Over 400 students gather to race canoes, build bridges and network

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Not many people can say they have designed, built and raced their own hand-crafted canoe — let alone one constructed entirely out of concrete. For the student engineers from around the East Coast who spent the weekend in Happy Valley, however, this was just one of the many highlights of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)’s Mid-Atlantic East and Mid-Atlantic West Student Symposium. 

More than 400 students from 20 universities attended the symposium on March 27-29, which this year was hosted by Penn State’s student chapter of the ASCE. The event offered a variety of civil engineering competitions, presentations and professional development opportunities to student engineers. 

Chapter teams competed in a concrete canoe competition, a yearlong effort where students designed and constructed canoes built exclusively out of concrete and heavy reinforcement material, then raced them at Stone Valley Recreation Area; a steel bridge competition, where competitors were tasked with quickly constructing a small bridge capable of supporting thousands of pounds; a head-to-head land surveying competition, and more. Aside from the canoe racing, bridge construction and surveying competitions, all the events took place at the College of Engineering’s new 290,000-square foot Engineering Collaborative Research and Education (ECoRE) Building.  

In addition to the hands-on, practical competitions, a student paper competition, a 3D-printing competition, resume building workshops, and networking events took place throughout the weekend. 

“As the student chair of planning, it was incredible to see the hard work our team has put into organizing over the last year come to life,” said Matt Geib, a third-year civil engineering major and vice president of Penn State’s ASCE chapter. “This annual symposium offers an incredible opportunity for students to learn, collaborate and compete in a fun and professional environment.” 

ASCE is the oldest civil engineering society in the U.S., representing more than 160,000 active members across 177 different countries, according to the society. Student chapters are a main pillar of ASCE’s mission to connect civil engineering students and industry professionals, with more than 400 student chapters established around the country. Penn State ASCE is one of the five inaugural student chapters established over 100 years ago. 

“Our student chapter has a long history of representing the University very strongly at both the regional and national level,” said Collin Sussman, a fourth-year civil engineering student and president of Penn State ASCE. “This symposium served as an amazing opportunity to showcase our students and facilities to all the attending schools. I’m glad we had the chance to appreciate all the teams’ efforts and watch students and professionals alike enjoy the weekend together in Happy Valley.” 

Several Penn State University Park teams placed at competitions throughout the weekend: the steel bridge team earned second overall, placing in six individual categories; the concrete canoe team placed fourth overall; the surveying team placed first overall for the third year in a row; the sustainable solutions team placed second overall; and the 3D-printing team placed second overall. 

Additionally, the ASCE Committee on Student Members awarded Penn State ASCE the 2025 ASCE Distinguished Chapter Award for Region 2, marking the fifth year in a row the chapter has received the award. The chapter also earned a certificate of commendation from the ASCE, distinguishing them in the top 5% of all student chapters in the U.S. 

“I have built lifelong friendships and memories as a member of Penn State ASCE, all while growing my professional network,” Geib said. “It has been a highlight of my time at Penn State, and I really encourage any students interested to get involved.” 

Engineering students who are interested in getting involved with Penn State ASCE can learn more by visiting the chapter's website.