Support the Vision

Laboratory facilities are a cornerstone of the department's curriculum. While other civil and environmental programs have moved away from lab experiences in recent years, we believe the lab component of the curriculum is critical and have placed even greater emphasis on maintaining well-equipped facilities. Our students gain hands-on experience in the lab, working with actual materials and performing experiments that reinforce concepts learned in the classroom. To continue developing civil, environmental, and geospatial engineers who have a deeper level of understanding, it is imperative that we replace and upgrade laboratory equipment. Your gift will help us keep the labs furnished with state-of-the-art, functional equipment.

Newly redesigned in 2009, the Michigan Tech iDesign program builds off the heritage of the department’s International Senior Design (ISD) class that ran from 2000 to 2008. iDesign affords students a venue for participating in inspired, international, integrative community engineering design with partners in economically disadvantaged locations around the world. The program integrates sustainable, community-based design; field engineering needs analysis and measurements; and a full-scale design analysis on campus, followed by communication of the results to project partners. To date, over 200 civil, environmental, and geospatial engineering students have created sustainable solutions to pressing water, sanitation, transportation, and energy challenges. More than half of participants have been women.

Every year, Michigan Tech Steel Bridge Team members, design, fabricate, and assemble a 20-ft steel bridge to compete at the ASCE Conference. This is an extremely dedicated group of students that for several months work hard on creating a masterpiece which will represent not only their student chapter, but their university as a whole.

The Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering houses and promotes student involvement with professional organizations on campus including: American Society of Civil Engineers, Built World Enterprise, Railroad Engineering Activity Club, Chi Epsilon, Engineers Without Borders, and Society for Environmental Engineers. This early involvement lays the groundwork for lifelong learning and leadership skills. The student organizations send students to national conferences, participate in regional and national competitions, and take field trips for professional development. The Student Organization Leadership Fund seeks to provide funds needed for travel to conferences and field trips.

Gifts made directly to the department are unrestricted, giving the department the flexibility to support current priorities and respond to emerging opportunities that are not covered by other funds. All gifts, large or small, are important to the department.

Gifts made to the Endowed Practitioner Chair Fund allow the department to bring in practicing engineers to teach classes. The insights and industrial experience practitioners contribute to the department is highly valued by our faculty and students.

Since 2006 the Michigan Tech Chapter of Engineers Without Borders has been making a difference – a difference in the lives and hearts of the participating students and a difference in the communities their projects have been implemented.  This student organization and its faculty mentor, David Watkins, have developed budding engineering students into internationally responsible engineering professionals.  There have been hundreds of Michigan Tech students that have benefitted from involvement with this immersive design-build project-based organization. Donations will be used to cover student travel and material costs for the project.