Partnering with UAA and ASD
As most in our industry know first-hand, the State of Alaska needs more civil engineers. The situation will become dire if we don’t act soon. Our industry requires approximately 75 new civil engineers per year to maintain its workforce. In recent years, the University of Alaska system has been graduating only about 40 civil engineering students per year. As a result, ACEC Alaska is looking for opportunities to partner with UAA and ASD. A few volunteer options for your consideration –
- Present to Local Classrooms – If you are looking for opportunities to present and want to get on a volunteer list, reach out directly to Scott Hamel, PE, PhD, Professor and Chair of the UAA Department of Civil Engineering. If you are a parent working directly with teachers at your child’s school, know that there are resources to assist with your presentations. If you are looking for prepackaged civil engineering content to help fill some presentation time, check out the prepackaged lectures located here - Mock Lectures | College of Engineering | University of Alaska Anchorage. We highly recommend that you reach out to the UAA Civil Engineering professor listed to obtain additional notes, tips, and other presentation materials well in advance of your visit to the school.
- Assist with Model Bridge Strength Competition – This competition is sponsored by UAA during Engineers’ Week. Teachers are always looking for classroom engineering support to explain the principles, go over the rules, share advice, and even support the activity from A to Z. Learn more here. www.uaa.alaska.edu/tinybridge. Reach out directly to Scott Hamel, PE, PhD, Professor and Chair of the UAA Department of Civil Engineering, if you would like to be added to the volunteer list.
- Highlight Folks in the Industry – UAA has collaborated with the ASD Science Coordinator and discussed including information on CE career pathways in the new "earthquake module," which will be delivered to all 9th-grade students starting in the new academies model in Fall 2024. She suggested, as part of this, creating very short videos featuring folks in the industry (preferably with some diversity) talking about what they do. Here are some examples https://www.asdk12.org/Page/11371. Again, if you are interested in participating, reach out to Scott Hamel, and he will put you in touch with ASD.
Anchorage School District’s (ASD) internship program
The ASD Career and Technical Education (CTE) program provides employers with talented and engaged high school youth who bring fresh energy and curiosity to the workplace. Employers also have a chance to inspire and shape the next generation of professionals, planting the seeds for future qualified employees for your industry or field.
Visit the ASD CTE internship page for information on how to get involved with the internship program.
Scott Hamel, PE, PhD, Professor and Chair of the UAA Department of Civil Engineering. sehamel@alaska.edu
