Meeting minutes for Rice ASCE regular meetings
April 1, 2011
Hi everyone!
Thanks to everyone who came to the last meeting—we really appreciate it!
During this meeting, Ranney McDonough from McDonough Engineering Corporation gave an interesting lecture regarding what the professional engineering is all about, as well as the prospects of owning a private company. The McDonough Engineering Corporation is a small private firm offering design and construction management services in south Texas. For more information on McDonough Engineering Corporation, you may visit the website at www.mectx.com.
Also, remember next week is the ASCE-Chi Epsilon Banquet! The banquet will take place in the Farnsworth Pavilion between 6 pm – 8 pm.
Thanks, and have a good week everyone!
Jason Wu
Treasurer/Secretary, Rice ASCE
March 18, 2011
Hi Everyone,
Thanks to everyone that was able to attend the last meeting on Friday. During this meeting, Evan Wehrle, Ilona Hanten, and Thomas Spangenberg came to give a presentation on their company, KBR (Kellogg, Brown & Root). KBR is a leading global engineering, construction, and services company supporting the energy, petrochemical, government services, and civil infrastructure sectors with a wide range of services to clients in more than 49 countries. Their headquarters are in Houston. If you would like to know more, you may go to their website at www.kbr.com or email Evan at Evan.Wehrle@kbr.com.
I believe they are in fact looking for a summer intern! If you are interested, you may visit www.kbrjobs.com, and contact Evan if you have any questions.
Thanks, I hope everyone has a good week, and see you all at the next meeting!
Jason Wu
Treasurer/Secretary, Rice ASCE
February 18, 2011
Hi everyone,
Thanks to everyone who was able to attend the meeting today.
In today’s meeting, Jeff Taylor and Jason Ward from Freese and Nichols came to speak with us about their firm. Freese and Nichols is a Texas-based, multi-service engineering consulting firm, with specialties including engineering (water quality and planning, urban planning, construction), architecture, and environmental science. Their structural engineers are primarily involved in dam design and construction, although they also have projects involving bridges, levees, buildings, and roads.
They actually are looking for an intern at the moment! If you are interested, you may email Jason Ward at jvw@freese.com or call at 713-600-6853. If you would like to find out more about Freese and Nichols, you may visit their website at www.freese.com.
Thanks, and have a good weekend everyone!
Jason Wu
Treasurer/Secretary, Rice ASCE
February 10, 2011
Hi Everyone,
Thanks to everyone who was able to attend today’s meeting! During this meeting, Kate Hallaway, a Rice Alumni from Pate Engineers gave a presentation on Pate Engineering’s latest flood control project in Harris County. Pate Engineers is a civil engineering company that specializes in:
* Land Development
* Utility Districts
* Public Works
* Site Development
* Transportation
If you would like to find out more about Pate Engineers, you may email Kate at khallaway@pateeng.com, call her at 713-462-3178, or visit the website at www.pateeng.com.
Thanks, and have a good weekend!
Jason Wu
Treasurer/Secretary, Rice ASCE
January 21, 2011
Hi everyone,
Thanks to everyone who was able to attend the last meeting.
During the last meeting, Ben gave a presentation discussing what ASCE has to offer to its student members, such as scholarships and many networking opportunities to help your job search.
He also discussed the upcoming events of this semester, such as:
-ASCE Spring Career Fair, February 23
-Canoeing Trip, March 26
-ASCE-Chi Epsilon Banquet, April 12
-Concrete Canoe Competition at Texas A&M, April 29-30
We will be electing and voting for new officers this semester. The available positions are:
-President
-Vice President
-Concrete Canoe Captain(s)
-Treasurer/Secretary
The powerpoint presented at the meeting has been uploaded below. More details about the above events will be given later in the semester. If you are curious about the above events, feel free to email Ben at bsb1@rice.edu.
Lastly, we are having an ASCE Game Night(-ish) this Friday! The details are as follows:
What: ASCE Game Night
When: Friday, January 28, 2:00-5:00 PM
Where: Mech Lab Rm. 254
This is an opportunity to get to know your fellow CEVEs, as well as a chance to take a break from the books and have fun! We will be providing some board games and cards, but feel free to bring your own games. Refreshments will also be provided.
Thanks, and have a good week!
Jason Wu
Treasurer/Secretary, Rice ASCE
ASCE- Spring 2011 First Meeting Presentation
November 18, 2010
Hi everyone,
Thanks to everyone who was able to attend today’s meeting.
During today’s meeting, Clay Forister from LJA Engineering came to speak with us about LJA Engineering. They are an engineering firm that pretty much encompasses all civil engineering disciplines, including transportation, hydrology, planning/landscape architecture, surveying, etc. They have offices in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and the Woodlands. If you have any questions regarding LJA Engineering, you may contact Clay Forister at cforister@ljaengineering.com.
Additionally, many of you may be interested in the Workshop for Student Chapter Leaders (WSCL):
Students interested in leadership opportunities through ASCE will go to Fort Worth over a weekend and receive leadership training which will especially qualify them to work as ASCE officers. The hotel, travel, and food costs are sponsored by ASCE. From Ben’s experience, the training is applicable, fun, and worth the effort. Email Ben at bsb1@rice.edu if you have any questions.
Thanks, and have a good week.
Jason Wu
Treasurer/Secretary, Rice ASCE
November 11, 2010
Hi everyone!
First, thanks to everyone who was able to attend today’s meeting, especially the upperclassmen who offered very useful advice. For those that missed it, attached are documents containing information and advice for various classes from your fellow upperclassmen.
While you are assembling your schedule for the next semester, you may consider signing up for BROW 138, a class for Concrete Canoe! This is a student taught course worth 1 credit hour. This is not mandatory for those who are interested in participating in the Concrete Canoe Competition, nor is it limited to those that intend to participate in the competition. More information may be found at http://courses.rice.edu/admweb/swkscat.main?p_action=COURSE&p_crn=25667&p_term=201120
There is a Concrete Canoe meeting this Saturday, for those that are interested:
What: Concrete Canoe Meeting to pour more concrete!
When: 2 PM, Saturday, November 13, 2010
Where: The concrete lab in Ryon Lab
Additional Incentive: Free food will be provided!
There is also an ASCE regular meeting next Tuesday:
What: ASCE Regular Meeting
When: 12:00 PM, Thursday, November 18, 2010
Where: Mech Lab, Room 251
Additional Incentive: Free food will be provided!
During this meeting, Clay Forister from LJA Engineering, Inc. will be giving a presentation on LJA Engineering.
Finally, ASME is planning to design a Solar Car for competition in the coming years, and they are asking engineers of any discipline (including us CEVEs) for collaboration on this project. This project will provide experience in the aspects of project management, such as fundraising, planning, etc. as well as hands-on design work. For more information, you may contact Andrew Owens at andrew2290@gmail.com.
Thanks, and have a good weekend everyone!
Jason Wu
Treasurer/Secretary, Rice ASCE
November 5, 2010
Hi everyone,
Thanks to everyone who was able to attend and congratulations to those who received the $25 gas cards, compliments of Shell, for attending todays meeting.
During today’s meeting, Grant Warnecke, Rice ASCE president 08-09 and now employed at Shell, gave a presentation on the objectives and accomplishments of Shell, as well as the benefits of working with Shell. Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies. Among other titles, it is the number 1 petrochemical producer in the world, as well as a market leader in wind energy. Aside from the benefits they offer to their employees, they also offer scholarships, awards, training camps, etc. to students that may be interested in the field. Grant emphasized that they DO hire civil engineers, and not just chemical and petroleum engineers that one would associate the petroleum industry with.
If you are interested in interning or working for Shell, you may apply online at www.shell.us/careers. Information regarding scholarships and such may also be found online. If you have any questions regarding Shell, you may contact Grant at Grant.Warnecke@shell.com.
Thanks everyone, and have a stupendous weekend!
Jason Wu
Treasurer/Secretary, Rice ASCE
October 7, 2010
Hi Everyone
Thanks to everyone who was able to attend today’s meeting. I hope we will be able to see more smiling CEVE faces at the next meeting!
In today’s meeting, engineers from Austin Commercial, namely Joe Jones, Craig Williams, Jeremy Hudgens, and Richard Sasser, informed us on what Austin Commercial does and their latest project: the Methodist West Houston Hospital. Austin Commercial is an engineering firm that does general contracting in commercial construction, and is very prominent in the southern United States, from Florida to California.
If you would like to know more, you may contact Jeremy Hudgens at jhudgens@austin-ind.com, Joe Jones at jjones@austin-ind.com, or Parag Bathia, a past intern at Austin Commercial, at paragbathia@rice.edu.
We have organized a tour of the Hanson concrete pipe & precast materials factory on Friday, 10/22/10. The factory produces the precast concrete pipes and box culverts used by civil engineers for storm water drainage under roads and other structures. The tour will include lunch, sponsored by Hanson materials, and transportation is provided by Rice ASCE. The tour is scheduled away from most CEVE classes that day, so email Ben (bsb1@rice.edu) if you want to go.
Also, Rice ASCE is going on a canoeing trip! The trip will take place at Huntsville State Park (North of Houston) on Saturday, 10/23/10. Transportation is provided, and attendance is FREE, but if you want to go, send Ben an email.
Finally, the ASCE-Houston branch is hosting an ASCE Aeros Night on Friday, 10/22/10 (game begins at 7:35 p.m.) at the Toyota Center. Tickets are free to ASCE members and guests, if you RSVP by next Wednesday, 10/13/10. Registration is at http://www.ascehouston.org/en/cev/reg/136/. Email bsb1@rice.edu also.
Thanks, and have a great fall break everyone!
Jason Wu
Treasurer/Secretary, Rice ASCE
September 21, 2010
Hi Everyone
Thanks to everyone who attended today’s meeting, and I apologize to those who did not attend due to the Tuesday meeting time. We hope to see everyone return at the next meeting!
In today’s meeting, Julio Salinas, P.E., from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) informed us about what TxDOT is and what they do, such as transportation engineering, road construction and maintenance, promotion of traffic safety, etc.
If you have any questions or would like to know more about TxDot, you may email Julio Salinas at Julio.Salinas@txdot.gov or call 713-934-5900.
Also, just in case you were unaware, Rice ASCE has a website at http://asce.rice.edu which includes information regarding the organization as well as the meeting minutes for our general meetings. We also have a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Rice-University-ASCE/133843086629583.
Thanks, and have a great week!
Jason Wu
Treasurer/Secretary, Rice ASCE
September 3, 2010
Hi everyone,
Thank you to everyone who attended today’s meeting. We hope to see you all back next week for the next meeting! More information to come.
I would like to introduce to you the officers of ASCE this year:
Benjamin Berryhill – President bsb1@rice.edu
Becca Sagastegui – Vice President rs4@rice.edu
Jason Wu – Treasurer/Secretary j.wu@rice.edu
Peter Fobel – Concrete Canoe Captain phf1@rice.edu
In today’s meeting, Brett Pope from the ASCE Younger Members group came to speak about what ASCE is and what benefits they offer, such as mentoring, networking, job searching, activities, etc.
If you have any questions regarding ASCE, you may refer to the website at www.asce.org, send an email to member@asce.org, or call 703-295-6300. For questions about the local ASCE (ASCE Houston), you may contact Brett Pope at bapope@terracon.com.
To become a student member of ASCE (for new students) or renew your student membership (for returning students), please download the attachment “ASCE Membership.docx”, which contains a rough guide. Student membership is free!
Also, I would like to congratulate everyone who won the Rice ASCE awards last year. Sarah Hayman and Janna Stover, please talk to Ben to receive your award!
Thanks, and have a swell Labor Day weekend!
Jason Wu
Treasurer/Secretary, Rice ASCE