I would venture to guess that one of the words most often associated with civil engineering has to be “landmark” — and I believe that holds especially true for the Lyles School of Civil Engineering. For more than 130 years, Purdue civil engineering alumni and faculty have been the driving force behind many of the world’s modern landmarks that have stood the test of time and continue to inspire the engineers of today.

A Purdue education is a gift. Every Boilermaker should give back if they can. So says Jim Cure (BSCE '75), a second-generation Purdue graduate who built a career as a construction industry executive and consultant in the Portland, Oregon, area. Over the years, Jim and his wife, Carol, have committed more than $5.25 million to the Lyles School of Civil Engineering.

One distinguished Purdue civil engineering graduate honored another when Mamon Powers Jr. (BSCE '70, HDR '14) visited campus in February 2019. Powers appeared as part of a Lyles School of Civil Engineering celebration honoring David Robert Lewis, who became the University's first African American graduate when he earned a civil engineering degree in 1894.

The Purdue Women in Engineering Program celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019, but its origins date back more than 120 years to Martha Dicks Stevens. Stevens was the University's first female engineering graduate, earning her civil engineering degree in 1897.

The College of Engineering's Distinguished Engineering Alumni/Alumnae Award is presented to men and women who have distinguished themselves in any field in ways that reflect favorably on Purdue University, the engineering profession or society in general. In 2019, Purdue Civil Engineering alumna Anne Bigane Wilson (BSCEM '79, MSCE '81) received the award.

Purdue University's Lyles School of Civil Engineering has a long history of educating outstanding engineers. The Civil Engineering Alumni Achievement Awards (CEAAA) give the School an opportunity to recognize the career accomplishments of some of its most influential graduates. In 2019, the school recognized six of its alumni with this prestigious award.

Rick Conner (BSCE '76) believes civil engineering is an important component of every construction project, and he has built a successful career on this belief. Now, he wants to ensure that future Purdue civil engineering graduates have the same opportunity. Conner and his wife, Penny (BA Elementary Education '76), recently provided funding for the creation of two new engineering laboratories in the Lyles School of Civil Engineering.

Beginning in December 2018, touring donors, interested alumni and current students were able to experience and take advantage of recent improvements to the Delon and Elizabeth Hampton Hall of Civil Engineering. These renovations represent the first phase of a $5 million project.

In honor of two-time Lyles School of Civil Engineering graduate Shiva Haghighi, who passed away in 2014 at age 28, three rooms in Hampton Hall were recently renovated and dedicated as the Shiva Haghighi Student Success Center. Haghighi received her undergraduate degree in 2008 and her master's in 2011.

The Lyles School of Civil Engineering's connection to the Panama Canal goes back for more than a century. From the canal's original construction to its expansion and continued oversight, Purdue civil engineers have been integral to this modern wonder of the world.

Alexis "Lexi" Marks, a junior in the Lyles School of Civil Engineering, just finished her third season as a defender on the Purdue University women's soccer team. Marks says that soccer and engineering have been her passions ever since she was a child, and the fact she is able to pursue both at Purdue is a dream come true. She sat down with us for a Q&A.

Emily Wieringa (BSCE '99) considers herself a practical person. It is no surprise, then, that Wieringa and her husband, Steven (BS Technology '99), chose to be practical about their giving to the Lyles School of Civil Engineering.

A big thank you to everyone who participated in the 2019 Purdue Day of Giving! In just 24 hours, the Lyles School of Civil Engineering received 212 gifts totaling more than $1.15 million. Overall, Purdue University raised more than $41.6 million — a record for the daylong fundraising event. In fact, the Purdue Day of Giving has set new single-day fundraising records every year since its inception in 2014, leading to $146.9 million in total gifts.

American Structurepoint Inc., which already has strong ties to Purdue University and the surrounding community, is building on that relationship with the renovation of Lafayette’s historic Loeb Stadium. The Indianapolis-based engineering and architectural consulting firm, which is owned by a Purdue civil engineering graduate and employs more than 100 Purdue grads, is overseeing the estimated $21 million project.

It has been a warm welcome to the Lyles School of Civil Engineering! As the new chief development officer, it has not taken me long to build an immense appreciation for the generosity and commitment of the friends and alumni of Purdue Civil Engineering.