University of Delaware wins 2010 NCEES Engineering Award

NCEES is pleased to announce that the University of Delaware Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is the grand prize winner of the 2010 NCEES Engineering Award for Connecting Professional Practice and Education. The award jury met March 25, 2010, in Clemson, S.C., to select the $25,000 grand prize winner.

The department received the prize for its submission, Pomeroy Trail East Annex. For the project, student teams competed to win a commission and perform the preliminary engineering for an expansion of a multi-user trail system in their city. The teams worked with engineering mentors from professional practice to consider drainage and environmental upgrades, wastewater system improvements, reevaluation of a proposed groundwater remediation program, and associated infrastructure improvements.

The jury praised the project for its “excellent integration of real-world experience in an educational setting.”
The jury selected five additional winners to receive awards of $7,500 each.

  • California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
    Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
    Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice through Capstone Design
  • California State University, Los Angeles
    Department of Civil Engineering
    Connecting Practice with Education through Civil Engineering Capstone Experience: Puddingstone Reservoir Operations Level Study
  • Clemson University
    Holcombe Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
    Engineering Haptic Virtual Manipulatives to Enhance K-12 Math and Science Education
  • University of Maryland
    Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
    Engineers Without Borders: Solar Recharge Project in Burkina Faso, Africa
  • University of New Mexico
    Department of Civil Engineering
    Integration of Civil Engineering and Construction Management Education: A Multi-disciplinary, Mentor-led Capstone Experience

The NCEES Engineering Award recognizes engineering programs that encourage collaboration between students and professional engineers. All EAC/ABET-accredited engineering programs were invited to submit projects that integrate professional practice and education.

The winners were selected by a jury of NCEES members and representatives from academic institutions and professional engineering organizations.

“It’s great to see these innovative approaches to teaching students about professional practice; we hope they inspire other colleges to try similar collaborations,” said NCEES President David Whitman, Ph.D., P.E.

Read profiles of the winning projects.