Students « Engineering Stories

by Makenzie Budge and Caleb Lennon

The Oregon State University student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) completed its second international service project last summer. The chapter designed and built a rainwater catchment system to bring clean, potable water to the community of Little Corn Island, Nicaragua, where the community’s septic systems were infiltrating the groundwater table during heavy rainfall. The project is currently providing clean water to approximately 400 people.

Oregon State Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers in Nicaragua

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This summer the Oregon State’s Solar Vehicle Team will once again be competing in the American Solar Challenge (ASC) and Formula Sun Grand Prix (FSGP). The FSGP (July 17 – 19) is a three-day track race against universities from around the country and serves as the qualifier for the biannual ASC (July 21 – 28), an eight-day road race from Austin, Texas to Minneapolis, Minnesota purely on solar power!

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Of the more than 500 teams that applied, two Oregon State teams were among the top 35 to make it to the finals of Intel’s 2014 Cornell Cup competition, held on May 2 and 3 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. After three rounds of judging by Intel representatives including a floor presentation, and a formal pitch to an audience — both teams were awarded honorable mention.

The competition gives students the real-world experience of working as a team to design a product for a client. “There will be supply chain issues, there will be hobgoblins in what should be working hardware, there will be times when you absolutely lose the motivation to fix the last few issues. How you overcome these challenges dictates what kind of engineer you are,” said Kevin McGrath, adviser to the teams.
Read the whole story by Rachel Robertson.

Robert Plascencia, a junior in the College of Engineering at Oregon State University

Robert Plascencia, a junior studying Electrical and Computer Engineering and minoring in Business and Entrepreneurship, recently fulfilled his high school dream of traveling the world. In order to gain cross-cultural experience, and heighten his German language skills, Plascencia studied abroad in Berlin, Germany through AHA at the Freie Universität Berlin during Summer 2013. Read more about his experience abroad.

Karryn Johnsohn, a senior in civil engineering at Oregon State University, has had a passion for teaching since she was eight years old, when she taught her younger brother how to multiply numbers before he had even learned how to add or subtract. But it was her love for bridges that led her to Oregon State to pursue a bachelor’s and master’s in civil engineering. Now, preparing for graduate school, she shares some of her own inspirations and future goals. Continue reading →

Engineering Stories

News and research, student achievements, faculty engagement, and alumnus accomplishments.

Category Archives: Students

OSU Civil Engineering Students Successfully Complete Clean Water Project in Nicaragua

Let’s the race begin

Two OSU teams shine at national Intel competition

Overseas experience boosts employability

Senior spotlight: Karryn Johnsohn

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