The University of Idaho American Society of Civil Engineering Student Chapter is proud and excited to be working on designing and building both a Concrete Canoe and a Steel Bridge for this year’s ASCE Student Symposium. The Symposium will take place in Portland, Oregon from April 3rd to April 5th, 2025. We’re 
working hard to design and construct our final products for Concrete Canoe and Steel Bridge, as well as to teach our new members about ASCE and these national competitions. To participate in this year’s Symposium, we’re hoping to raise funds for our three primary objectives:  

• Sponsor 15 club members to register and attend the 2025 PNW Student Symposium 
• Purchase materials for an improved Concrete Canoe transportation design 
• Purchase supplies for Steel Bridge construction and Concrete Canoe mixture components 

We’re excited to have a growing club membership this year, despite the graduation of many members last semester! With all the new faces around, it is our goal to bring everyone to the Student Symposium this year so they can experience the amazing learning and networking opportunities. Sponsorship of our members will encourage attendance at the competition by keeping member expenses low, particularly for registration at the competition.  

As for the competitions themselves, our canoe transportation system design is a priority. Last year, our transportation method was extremely inefficient, risking the integrity of our canoe. This year, we’re working on a design that minimizes tensile stress on the canoe while reducing the number of people that need to be 
involved when moving it. Redesigning and building a new transport system will require materials such as steel tubing, wood, castor wheels, and straps. Our chapter is looking for monetary or material donations to help cover these costs.  

In addition to a new transportation system, we will also need to purchase tools for our Steel Bridge Team and Concrete Canoe construction supplies. Support from companies and individuals will ensure that our members are well-equipped for when the competition rolls around.   

This year, we are excited to share that individual contributions will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to a total of $3000 this year, thanks to the generosity of one of our donors. This matching opportunity means that each donation made by an individual can go twice as far in helping us reach our goal, making it an ideal time to support our mission. 

Your generous assistance will not only benefit this year’s club members but will have a long-term impact by contributing to our club legacy. The opportunities and experiences of this academic year will provide our future members with the resources they need to be successful in ASCE Symposium Competitions and 
their subsequent careers. Your contribution will make it possible for our ASCE chapter to continue offering these experiences to our students. We are grateful for all assistance received, and hope that you will support us in achieving our goals at the 2025 PNW Student Symposium!

To support our chapter, online contributions can be made by visiting the University of Idaho’s Give Campus platform! To use Give Campus, type “ASCE” in the designation box to find our chapter. If you are giving on behalf of a company, please fill out the box labeled “In honor of” with text such as “on behalf 
of [Company Name]”.  

If you would like to make a material donation or write a check, please reach out to our chapter president, Jose Pacheco, for further details: [email protected]  

Thank you for your time and your support! 

-University of Idaho ASCE

Dear ASCE Inland Empire Section Members,

We hope that this message finds you well.

Each year, a deserving member from our section is selected as the Engineer of Merit. Since the success of our section depends on the countless contributions of so many dedicated individuals, we’re asking for your help with this year’s nomination process.

The Engineer of Merit Award is bestowed on a civil engineer who meets many or all of these criteria:

1. A distinguished career in any branch of civil engineering
2. Distinguished service to the Inland Empire Section
3. Exemplary professional conduct in a specific outstanding instance
4. An established reputation for professional service
5. Objective and lasting achievement in improving conditions under which professional engineers serve in public and private practice
6. Significant contribution toward improvement of employment conditions among civil engineers
7. Significant contributions toward improving the professional aspects of civil engineering education
8. Professional guidance of qualified young persons who would seek civil engineering as a career
9. Other evidence of merit which, in the judgment of the Award Committee, shall have advanced the Society’s professional objectives
10. Who is a current ASCE member in good standing

Please support the Inland Empire Section by nominating a deserving member for this year’s award. A short paragraph describing the specific contributions of the proposed member is requested.

Send your nomination to Bill Meeks, [email protected]  before Wednesday November 20, 2024.

Sincerely,

Bill Meeks, Duane Studer, and Jeanne Finger

2025 Engineer of Merit Award Committee

Gonzaga Concrete Canoe - Need for Materials and Donors (April 2025 Competition)

The Gonzaga University American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) Student Chapter is hard at work at designing and building their concrete canoe for the Pacific Northwest Student Symposium on April 3-5, 2025 at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. The canoe is in its early design stages. We have begun test mixes and mold modifications. To participate in this year’s competition, funds ($5000) are needed to order materials, test mix designs, make modifications to the mold and canoe transportation system, build the canoe for competition, and for 20 students to travel to and from the competition (lodging, transportation, conference registration, etc.). Specifically, the team is working on receiving funding to order more glass beads to incorporate into their mix, needing to cover both material cost and shipping cost. This will ensure that the team has sufficient materials going into build day. Gonzaga ASCE is looking for donations to help cover these costs. Your assistance will continue to create a community where civil engineering students at Gonzaga can be exposed to educational and professional activities that will advance them in their careers. These events will not be possible without your help, and we hope that you will support us in achieving our goals! We are very excited for this years upcoming symposium, and hope to keep up the momentum from last year’s 3rd place standing.

To donate to Gonzaga ASCE, please go to the following link for Gifts to Student Clubs: https://www.gonzaga.edu/give/giving/student-clubs

Expand the Academics Category and check the box next to the American Society of Civil Engineering and fill out the rest of the form. If you would like to sponsor Gonzaga’s Concrete Canoe team and have your company logo placed on our team T-shirts, please email [email protected] after your donation has been made. In return of your generous donation, your company will be promoted and receive updates on how your donation is helping the team reach their goals.

If you are interested in material donation, please reach out to [email protected], our Vice President of Professional Events, to begin this process.