The spring semester is in full swing at Purdue University, which means we are rapidly approaching the end of yet another incredible academic year at the Lyles School of Civil Engineering.

Throughout the year, our students, faculty and staff have invested a tremendous amount of effort in both their academic and research-oriented pursuits. It has been a pleasure to see the passion and drive exhibited by everyone, every day, to succeed in their endeavors. This longstanding culture of diligence and innovation is something one cannot find simply anywhere.

First and foremost, though, our school aims to ensure that our students receive the best education possible and have the greatest research tools available to them — and that our faculty and staff continually seek new and better ways to enhance the education experience.

In this edition of CE Impact, we feature a few of the efforts the Lyles School is undertaking to ensure that our students have opportunities to participate in research and acquire valuable writing and public speaking skills. As the world becomes smaller with each passing year, effective collaboration and communication are key skills for current and future civil engineers.

We also detail how 3-D printing technology is — quite literally — adding new dimensions to several areas of research. From re-creating crash sites to drawing inspiration from insect anatomy, 3-D printing allows our researchers to approach their studies from entirely new angles.

Our educational opportunities are not confined to the West Lafayette campus. In this issue, we feature our school's multiple study abroad opportunities, which grant our undergraduates the chance to gain firsthand experience in the study and practice of civil engineering as it is conducted around the world.

These are just a handful of examples of how the Lyles School of Civil Engineering is working to create a fulfilling education experience for our undergraduates. We will continue to innovate how we teach. If you have recommendations, be sure to let me know. I am always interested in hearing ways to better our program.

All the best,

Rao S. Govindaraju
Bowen Engineering Head of Civil Engineering and
The Christopher B. and Susan S. Burke Professor of Civil Engineering