technical, professional, and ethical knowledge of these students as it relates to civil engineering.  This goal is carried out by hosting annual competitions that allow students to apply the principles and concepts they have learned in their undergraduate studies.  Each of the regional conferences includes events such as concrete canoe, steel bridge, surveying and professional paper and presentation. Written by Catherine Fraser – cfraser@latech.edu