"Chapter History"

The University of Alabama in Huntsville was founded in 1961 in response to Dr. Wernher von Braun's request to establish a training facility for his fellow scientists and engineers.  UAH has an enrollment of nearly 7000 with 134 students enrolled in civil and environmental engineering. 

As an active member of Zone II, the Chapter regularly sends a delegation to the annual Student Leadership Conference.  We also participate in the annual Southeast Regional Conference where 26 universities from Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and Puerto Rico are given the opportunity to compete in 11 civil engineering competitions. 

Shortly after our ASCE Student organization was formed in 1985, we participated in our first concrete canoe competition.  We finished last in regional competition with a 12-foot long boat that weighed 450 lb!  Since then, we have proudly represented the highly competitive Southeast Regional Conference thirteen times at the national level.  In our last nine appearances, we won the competition five times and placed second three times.  We remain the only school to have swept nationals by winning every event in 1994.

Our chapter was officially chartered in 1990.

We last revised our Constitution (19305 bytes) on April 24, 2002; and received over two hundred awards throughout our history.  Some of our honors and awards include:

2005 -  Robert Dudley, ASCE Chapter President, is recognized as the UAH ASCE Student of the Year by the Alabama State Section while Dr. Houssam Toutanji, ASCE faculty advisor, receives an award for Research and Achievement from the UAH Foundation.

2004 -  Amber Dickens, ASCE Chapter Secretary,  is recognized as the UAH ASCE Student of the Year by the Alabama State Section while Dr. Houssam Toutanji, ASCE faculty advisor, receives an award for Distinguished Teaching from the UAH Foundation.

2003 -  Sarah Yeldell, ASCE Chapter President, is recognized as the UAH ASCE Student of the Year by the Alabama State Section while Dr. John Gilbert, ASCE faculty advisor, receives the Outstanding Faculty Award and the Outstanding Student Group Advisor Award from the UAH Student Government Association.

2002 - After receiving our annual report, the Board of Directors of the American Society of Civil Engineers forwarded a Letter of Honorable Mention for Achievement and selected us as the Most Improved Student Chapter in 2002.  We also received a Congressional set aside of nearly $1M to explore the possibility of using cementitious materials to retrofit parts in aerospace vehicles.  Samples of our space-age concrete and graphite reinforced cementitious composite sections were placed on display in the Royal Institute of British Architects in London.

2001 - We launched ConcreteCanoe.org as our primary contribution to the 150^th Anniversary of ASCE.   UAH's ASCE/MBT National Concrete Canoe Championship was entered into the Congressional Record on June 28 by Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions.  An Alabama State Senate Resolution was passed commending the chapter on winning an unprecedented fifth concrete canoe national championship

2000 - Stuart Johnson, ASCE Student Chapter President, is recognized as the UAH ASCE Student of the Year by both the Huntsville Branch, and the Alabama State Section, of the American Society of Civil Engineers.  Dr. John Gilbert, our faculty advisor for 15 years, is informed by ASCE President Delon Hampton that, "of the 70 eligible candidates in Zone II, you were selected for your outstanding work and dedication as faculty advisor to the UAH ASCE Student Chapter."  The ASCE Committee on Student Activities also informs Dr. Gilbert that, "you have been selected to receive an award under the inaugural Faculty Advisor Reward Program in recognition of the time and dedication you gave to your ASCE Student Chapter." 

1999 - Jon Coign, ASCE Student Chapter President, receives the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Office of Student Affairs.

1998 - UAH Student Chapter and their faculty advisor, Dr. John Gilbert, receive the President's Award for Outstanding Performance from the Alabama Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. 

1997 - Greg Laue and Kirk Smith, UAH ASCE Student Chapter Presidents, receive Distinguished Student Leadership Awards from the Office of Student Affairs. 

1996 - UAH Student Chapter receives a Certificate of Commendation for Outstanding Achievement from the Board of Directors of the American Society of Civil Engineers. 

1995 - UAH Student Chapter receives a Letter of Honorable Mention for Achievement from the Board of Directors of the American Society of Civil Engineers. 

1994 - UAH Student Chapter and faculty advisor, Dr. John Gilbert, are cited by the State of Alabama House of Representatives via a Resolution for Outstanding Achievement.  The award was presented to the Chapter by Representatives Butler and Freemen on behalf of Governor Jim Folsom. 

1993 - UAH Student Chapter is cited as the Outstanding Club of the Year by the UAH Student Government Association.