HOW ACI STUDENT COMPETITIONS CAN

HELP FILL THE VOIDS IN CLASSIC CE

CURRICULA
DR. MARY CHRISTIANSEN, LEED AP BD+C
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH - DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH

11,000 students
Land-grant university
ACI STUDENT COMPETITIONS
• FRC Bowling Ball

• Egg Protection Device

• Concrete Construction

• Concrete Projects

• FRP Composites

• Pervious Concrete Cylinder

• Art of Concrete

• Mortar Workability
M I N D I N G T H E 2 ND Y E A R G A P

• Engineering curricula often

have limited CE courses in
first and second years

• ACI student teams and

competitions help with
retention of younger
students
BENEFITS TO STUDENTS

• Hands on experience designing and working in the lab

• Problem solving experience working on opened ended

questions

• Experience
designing
or working
with
uncommon
materials
BENEFITS TO STUDENTS

• Teamwork – how to work as a

team

• Develop comradery with fellow

students

• Time, material and resource

management and budgeting

• Organization and planning ahead

CONVENTION BENEFITS

• Networking – students, industry, faculty, etc.

• Internships and career development

• Professionalism practice

• Travel
LESSONS LEARNED

• Finding renewable funding can be difficult

• Register your group with Student Life

• Ask local industry (especially alumni) for support

• Motivating students is sometimes hard

• Spend some time in the lab with them

• Bring them to a Convention

• Organization and planning

ahead is key
• Monthly meetings

• Recruit young students!

THANK YOU.

• UMD ACI Student

Chapter

• UMD for supporting

the ACI Student
Teams

• Students for sharing

photos

Photo credit: Karl Peterson

muchrist@d.umn.edu