Whether it is networking to create business contacts, engaging in competitions or inspiring Purdue University students to help others, the student groups active in the Lyles School of Civil Engineering are organizations students can be proud to join.

Coming to Purdue — or any university — can be an anxious time for students unsure how to succeed socially on campus. Other student worries include life after graduation, connecting with faculty and simply wanting to
make the most of one’s time while at college.

At Purdue Civil Engineering, student-led organizations help alleviate such concerns, and they always welcome new members.

"One of our school's greatest assets is our students," says Civil Engineering Professor and Chi Epsilon Faculty Advisor Mark Bowman. "Their active involvement in student organizations is invaluable, and it plays a vital role in providing a well-rounded college experience."

Purdue ASCE

The Purdue University Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) provides Purdue civil engineering students with a network of peers and mentors committed to developing leadership skills, learning outside of the classroom, serving the community and promoting the profession as a whole.

"Purdue ASCE gives students an outside-the-classroom civil engineering experience you can't get anywhere else," says Purdue ASCE President Jacob Grassel. "Not only is it great to meet and learn from other students, but the competitions really test your skills and knowledge — and you're able to have a direct impact on high school students with our outreach."

Every year, university ASCE organizations around the nation compete in events such as the concrete canoe, seismic design and steel bridge competitions. Purdue ASCE also hosts its own event on campus, the annual bridge bust, in which hundreds of high school students from the Midwest come to Purdue to test the carrying capacity of their balsa wood bridges.

"The bridge bust is always a really fun time of the year for us," Grassel says. "It's incredibly rewarding to see so many high school students come out and be so excited to participate in a civil engineering competition."

Purdue CESAC

The Civil Engineering Student Advisory Council (CESAC) was founded to increase interaction between engineering students and faculty in the Lyles School. The organization builds partnerships between students, faculty, administrators, alumni and industry to continue pursuing Purdue Engineering’s excellence in education, research and service.

"One of our biggest goals is to make Purdue Civil Engineering feel more like a community, rather than just a place to study," CESAC President Haley Smith says. "We're here to connect students to faculty and be a
place for students to learn from each other as well."

The biggest event CESAC hosts is its annual career fair — and it is one of the most attended engineering events at Purdue. In 2017, more than 100 employers came to Purdue, all with full-time, internship and co-op
positions ready to be filled.

"Our career fair gets better every year, and Purdue’s faculty have been extremely supportive of it," Smith says. "I've known a few professors who have moved their exam schedules around to make sure their students
have the opportunity to attend."

Purdue CEGSAC

The Civil Engineering Graduate Student Advisory Council (CEGSAC) serves the same core mission as CESAC: to foster and maintain strong relationships with faculty and students — specifically, graduate students.

"Since much of a graduate student's work and research is connected to faculty, it's important that we continually strive to improve and maintain a strong relationship between the two groups," CEGSAC President Ali Ghahari says. "We also encourage graduate students to get involved in matters outside their labs."

Events and activities headed by CEGSAC include charity fundraising for disaster relief, student-faculty social events, and College of Engineering social events, all of which allow graduate students from various engineering programs to collaborate.

Chi Epsilon

Chi Epsilon, the national civil engineering honor society, is dedicated to maintaining and promoting the status of civil engineering as a profession. Chi Epsilon recognizes the characteristics of the ideal civil engineer, attributes fundamental to the successful pursuit of an engineering career. Members help one another develop those characteristics in themselves.

"Students who join Chi Epsilon comprise some of the very best in Purdue Civil Engineering," Chi Epsilon Vice President Annie Chen says. "Those who join us strive to do their best in their studies and want to
make a difference in the world."

The organization's objective is to contribute to the improvement of the profession, develop and exercise sound traits of character and technical ability among civil engineers, and guide its members toward an ever-higher standard of professional service.

Chi Epsilon's public service work includes tutoring, providing school and program information, and performing community service.