by CATHERINE GOODYEAR, Senior Writer

The Manhattan College Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers or ASCE received honorable mention for their 2018 annual report. This is the first time they have been recognized for this award since 2015, which was then based off of the 2014 annual report.

An annual report is submitted to the national ASCE organization outlining all events that the student chapter has hosted or participated in. This report is then used to rank each chapter of the organization. Only one third of all ASCE chapters receive honorable mention and over 300 chapters of ASCE hope to get it.

The annual report typically includes competitions such as the concrete canoe and steel bridge competition. This report was overlooked by the officers including Dan Forero, the former president of the MC ASCE chapter and current senior civil engineering major with a concentration in structures.

“I first became involved in ASCE as a freshman, hoping to learn more about civil engineering and meet other people within my major. Throughout my time at Manhattan College, I was able to build strong relationships with other students who had also held leadership positions in ASCE, which inspired me to keep up my involvement.Taking on a leadership position in ASCE has been a great responsibility, and it has also been very rewarding. There is no better feeling than pulling off a successful event after weeks or even months of planning,” said Forero.

Not only does MC ASCE have competitions but they also host events for engineering students, specifically civil and environmental engineering, to meet potential employers and make peer connections within that field. The ASCE Annual Networking Event, successfully brought in 30 professionals in the industry from over ten different companies last year.

“I joined ASCE because it is a club on campus that connects people to the rest of the world of engineering. Sitting in classes only gives students one side of what civil engineering really is. ASCE provides us with the opportunity to go on site visits, meet professionals currently in the engineering field, and so much more. This gives us the chance to learn so much more about civil engineering and what the actual job is like, and that can help us decide on what we do with our degree when we graduate. To me, ASCE gives people the chances to expand their knowledge of engineering and to meet many new people, these chances can be the difference when it comes to job and internship searches,” said Michael LaValle, junior civil engineering major and current president of ASCE.

ASCE also brings in guest speakers and encourages its members to participate in outside events. There is over 300 members with students in all grades in Manhattan College’s ASCE chapter making it one of the largest clubs and organizations on campus as well as one of the largest ASCE chapters in the tri-state area. The organization skills of the officers is what makes the club run smoothly and successfully.

“The students did all of the work. They did a fantastic job from organizing events to organizing seminars and bringing guest speakers from all over to participating in activities outside the school. The organization of the report and the way they presented the work they did throughout the semester and usually ASCE looks for that organizational skills that the officers had. They valued also the activities the students participated in, not just how many there were but what they were,” said Moujalli Hourani, Faculty Advisor of ASCE, associate professor of civil engineering and director of graduate program for civil engineering.

Not only do the students receive help from Hourani, but all the faculty in the engineering department. The faculty wants to see this chapter and its members be successful and they are all willing to assist the society in any activity.

“The mission of the Manhattan College ASCE student chapter is to enrich the experience of students by exposing them to the professional and technical aspects of civil engineering through professional networking sessions, technical lectures, site visits, and social events. This will continue to build on the principles that will transform our members into the leaders of tomorrow,” said Forero.