CEE Undergraduate Student Blog

Student Opportunities in Campus Sustainability

Interested in making a difference on the Illinois campus as we strive for best sustainability practices? Here are a few opportunities to get involved:

• STYRECYCLE INTERNSHIP: The newest recycling program on campus needs a high-energy intern to recruit new building and labs to participate, work with interested building managers to create a space for and advertise in-building collection bin, and pick up Styrofoam from campus buildings for delivery to the mass collection point. The intern will be compensated with 1-4 course credit hours available through the ENVS 491: Sustainability Experiences course. Opportunity may exist to continue involvement into the fall semester. To apply, email [email protected] expressing your interest and summer availability. If selected, you will be given details to register for ENVS 491.
• SWATeam VOLUNTEER MEMBERS: Leave a legacy at Illinois as a student member of one of iSEE’s Sustainability Working Advisory Teams (SWATeams). These teams — of two faculty, two staff, and two students — examine and recommend concrete steps the campus should take to meet its Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) targets. The six SWATeams are: Agriculture, Land Use, Food, & Sequestration; Energy Conservation & Building Standards; Energy Generation, Purchasing & Distribution; Purchasing, Waste, & Recycling; Transportation; and Water & Stormwater. We are looking for interns to serve a one-year term on several different SWATeams beginning in Fall 2016. Time commitment varies by team and by particular project, but should not exceed two to three hours a week. Contact Prof. Ben McCall, iSEE Associate Director for Campus Sustainability, at [email protected] if you’re interested.
• SWATeam CLERK INTERNSHIPS: We are also seeking students support the SWATeams with their day-to-day operations. Clerks are responsible for scheduling meetings, preparing minutes, working with iSEE Staff Liaisons to post materials on the iCAP Portal website, assisting with the preparation of reports, performing data analysis or background research as needed, assisting with the preparation of formal recommendations, and assisting with the development of scope for proposed sustainability studies. The Clerk position is ideal for freshmen and sophomores with excellent written and oral communications and a desire to start earning relevant sustainability experience on campus. Clerks may enroll in the ENVS 491 (“Sustainability Experience”) SWA Section to receive 1 course credit hour. View the class syllabus. As a student in ENVS 491,interns are expected to spend an average of four hours per week per credit hour on SWATeam-related activities. To express interest in this opportunity, email [email protected].

For more ways students can get involved in the campus sustainability experience, check out the iSEE webpage.

Paid Summer Jobs to Save the Bees

Environmental Illinois wrote this afternoon to pass on the following Summer job opportunities:

"This summer, Environment Illinois is running a campaign office in Chicago to save the bees. We’re losing bees at an unsustainable rate. We rely on bees to pollinate everything from strawberries to coffee. Unfortunately, beekeepers report they’re losing an average of 30% of all bee colonies each year. No bees means no food. That’s why Environment Illinois is working to stop the use of bee-killing pesticides.

"We're hiring staff to help on our campaign. This is your chance to spend your summer working for a great cause while gaining valuable campaign leadership experience and making $10-15/hour.

"CLICK HERE TO APPLY --> JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN OFFICE TODAY!"

Conversation Partners for International Students Needed for Summer 2016

Dear CEE Students:

Will you be on campus this summer? Volunteers are needed for ConvoPartners, to meet with international students for conversation and cultural exchange. 

Details and application below.  Question number 2 specifically asks for interest in the summer CEE program. 

 

Greetings Wonderful Intensive English Institute ConvoPartners Volunteers Past, Present, and Future!!!

Although the spring semester has just ended, here at the Intensive English Institute we are already looking ahead to summer and are excited about all the new and returning international students we'll have the opportunity to match with ConvoPartners volunteers for weekly casual conversation practice and mutual cultural exchange. 

To make that happen, we need YOU! So, additional information and the volunteer application for Summer 2016 are now ready and available to you here. 

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions and comments and please share this opportunity (via social media - you can share the recent post on our Facebook page - , email, conversations...)  with anyone you know (individuals, social groups, churches, neighborhood listserves, other volunteer groups, etc.) who may be interested.  

Very Warm Regards,  

Rachel Newell
Outreach Lecturer + ConvoPartners Program Coordinator

Intensive English Institute
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
616 E. Green Street, Suite 210
Champaign, IL 61820 USA
[email protected]
iei.illinois.edu

ISWS Data and Information Specialist position - Application Deadline May 15

Data and Information Specialist

Position: Academic Hourly (2 positions)

Salary: $15/hour; a minimum of 30 hours/week, no more than 40 hours/week

Availability: as soon as possible

Primary Function: Assisting with data entry and development of materials for several grant funded projects. Searching for and cataloging information from water and wastewater related websites. Writing 2-3 sentence summaries of web-based documents, media, and tools related to drinking water systems, wastewater systems, and operators for a website and accompanying database. Maintaining a web-based national events calendar. Assisting with web-based content development related to water and wastewater topics of special interest.

For more information please read the attachment or view the job posting at: http://www.isws.illinois.edu/jobs/joblist.asp

Download Wilson Data Info Hourly 5-2016

New Course for Fall 2016

We have re-opened CEE 432/IB 450 - Stream Ecology. There is a 3 credit undergraduate section and a 4 credit graduate section. The course will be taught by Prof. Rafael Tinoco and can now be viewed on Course Explorer.

The course will cover the following: Description of physical, chemical, and biological characteristics in streams and rivers including an integrated treatment of the environmental factors affecting the composition and distribution of biota; emphasizes the application of ecological principles in aquatic ecosystem protection and management.

CEE 498CH: Case Histories in Infrastructure Engineering

CEE 498CH

Title:  Case Histories in Infrastructure Engineering

When:           Summer Session 2016

                        TUE-WED-THUR

                        1100-1300

Instructor:      W. Charles Greer, Jr., P.E.*

Description:    This course will cover multiple case histories in infrastructure engineering. The two types of case histories to be covered will be CEE problems that are unique and challenging and require interdisciplinary knowledge and skills to propose solutions and CEE failure investigations that uncover the mechanisms behind projects that didn’t work as they were originally designed. For each case history, students will be presented with introductory information, engineering data, and background reading material, and they will be expected to discuss the case histories during class. All case history projects involve design and construction issues as well remediation of the problems.  All will involve in-depth investigation of the problems, recommendations of data to collect, evaluations of the data provided, and development of solutions to the CEE challenge or failure. Students will also form teams for a semester project and present their evaluation, data, and viable solutions at the end of the course.  Students will be graded on quizzes, participation in discussions, and the oral and written presentation of the team case history project.

Case history examples included in the course are movement of the 5,000-ton Cape Hatteras lighthouse, movement of two 1,050-ton nuclear reactor pressure vessels across 46 miles of roadway, construction quality control issue such as acceptable in-place concrete strength and other construction materials, and roadway/airfield facilities that experienced premature failures.

The course is intended for seniors and graduate students in CEE and CEE online students.

*W. Charles Greer, Jr., P.E. is a graduate of the University of Illinois with B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering.  He is a registered professional in Georgia and Florida.  During his over 41 years of experience, he worked on a broad range of civil engineering projects around the world.  As Senior Vice President, Director of Engineering, and Director of Quality Assurance for Law Engineering, MACTEC, and AMEC E&I, he was responsible for the development and implementation of engineering and quality procedures as well as project management processes.  His awards include the C. C. Wiley Award at the U of I, Engineer of the Year in Georgia by GSPE, and Honorary Member of the International Society for Concrete Pavements.  When Georgia Tech initiated a Masters Degree Program in Facilities Management, he developed and taught the inaugural course entitled Maintenance Management of Built Assets.  Prior to his recent retirement from AMEC E&I, he was involved with the quality processes for construction of the new nuclear power units at Georgia Power's Plant Vogtle and  the V. C. Summer Plant for South Carolina Electric & Gas.  Since 1974, he also has been involved with all phases of construction at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the busiest airport in the world.  Projects at the airport include an 18-foot diameter tunnel under an active runway and taxiway, construction of the underground people mover system, the airfield pavement management program, and many others.

Last Call for New Summer I Course - Mindful Wilderness Experience: Leading Change From Within

Summer 2016 Mindful Wilderness Experience:

Leading Change from Within

Discover your authentic self.  Become a leader from within to effectively inspire change & address society’s greatest challenges. Experience the power of presence. Explore the fundamentals of sustainability and resilience. Learn how to achieve systemic change through mindfulness and ecological principles of biomimicry.

During pre-trip online sessions, learn leadership skills & mindfulness skills adapted from Koru Basic, the research-proven mindfulness program for college students. Then join a seven-day small-group wilderness experience at a base camp near Aspen, CO. On the first day, visit the world-renowned Rocky Mountain Institute & the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies to learn about sustainability & resilience. Then immerse in teachings on leadership & ecological principles, hiking & nature sensing, and Koru mindfulness retreats—preparation for an optional 1-3 night solo experience with deeper reflection.

Required online pre-trip sessions: 2 – 4:20 PM CST, Monday May 16^th, Friday May 20^th, Friday May 27^th, & Thursday June 2^nd. Trip runs June 4-11^th and costs $630 without travel to Aspen. Course credit & financial aid are available at University of Illinois. For more information & registration, please visit http://publish.illinois.edu/mindful-wilderness-experience/. Camping equipment available if needed.

REU opportunity for Summer 2016

Please see attachment for information about a transportation research opportunity involving autonomous vehicles.

Download UG_AV_REU_flyer

Dump and Run is looking for Volunteers

The Annual Dump and Run keeps six semi-trailers worth of unwanted goods out of Champaign-Urbana’s dumpsters and landfills each year. This project reduces litter and consumer waste, saves space in landfills, and provides inexpensive items for folks to purchase in the fall. The University YMCA is looking for volunteers to help with collections and sorting of items from May 9^th to May 25^th. Please sign up for a shift at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0e45aeac2fa46-dump1.

When you volunteer, you get first dibs on the things collected (after only 6 hours of volunteering) - and we get an unbelievable amount of great things donated! So come out and volunteer for this great cause! Volunteers help bring back the items to the Y, sort the items, put things in bags or boxes, and have the fun of getting to sort through tons of cool things. Clothing will be down in the air-conditioned K rooms again this year for those of you who toughed it out in Murphy Lounge last year!

For questions, please email Emily Cross, Director of Development at the University YMCA, at [email protected].

Career Opportunity

Please see attachment about a Co-op at Gessner Engineering.

Download Fall 16-housing 

CEE Graduation Gift!

You’re graduating soon! Congratulations from everyone in CEE. Before you head out of town don't forget to pick up your free CEE lapel pin (a favorite item among all the CEE alumni)!

To pick up your lapel pin, tell us your plans after graduation by completing the First Destination Survey and then stop by Newmark 1117, located on the west end of the Crane Bay! Students are encouraged to complete the survey beforehand and just bring a screen shot of the completed survey to Newmark 1117, or you can complete the survey in Newmark 1117!

• Every graduating student received a unique link to the survey through their Illinois e-mail. To access your unique survey link, click here. You can pick your lapel pin May 2 thru 13, M-F from 9:00am - 4:00pm. Please be aware that Newmark 1117 is locked from noon - 1:00pm.

Congratulations again on this great accomplishment!

Questions? Contact Jamie Byrum ([email protected]) or Nishant Makhijani ([email protected])

CEE at Illinois Beer Tasting - June 7

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation from CEE at Illinois!

 

Just a few weeks after May commencement, join the Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association for happy hour in a special section of Revolution Brewing. Network with fellow alumni and meet some new friends in Chicago, all while enjoying top‐notch brews and food. Last year this event drew nearly 100 attendees. Don’t miss it!

June 7, 2016

6:00 p.m. ‐ 8:00 p.m.

Cost: $25 for grads since 2014

Illinois attire encouraged

Revolution Brewing

2323 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago

773‐227‐2739

Register by May 20 and find more information at http://cee.illinois.edu/brew.

Questions? Contact Celeste Arbogast, 217-333-6955, [email protected]

CEE REU Program -- Summer 2016 -- Application Deadline 6/15/2016

This email is being sent on behalf of Professor & Associate Head Jim LaFave.

Information will be available on the UG Blog through June 15, 2016.

 

Attached please find the Summer 2016 CEE REU Program Call for Proposals.

In summary (for 2016):

  --  Up to 2 REU student-semesters of support / faculty member in a calendar year

  --  20 hrs/week for 6 weeks in Summer 2016 (6/20/16 – 7/29/16)

  --  $1,500 per semester paid to an REU student;  $500/student of discretionary funds to the faculty advisor

  --  Application deadline (must be submitted by the faculty advisor):  6/15/16 (by 5p), via e-mail to [email protected]

I look forward to receiving your proposals (if you haven't already used up your annual REU allotment during the spring semester ;-), and please let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks for your consideration -- take care.

Jim

 

Download CEE REU Program -- Summer 2016

GE Unimpossible Missions Contest

Please find attached a student challenge from GE that has up to $100,000 in scholarships among other awards.

Download Unimpossible Missions - Contest Summary

CEE UAB "Building Social Bridges"

CEE Undergraduate Advisory Board (UAB) presents "Building Social Bridges", a networking event within the CEE Department, May 3, 5-6pm!

Want to advance in your professional career goals?

Or just want to meet other CEE students?

Then, RSVP to the Building Bridges Social and invite your friends! Come out to this end-of-semester event as a quick break before finals!

At this event, you can:

-Connect with professors & graduate students

-Meet other students

-Explore CEE sub-disciplines

This social event is created to improve the undergraduate student experience in CEE to include networking with CEE professors and graduate students. Professors and graduate students will be invited to talk about their research and answer questions from undergraduate students. Specify your sub-discipline interests in the RSVP form below for the kind of professors and graduate students you would like to see!

*Free food provided

RSVP here:

http://goo.gl/forms/O23qH4CuZX

Download CEE UAB Social

AT&T Experience Weekend Application - Help Spread the Word

Want to Experience AT&T?

AT&T is the industry leader in technology, driving new innovation every day.  We have an exciting weekend planned for you to experience AT&T.  Discover how you can join our team and be the future first.  This unique weekend will be filled with contests, prizes and gifts – all for you!  If you are a college student majoring in STEM, apply now to attend our exclusive AT&T Experience Weekend.

This is your chance to connect with our top innovators and test-drive our latest technology.  You will have the opportunity to learn about our Technology Development Program (TDP) – straight from the experts!  Not only will you network with some of AT&T’s senior leaders and technology gurus, but you might even leave with a job offer!

Here’s a taste of what we did at AEW last year – AT&T Experience Weekend 2015 [youtube.com]

Apply today @ aewtdp.com

Application Deadline is September 30, 2016

Download ATT Experience Weekend Flyer 2016

Farnsworth Colorado Structural Engineering Positions!

​Farnsworth Group is looking to fill 2 positions for their structural engineering group out in Denver, Colorado.  One of them is for an entry level position. The descriptions can be found at the below link! 

http://newton.newtonsoftware.com/career/CareerHome.action?clientId=8a5814f6448138ec014493ec8928783e

Consider Donating to Ecuador Earthquake Relief Fund

Ecuador was struck by a major earthquake this Saturday. The 7.8 magnitude quake ripped apart buildings and roads and knocked out power along the Pacific coastline. Thousands are injured and homeless, and hundreds have died. Rescuers from Ecuador and many other countries are struggling to reach survivors trapped in the rubble, but the death toll keeps rising every hour and they need all the help they can get.

Link to donate: www.ammado.com/community/ecuadorearthquake 

Download Ecaudor Relief Fund

 

Water Technology & Policy

Please see the following for more information on this course:   Download WTP_flyer 2

NEW - NPRE 201 Energy Systems Summer 2016!

NEW - NPRE 201 Energy Systems is being offered Summer 2016!

NPRE 201 is a popular course across Engineering and related College majors.  Please encourage interested students to consider taking it this summer.  This course fills to capacity every fall.  This is an opportunity for students here in the summer to get in the course who otherwise might not.

NPRE 201 Energy Systems

Credit:  2 hours

Meets June 13 – Aug 4; TR 10:00 – 11:50; 103 Talbot Lab

Patterns of energy production and utilization and technical aspects of renewable energy resources, advanced fossil fuel systems and advanced nuclear systems.  Same as GLBL 201.  Prerequisite:   MATH 220 or MATH 221; one of PHYS 101, PHYS 211, CHEM 104, CHEM 204, ME 300.

GLOBE Fall 2016 application

GLOBE (Global Leaders Orange and Blue Engagement) applications for the Fall 2016 cohort is now live!

https://oiir.illinois.edu/programs/international-education/globe

ENG 398/598: Honduras Water Project

Please see the following for more information:  Download HWP_Fall2016_Flyer

Honduras Water Project Courses AY 16-17

ENG 398/598 HWP will be offered in 2016-2017 to teach students who are interested in international development about how to provide sustainable infrastructure solutions by focusing on community needs, culture, and political structure. This course has been immensely popular during its first three years, and many students continue to engage with the course partnership even after graduating.

This year-long course is open to undergraduate and graduate students in all disciplines. Working with a community in rural Honduras, the students develop an understanding of community needs for a safe drinking water supply, investigate conditions that affect the operation and sustainability of the system, visit the community over Winter Break 2017 to perform field investigations, and develop a holistic design to improve the community’s health through drinking-water improvements and education. Water systems already have been constructed or are under construction in past partner communities of Las Queseras and Fatima, Honduras, and this year’s course is completing design now for the village of Cerro Verde.

In addition to engineering students, we welcome all disciplines and particularly encourage students in Community Health, Political Science, Spanish language, Global Studies, Dietetics, and Education to participate.

Download HWP_Fall2016_Flyer

2016 CI Student Days

CI developed Student Days as a program for civil engineering and construction management students designed to introduce students to the construction engineering aspects of the industry, using a unique approach that brings classroom lessons to life. Students will work in teams with practitioners for three and a half days to develop winning solutions to a civil engineering problem. Corporate recruiters and CI Board Members will be on site to evaluate the students and judge the winning team, based on their proposal and presentation. 

For more information about CI’s Student Days, please visit http://www.ascestudentdays.org/

 

This year CI Student Days event will be held in in Boston, Massachusetts, July 29 - August 2, 2016. Travel and accommodation assistance will be available in the form of a stipend.

We will be accepting applications until May 15, 2016. A formal reference letter is not necessary.

Engineering Resources Associate - Entry Level Engineer

Engineering Resource Associates, Inc. is looking to hire an entry level engineer at their Warrenville, IL office.  Please read attachment for all details.

Download Civil Design Engineer-Entry Level-ERA