CE Impact Magazine - Spring 2020

Impact Cover Spring 2020
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Head's Message

Try as I might to avoid the low-hanging, narrative fruit, I cannot help but find myself focused on our school's vision for 2020 and beyond. At the Lyles School of Civil Engineering, our vision is to remain a preeminent program — by building on our existing strengths and outstanding reputation and by amplifying our impact on society.

Think Summer

Purdue's Think Summer initiative is providing students an opportunity to learn key engineering concepts through its Summer College for High School Students program. Starting in the summer of 2020, Purdue Civil Engineering will partner with the University's Summer College for High School Students program, which gives high school students a chance to earn college credit before their freshman year. The one-week, college-credit course is called "Resiliency and Sustainability in Civil Engineering: Not Just Buzzwords."

Congrats to our Winter Graduates

A big "thank you" to everyone who joined us in December for the winter commencement ceremony and festivities. Nearly 100 graduate and undergraduate students earned their civil engineering degrees last semester.

Extraordinary Experiences

"It was a little intimidating starting off as an undergraduate research assistant at Purdue's Bowen Laboratory," says David Derks. The feeling is understandable. Inside the 66,000-square-foot building, the concrete walls rise 54 feet high, about five stories. A catwalk extends along the south wall. And situated throughout the expansive floor plan are heavy machinery, overhead cranes, instrumentation stations — and structural specimens in various stages of construction and testing.

High-achieving young professional energizes her community

Already recognized as one of the nation’s rising stars in civil engineering, Mariah Schroeder, a Lyles School of Civil Engineering alumna, says she wants to make a lasting impact in her field and to inspire the civil engineers of tomorrow.

Professor Luna Lu engages students as she develops self-healing concrete

For drivers in the Midwest, the problem with winters isn't simply the cold. It's the dreaded freeze-thaw cycle that erodes, cracks and pits road surfaces. In the Lyles School of Civil Engineering, Na "Luna" Lu, associate professor and ACPA Scholar, is exploring formulations for self-healing concrete, a construction material that will last longer in regions prone to the freeze-thaw cycle.

Saving Cleveland's Red Line

In May 2019, a 300-foot section of retaining wall along Cleveland's busy Red Line was tipping over. The wall, 20 feet above the Red Line, supports the Norfolk Southern’s New York-to-Chicago mainline, which carries dozens of freight trains and Amtrak passenger trains each day. Three Purdue Civil Engineering alums would play crucial roles in repairing this busy east-west corridor connecting downtown to the airport.

Senior Design: The Final Stretch

One of the greatest measures of a student's grasp on a subject is their ability to demonstrate understanding through practical applications. In the Lyles School of Civil Engineering, the senior design course, officially known as CE 49800 Civil Engineering Design, is a rite of passage and proof that undergraduates are prepared for the workforce or graduate school.

Driving advances in electric transport

It is a powerful partnership. Purdue's Joint Transportation Research Program is internationally respected for successful industry and academic collaborations. And the German company Magment Concrete Wireless is known for innovations in magnetic materials for charging electronic devices. Together, this interdisciplinary team seeks to build a better transportation infrastructure.

The Purdue LTAP Connection

For decades, hundreds of government departments in Indiana — as well as many Purdue Civil Engineering students — have greatly benefited from the Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program, known as LTAP.

Students can earn a bachelor's and master's degree in 5 years

To provide CE undergraduates an efficient avenue for postgraduate education, the Lyles School of Civil Engineering has established a combined degree program. Starting with the 2019-20 school year, Purdue Civil Engineering offers a combined BSCE plus MSCE degree program. The integrated program allows students to earn their master’s degree along with their bachelor’s in as little as five years.
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