September/October 2019

Communities: Education
Collaboration Between Engineering Students and PEs Is Music to NCEES’s Ears

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA—LINCOLN’S WINNING DESIGN FEATURED INNOVATIVE ACOUSTICAL COMPONENTS, LOCALLY SOURCED TIMBER, AND A YEAR-ROUND ROOFTOP SPACE.

A musical arts center designed through the teamwork of engineering students and professional engineers has garnered the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying’s top education prize.

The Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, on the campus of Hope College in Holland, Michigan, is a 64,000-square-foot facility incorporating an 800-seat concert hall, recital hall, classrooms, studios, and an atrium.

In a two-semester capstone project, University of Nebraska–Lincoln master of architectural engineering students were tasked with completing engineered designs of the structural, mechanical, and electrical systems with a $25 million budget.

In addition, three design teams comprising mechanical, structural, and electrical engineering students worked on the project with mentoring teams of professional engineers, architects, and other professionals.

In total, 36 PEs acted as either mentors or evaluators for the deliverables, which included an architectural design, schematic design, and construction documents.

Each year, the NCEES Engineering Education Award recognizes accredited college engineering programs that integrate professional practice and education. The award aims to promote understanding of licensure’s value.

The jury is made up of NCEES members; individuals from engineering societies (including NSPE Executive Director Mark Golden); and representatives from academic institutions.

Judging criteria include successful collaboration between faculty, students, and PEs; protection of public health, safety, and/or welfare; and multidiscipline and/or allied profession participation.

This year’s jury praised University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s involvement of various engineering disciplines in addition to the project’s practical design.

The university earned $25,000 for the grand prize. NCEES encourages winners to use the money for projects that connect professional practice and education.

Seven additional winners earned $10,000 each.

Learn more about the award and this year’s winners.