Trine students, faculty participate in annual CEPDS

WEST LAFAYETTE — Ten students and three faculty from Trine University’s Reiners Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering participated in the annual Civil Engineering Professional Development Seminar (CEPDS), held Nov. 21 at Purdue University.

The event attracts more than 600 professionals and students to learn about advancements in the civil engineering industry.

Ryan Hoak, a civil engineering major from Warsaw, Indiana, said he saw the seminar as an excellent networking opportunity.

Annalise O'Daniel, a civil engineering major from Indianapolis, said she decided to attend “because of the excellent sessions they offered on niche topics in civil engineering.”

“It was also a great opportunity to meet new people and learn about projects we wouldn't get to study in class,” she said.

“I decided to attend the CEPDS event because I wanted to understand and gain more knowledge about the field of civil engineering, since this is the career field that I want to continue with for the rest of my life,” said Chloe Hilvers, a civil engineering major from Fremont, Indiana. “I wanted to grasp the idea of what it takes, and the qualities needed to be a successful civil engineer.”

New insights

Gary Greene, Ph.D., department chair and one of the faculty who attended the event, said the event’s opening session covered an upcoming federal standard that will require pedestrian crossings to have audible instructions to help individuals with vision impairments. The standard also will apply to helping pedestrians with limited vision navigate through construction zones. 

Other sessions included topics such as how to improve the durability of concrete bridge decks, innovative techniques in geotechnical engineering, design manual updates for roundabouts, and a recently completed Engineers Without Borders project to implement a water distribution system.

“I gained new insight into projects and unique solutions I had never seen before in my field,” said O’Daniel. “Additionally, I made professional connections with both longtime career professionals and students from other schools. I am hoping to keep in touch with these individuals and potentially collaborate in the future.”

“The topics they cover often go over our heads as students, but it is still good to be exposed to the different new technologies emerging in the field of civil engineering,” said Hoak.

“I gained a lot more knowledge about how important civil engineers are to society, and CEPDS proved to me that I want to continue my education to become a civil engineer,” said Hilvers.

Dr. Greene said there were several sessions tailored for engineering students.

“This is the second year of this innovative idea, which was implemented by the head of the organizing committee, Trine alumna Jennifer Sharkey,” he said.

Hoak said he appreciated the opportunity to expand his knowledge in structural engineering.

“Since I have a job lined up in a structural capacity, it was good to get more exposure to the field as a whole,” he said.