ASCE Leadership Conference
Last weekend, I along with three other American Society of Civil Engineers officers from UD and our faculty advisor traveled to Austin, Texas for a leadership workshop. The primary purpose was to develop leadership skills by listening to presentations from national ASCE leaders and by exchanging ideas with student officers from other schools. Although not as convenient as last year's conference in Milwaukee, it was nice to escape to some warmer weather for a couple days. Our trip was filled with early mornings and late evenings, taking two flights each way and driving 40 minutes from the Austin airport to the hotel in Round Rock near the Dell Computers headquarters.
The most beneficial aspect of the workshop was sharing ideas with other student chapter leaders. It was interesting to see how many chapters faced the same problems as we do, such as recruiting underclassmen. However, some universities had great ways to solve this problem, and we're hoping to implement these ideas in the near future at UD. ASCE is divided into regions throughout the country, and our workshop included the midwest, central plains, and rocky mountain regions. I met and spoke with students from Wisconsin, Texas, Kansas, and Colorado just to name a few.
Younger professional members also attended the workshop and interacted with the students during a few sessions. Another highlight was meeting the new national president of ASCE and being able to ask him questions about civil engineering education and the profession.
In the evenings, we were free to enjoy the many delicious restaurants and the energetic nightlife in Austin. This provided a fantastic opportunity to bond with our faculty advisor. We headed down to 6th street, the center of the nightlife, to hear some live music and see some interesting people. This workshop is yet another benefit to getting involved in a professional organization such as ASCE.
Jan 28, 2008 5:09 PM
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