This summer, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District, supported the University of Kentucky’s Summer Engineering Exploration Kamp (SEEK) both at local USACE project sites, and in the civil engineering labs on campus in Lexington, Kentucky.
The highly competitive program, in its inaugural year, consisted of two-cohorts of 20 rising high school seniors with the goal of exposing participants to the multifaceted world of civil engineering and creating a diverse pipeline of talent for the industry.
“Our goal is to hire the best and brightest who are really excited about the work civil engineers do,” said Louisville Engineering Division Deputy Chief Ray Frye. “The Louisville District was excited to partner with the University of Kentucky for SEEK and cultivate that excitement in students because there are a lot of things to be excited about with respect to the kind of work we do and how important it is.”
The Louisville District hosted students, along with camp mentors and personnel, at Paddy’s Run Flood Pump Station, McAlpine Locks and Dam, and the Louisville Veterans Affairs Medical Center for site visits and the unique opportunity to see a variety of civil engineering disciplines in action.
“The trips to the USACE sites were highly informative, demonstrating various aspects of civil engineering to the students,” said student mentor and PhD student at the University of Kentucky Leo Bettel. “From building a hospital to navigating barges through locks and dams on the Ohio River, the experiences were diverse and educational. Throughout the camp, students curiosities and interests in civil engineering were sparked and nurtured. They were actively engaged, involved, and fascinated by the behind-the-scenes operations. USACE's involvement provided valuable insights into the broad applications of civil engineering, inspiring many young minds.”
Embracing SEEK’s motto of “Learning by Doing,” Louisville District civil engineers volunteered to travel to UK and assist the students with a variety of hands-on experiments, including building water purification systems, water flow and testing the strength of balsa wood structures and mortar beams the students had created earlier in the week. While there, they were also able to engage in open dialogue with participants about life as an engineering student and professional, resume building and more, helping students feel less intimidated about pursuing civil engineering careers.
“It seemed like the high school students had fun learning about concepts within civil engineering and hopefully [participating in] SEEK will make the high school to college transition for them feel a little less daunting and a tad more exciting,” said Nathan Chappell, Louisville District civil engineer in the Hydrology & Hydraulics Section. “In addition, it was a great opportunity to also meet with current students at UK to talk about engineering and some of the great things we are doing at USACE.”
The Louisville District plans to continue supporting the camp.
“There is so much pressure on students now to make career decisions earlier,” Frye added. “We hope that through our continued support of SEEK and other student initiatives, we can show that engineering is a great career path for students and that USACE provides endless opportunities to do cool things and help people right here in Kentucky.”
According to Dr. Sebastian Bryson, department chair for the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky Pigman College of Engineering, USACE has been a strong supporter of our efforts from the beginning, from the planning process to the implementation of the summer camp.
“We are fortunate that USACE will continue its partnership with the University of Kentucky as we build upon the success of this year’s camp. USACE is truly helping us build the future,” Bryson said.