April 29, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Amy Hewes
805-756-6402
ahewes@calpoly.edu
Cal Poly Society of Civil Engineers Wins National Award
for Most Outstanding Chapter
SAN LUIS OBISPO – For the second year in a row, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) deemed Cal Poly the winner of the prestigious ASCE Robert Ridgway Award, given to the most outstanding chapter out of the 280 student groups across the country.
“It’s a rare feat to win this award two years running,” said Gregg Fiegel, Cal Poly Society of Civil Engineers (SCE) faculty adviser. “Over the past 20 years, Cal Poly has received the Ridgway four times. It essentially represents a collegiate national championship in civil engineering and requires tremendous energy, enthusiasm, hard work and leadership by all of the student chapter members.
Other ASCE national awards given to Cal Poly include individual student leadership awards, outstanding faculty adviser award and recognition for community service.
Cal Poly civil engineering seniors Roshani Patel and Kyle Marshall received leadership awards for work as the club’s vice president for Community Service and project manager for the Concrete Canoe team, respectively. Fiegel was recognized as Outstanding Faculty Adviser in ASCE Region 9. The ASCE letter of recognition for community service was based on activities organized by the Cal Poly student chapter, which include “Building Big,” an outreach program for local middle and high schools, and the popular annual Popsicle Stick Bridge Contest, which allows local students to compete at Cal Poly’s Open House.
The ASCE Ridgway adds to SCE’s award tally for the year. This month, the group also won overall champion at the ASCE Pacific Southwest Regional Conference in Las Vegas, where they won numerous events, including the Concrete Canoe and Steel Bridge. The bridge and canoe teams are heading toward national competitions later this year. Cal Poly is hosting the National Concrete Canoe Competition on campus and at Lopez Lake on June 17-19.
“There have been so many accomplishments this year, yet we are far from finished,” noted Fiegel. “Hosting the National Concrete Canoe event here at Cal Poly is a great honor, and the students are excited about the opportunity to put on a good show.”
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