Concrete Canoe 2011
WSU Concrete Canoe team members (from left) Joe Osentowski, Emira Rista, Ben Paczkowski, Nicole K. Ball, Devin Partrich, Martin Brosnan, Stephanie Boileau, Anthony Vitti, and Jamil S. Jamil. Photos by Grace Ball.
Wayne State civil engineering students braved hail, snow, and rain to successfully launch their canoe, Spiritus, at the 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) North Central Regional Concrete Canoe Competition, held the weekend of April 1-3 at Independence Lake, just north of Ann Arbor. Competing against eight other teams from Michigan and Ohio, the team placed fourth overall and placed second in the Technical Presentation/Essay portion of the contest.
The theme of this year's presentation and essay, written by freshman Stephanie Boileau, was "Ethics and the ASCE Report Card for America's Infrastructure." The student chapter receives a monetary award from ASCE for this distinction.
Members of the 2011 WSU Concrete Canoe team are: Tony Amaro, Ali Badaoui, Nicole K. Ball, Stephanie Boileau, Martin Brosnan, Chris Callender, Jamil S. Jamil, Joe Osentowski, Ben Paczkowski, Devin Partrich, Emira Rista, Anthony Vitti, and academic adviser Peter Savolainen, assistant professor of civil engineering.
The other universities who competed are: University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Michigan Tech University, Lawrence Tech University, University of Detroit - Mercy, University of Toledo, Ohio Northern University, and Western Michigan University.
Sponsors of the 2011 WSU team are: Applied Science, Inc., Arvron Foam, CDM, CYM and SE MI ASCE Branch, Desai/Nasr Consulting Engineers, Wayne State University Engineering Alumni Association, Great Lakes Aggregates Companies, HH Engineering LTD., Hubbell, Roth, & Clark, Inc., Impressive Graphics, MCA - Michigan Concrete Paving Association, McDowell & Associates, Spalding DeDecker Associates, Inc., St. Mary's Cement, Trio Lumber Co., Tucker, Young, Jackson, Tull, Inc., Wayne State University Alumni Association, and Superior Materials.
Other Contributors to the 2011 WSU team are: Jim and Robin Partrich, Quinlan Tree Service, GV Iron Works, David E. Guastella. Zachary F. Carr, Gary K. Cleary, Anthony Villa, Frederick C. Levantrosser, William M. Foster, Raymond J. Tessier, Kye H. Ha, Carl L. Woodruff, Maisoun Abou-Arabi, Leslie Curtis, Lezlie L. Hart, Andrew Hass, Tad Hill, Kyle Kellam, Guy Pizzino, Bill Schmitz, George Stockman, Olivia Vostal, and Stephanie Wideman.